Review by Booklist Review
Author-illustrator Hansen has crafted a poignant work that speaks to fans of folklore and fairy tales while remaining wholly original. Berg, an orphaned giant, is used to his solitary life but longs for company--other than in his dreams. When, in search of friendship, he tries to interact with other creatures, they are frightened or distrusting of him, thanks to stereotypes of giants and monsters based in tales. Berg finally reaches a city where two very different individuals offer their friendship--a little girl named Anya, who shares dream-visions with Berg, and a mayor who applauds him for his strength and size--and Berg couldn't be happier. But with an actual giant monster on the prowl, he must decide his own future and whom he surrounds himself with. Hansen's evocative artwork and gorgeous, illustrative prose hearken back to epic fantasies with beautiful world building and many-faceted characters. Readers will feel empathy and affection for the lonely Berg, while also hoping he can pursue the relationships that seem safest and healthiest to him and his identity. Berg's dreams appear in illustrated panels that feel otherworldly and ethereal, an effective pairing with this story of a fantastical realm.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4--7--Berg is a young giant living in a world where giants and trolls are feared and hunted by humans. He spends his days wandering the woods and into farmsteads, and trading forest-jewels and sometimes unsolicited favors in exchange for vegetables scavenged from gardens. One day, Berg is attacked by a group of humans and suffers a gunshot wound; he is saved from drowning by a mysterious older giant. Thinking that his rescuer is the infamous Ünhold, who is greatly feared by the humans, Berg flees to a new, walled town. There he meets a young girl named Anya who teaches him about the star-blue-sand he discovered in his rescuer's cave. Thinking that her welcome extends to all people in the town, Berg returns in the daylight only to be bound and chained, then pressed into service for Eisenstadt. This unique novel centers a young boy trying to navigate the world all on his own, not knowing the shifting rules of society or who can be trusted. The story takes the classic coming-of-age trope and transforms it into an untold fairytale. The secret of the star-blue-sand is slowly revealed alongside Berg's mysterious origins. Interspersed throughout the book are wordless comic panels depicting Berg's dreams of wolves/humans and their hunt and mistreatment of bears/giants. VERDICT A beautiful and minimalist depiction of growing up and overcoming naivety. Put this into the hands of readers who enjoyed Ryan Andrews's This Was Our Pact or Sarah Pennypacker's Pax.--Sara Brunkhorst
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A lonely young giant ventures into a town in search of food only to learn hard lessons about humankind and his own storied lineage. Berg may be a giant who is greatly feared, but he himself is a child, hungry and looking for companionship. After he is injured, Berg is rescued by Ünhold the Giant and learns about his star-blue-sand--magic. Fearing the giant, who has a fearsome reputation, Berg flees to Eisenstadt, where he meets young, red-haired Anya, who is unafraid, curious, and kind. It's his experiences in Eisenstadt that force Berg to come to terms with the coexistence of humankind's darkness and sweetness and the age-old truth that things are not always what they seem. Hansen has created a compelling world that gives the feel of an old-fashioned fairy tale coupled with beautiful, black-and-white illustrations that contain echoes of the art nouveau era. These depictions of bears and wolves tell the story of Berg's dreams, representing the quiet power of giants and the vicious persistence of humans. This artwork is stunning and heavy with emotion; for example, one shows a baby bear clinging to its parent as the parent's life and magic slip away into the sky. Berg's friendship with Anya is heartwarming and heartbreaking, as is his relationship to Ünhold. Hansen's lilting writing has the feel of an epic poem, a tale of growing wise and of learning how to both hold on and let go. A moving and evocative must-read. (Fantasy. 9-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
