Terra Electrica : The Guardians of the North | By Antonia Maxwell
Book Review | TheWriteReads Blog Tour | Middle Grade
My thoughts
Narrative and Plot
Terra Electrica is told from our protagonist Mani’s perspective. She is waiting for her father, who went out to find some food in a cave at the end of the world. After days and days of waiting, Mani could no longer stay back with little food left and no signs of her father. She set out on an adventure, and that is what the story is all about.I’ve always been a fan of stories about the end of the world and how a few remaining people scramble to survive.
This one gave me “The Last of Us” vibe if it was a middle grade fiction with magical realism.
Characters and Conflicts
Mani and her travel companion, Leo, make an odd duo who have their own goals in making this journey. What started as a symbiotic journey between them developed into a sweet bond.The journey and the friends she made along the way make up a compelling read. Mani’s heart longs for her father and her mother. The mask and the vistas it provided pique your interest, making you turn the pages to unravel the mystery.
I’m always amazed by how dark middle grade novels can be. Mani had no easy life by any means. And for a young mind to comprehend that life can be tough, and loss and death are part of it, might be too much. However, the story balances the light and the dark well. The only critique, if any, would be that the antagonist could have used to a few more pages rather than springing up in the climax for a brief moment.
Through Mani and her character arc, it manages to impart the lesson to stay strong and believe in yourself. Sometimes even adults need those reminders.In the end, though, there is hope and further adventure to come. And that’s the feeling you end up with when you shut the book.
Conclusion
Terra Electrica was an easy, adventurous read about a young girl who just wants to find the love and safety of a home as she once knew it.
I received an eBook in exchange for an honest review for TheWriteReads blog tour in association with Neem Tree Press.
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