Leviathan a Novel Written by Scott Westerfield

Leviathan, a title taken from the sea monster of Biblical origin and proportion, is truly suiting for this work of fiction inhabited by both vast genetically engineered beasts and mechanical behemoths. This novel tells the intertwined stories of Deryn Sharp, a young girl disguising herself as a boy in the British Air Service, and Prince Aleksandar of Hohenberg, a young man on the run from his own nation of Austria-Hungary. Taking place in a rich setting full of fanciful scientific ideas, nestled deep into the history of World War I, and acted out by a vibrant and memorable cast of characters; Leviathan is a novel unlike any other in the young adult genre.

The author of Leviathan, Scott Westerfield, was put on the map by his series of novels for young adults entitled Uglies. Alongside Uglies Westerfield has published 18 other novels, including Leviathan and the novels that follow it. He was born in Dallas, Texas in 1963, and studied at both Vassar College and New York University (Westerfield). Westerfield is known best for his intelligent storytelling and carefully crafted settings, especially in Leviathan and Uglies. He has a very obvious passions for science fiction, along with addressing issues that many young people face every day in his creative works. His protagonists are known to be deep and well crafted, but still relatable with unique sets of flaws. This pattern of characterization is no less prevalent in Leviathan.

Deryn Sharp is, by all means, described well by her name. She is sharp tongued and quick witted, and obviously very sly to keep her true gender concealed from her comrades in the Air Service. She is a fast-paced character, with a brusque attitude that surged her away from life as a “proper lady” and conceals ...

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...and Alek is refreshing and entertaining. The style of this novel brings a lot of hope for the future of the young adult section in all bookstores. Hopefully other authors will soon take note of how enjoyable this style of novel is, and will shrink the overwhelming flood of shallow love triangles and romances to a slow trickle.

Works Cited

Grossman, Austin. "Whale Riders." The New York Times. The New York Times, 07 Nov. 2009. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.

Haggard, Cassi. "Breakdown of a Heroine: Deryn Sharp." Web log post. Galavanting Girl Books. N.p., 13 May 2012. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.

Kelley, Martin. "Archduke Franz Ferdinand." About.com American History. About.com, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.

"Nora Barlow." Peters, Frasers, & Dunlop. Peters, Frasers, & Dunlop, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.

Westerfield, Scott. "About The Author." Web log post. Westerblog. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.