Leviathan

Reader: Luke M
Age: 16
Title: Leviathan
Author: Scott Westfield
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Pub Date: 10/6/09
Galley: Yes
Nominate for Teens’ Top 10: Yes
Annotation: Prince Alek, a Clanker, family has been assassinated and he is on the run with an armored walker and it's loyal crew. After meeting Deryn, a girl posing as a boy in the Darwinist navy, the two work together to stop the war in this alternate World War I story.
Recommend: Yes
Convince us to the read the book: An alternate history of World War I, fought between the mechanical armies and machines of the Central Powers and the Darwinist creatures of the Allies.
Compelling Aspect of the Book: I liked many of the characters. Alek, although he acted stupidly at times, was a good person and seemed to be like a prince would be. My favorite was Deryn, as she had a great personality and I liked how she lied to join the Airforce. Volger and Klopp were good characters and had great personalities. Also, much of the book seemed like it could happen.
Did you finish: Yes
Were you disappointed with the book at all: I did not like Dr. Barlow. She seemed too stuck up to have a job like hers and be able to order around an airship.
Comments: I think the book would benefit from some more explanations. What side is America on? If they still have war on the ground, what do the Darwinist have that could hurt a dreadnought or even a walker?
Did the cover tempt you and/or reflect the contents of the book: The cover was very interesting and the walker caught my attention very quickly, especially as it looked war-torn. The walker looked like what I thought it should. However, the person on the cover looked nothing like Alek—I even mistook it for Deryn for several chapters.
Age Range: 14-15
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 3P Some teen appeal