Thief Eyes (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Thief Eyes April Spisak Simner, Janni Lee . Thief Eyes. Random House, 2010 [272p]. Library ed. ISBN 978-0-375-96670-5$19.99 Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-375-86670-8$16.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-0-375-89682-8$16.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 7-10 Sixteen-year-old Haley just can't accept the fact that her mother is actually gone, and she convinces her father to take her to the spot in Iceland where her mom disappeared. Once there, Haley discovers two shocking things: the fact that her father was having an affair at the time, and the fact that Haley is tied through many generations of women to one who cast a curse to change her own fate. This spell killed Haley's mother and threatens to do the same to Haley as she sets off on an epic adventure with a hunky shape-shifting boy, Ari (the son of Haley's father's paramour), who can become a polar bear. As they work toward getting rid of the coin that keeps the spell alive, the two encounter various characters from Icelandic stories and sagas; the resulting blend of medieval myths, magic realism, and firmly logical (and quite sassy) modern girl is complex and rich. Hallgerd, the woman seeking to escape an unwanted marriage centuries ago, is at once deeply unpleasant and entirely compelling as she risks all to throw herself into another time and place. Haley's development of nuance, forgiveness, and maturity while yelling at omniscient crows, harnessing fire powers, and otherwise dabbling in myth is subtly conveyed, never interrupting the gripping adventure flow with something as mundane as hard-won growth. And, of course, a hot romance with a cutie who is also fantastic protection as a fierce polar bear doesn't hurt either, and it may draw in romance fans as well as the expected fantasy buffs. Copyright © 2010 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois