LeGuin, Ursula (2008). Voices. New York, New York: Harcourt Paperbacks. ISBN: 9780152062422
360 pages
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Fantasy
Age Level: 15-17
Stars: 5 stars
Subjects: Magic, Fantasy, Family, Revenge, Rebellion, Politics
Reader's Annotation
17-year-old Memer and her mentor are protectors of a library in a world in which war is a fact of life and the ownership of books is punishable by death, but with the arrival of a storyteller, the lengthy war might end at last, forcing Memer to consider what she has been fighting for for so many years.
Summary
This book is the sequel to LeGuin's Gifts, but it is strong enough to stand on its own. This book follows 17-year-old Memer, who from birth has been brought up to resent the invaders of her town who raperd her mother and destroyed the city. When a storyteller arrives in the city and the differences between the conquered and the conquerors no longer seem as great, it looks like the war may at last be over. Her dreams of vengeance need to find a new outlet, however, once it looks like peace may be on the horizon, and this forces her to consider what she has been fighting for and whether her personal quest for redemption and justice is still a valid pursuit.
Awards
2007 Locus Award Nomination
2007 New York Public Library's Books for the Teen Age
Author Information
