Above (review)

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

Reviewed by: Above Kate Quealy-Gainer Bobet, Leah . Above. Levine/Scholastic, 2012. [368p]. Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-545-29670-0 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-0-545-39220-4 $17.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 8-12. The underground city of Safe offers sanctuary to the Sick, the Freaks, and other rejects from the world Above. Matthew was the first of a generation to be born there and has been raised by Atticus, a Freak with crab claws for hands, who is one of the founders of Safe. As the appointed Teller, Matthew is responsible for the histories of the city and its residents, but the tale takes a terrible turn when Corner, the one and only exile from Safe, returns with an army of venomous shadows, killing Atticus and scattering the other Freaks through the underground tunnels and up Above. There, Matthew and his friend Ari, a broken and troubled shape-shifter, uncover the true origins of Safe, and Matthew's role shifts from historian to judge and executioner as he rights past wrongs and attempts to build a new Safe. Richly nuanced, this complicated tale touches on notions of security, truth, and autonomy with just a hint of romantic love. Matthew's narration oscillates between a folksy, slang-ridden casualness and a poetic stream of consciousness, abundant in imagery and metaphor; the combination is disconcerting at times but also furthers the story's ethereal, illusory quality. Each of the characters is painfully, endearingly flawed, some of them irredeemably so; Corner's story of rejection, acceptance, and then rejection again is particularly compelling, and the author deftly blurs the line between villainy [End Page 447] and vulnerability without excusing Corner's horrific acts. A disjointed timeline and differing perspectives are neatly handled through Matthew's role as Teller, and his stories speak to the idea that history is shaped by what it omits as well as what it includes. The ultimate price for the return to Safe is a high one, and readers will be left wondering not only what asylum is worth but also who deserves it. Copyright © 2012 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois