Lucas

From Barnes & Noble

Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers
The Discover program has long been the domain of great literature for adults, but over the years, we've frequently seen our favorite titles go on to gain an audience among teen or young-adult readers. Examples abound, but a few recent choices include The Lovely Bones, Girl with a Pearl Earring, and Confessions of a Shopaholic.

With this trend in mind, we're proud to introduce our first Teen Discover selection, Lucas. Our Teen Discover titles will be chosen with the same commitment to literary excellence as our adult books. And our Teen Discover picks must qualify on an additional level: They must be great reads for both teenagers and adults.

That being said, we're delighted to highlight Lucas, the dramatic story of a young woman's encounter with the ugly side of humanity and her struggle to defeat it. British novelist Melvin Brooks's masterpiece is set on the island community of Hale over one summer, as 15-year-old Caitlin McCann realizes her small world is changing. Her brother is acting strangely, hanging out with the neighborhood reprobates and getting drunk, and her best friend follows his lead. To make matters worse, the son of an influential local has begun making lewd advances. And Caitlin feels she has no one in whom to confide: Her mother died in a car accident years ago, and her father, though loving and supportive, is a writer who spends much of his time holed up in his study.

It's in this confusing context that Caitlin encounters Lucas, a lean, blond, blue-eyed stranger who mysteriously appears on the island. Caitlin feels drawn to him, but the other local kids are not: they call him a gypsy, and even throw rocks at him. Before long, Lucas is accused of a crime he did not commit, and Caitlin finds herself in a moral quandary.

Lucas is filled with the kind of pain, love, and anguish that teenage readers adore. And Caitlin's quest to find her place in the world and to determine what's right is a struggle to which every teenager will relate. Why not start your own parent/teen book club with Lucas? Neither of you will be disappointed. (Summer 2003 Selection)

From the Publisher

n this British InIPOrt, fifteen-year-old Cait finds her peaceful life with her father disrupted when her restless older brother, Dr,,inic, conies back from university for the summer. Donlillic is drawn to the troublemaking element in their small island community, rich Jamic Tair and his hangers-on. not knowing that jarnic has made it clear he has designs on Cait despite her obvious Tjection of him. Into this tense situation comes Lucas, a boy unlike anyone Cait's ever known; Eying rough on the coast, he's despised as a gypsy by the bigoted locals, but Cait is drawn to his unusual serenity and his perceptiveness. His strangeness makes him an easy target, however, for jamic Tait's cunning hate campaign that threatens Lucas'free- dom and, when mob frenzy has been incited, his life. There are some appealing elements here-the magnetic, possibly supernatural outsider, the changes in Cair's relationship with her nerve older brother, the shady power structures of the insidar comniunity-and Brooks is particularly good at using the physical reality of the semi-isolated island and its natural features to enhance the mood of his story. Unfortunately, this lacks the tautness that marked his previous book, Ma" pig (BCCB 9102), with Cait's lengthy self-examinations and explanations diffusing the tension rather than enhancing it. The heavy hand of contrivance is too evident in the events and in the characters, both the good guys (Lucas seems horn for martyrdom) and the antagonists (their villainy is too pat to he interesting). The mixture of mob sway and supernatural elements is employed more effectively in Westall's Ymxlty@ Cat (BCCB 3192), but this will definitely have allure for readers partial to tales of romantic and misunderstood strangers. DS

School Library Journal
(May 1, 2003; 0-439-45698-3)

Gr 9 Up-This beautifully written allegorical tale by the author of Martyn Pig (Scholastic, 2002) stays with readers long after it ends. Set on an isolated island off Great Britain, the novel has it all-love, hate, sin, forgiveness and redemption, and a memorable title character. As Caitlin, 15, relates the events of the previous summer, she recalls with crystal clarity the moment when the mysterious boy appeared out of nowhere. His arrival precipitates a series of incidents that exposes the ugly underbelly of the seemingly idyllic setting. Lucas, 16, is enigmatic and direct, and has the uncanny ability to read people and predict their actions. He lives off the land, and doesn't seem to want or need anyone. The locals don't understand him, and they see him as a threat. Lucas rescues Caitlin from being raped by Jamie, a seemingly upstanding college guy who, with his gang of rowdy, beer-drinking buddies, spreads rumors and innuendoes about the stranger. The situation rapidly escalates into an accusation of attempted murder after one of the island girls is brutally attacked. A group of residents abandons rational thought and becomes a senseless mob, seeking vigilante justice. The writing is extraordinarily lyrical. The often-dreamlike quality of island life is juxtaposed with the ever-present threat of violence like the calm before a storm. All of the characters are sharply defined. Lucas, with his mixture of real and unearthly qualities, is unique and unforgettable. This is a powerful book to be savored by all who appreciate fine writing and a gripping read.-Sharon Rawlins, Piscataway Public Library, NJ Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Brooks, author of Martyn Pig (2002), offers an-edge-of-the-seat story that has overtones of classics such as The Ox Bow Incident and To Kill a Mockingbird. Fifteen-year-old Cait lives on a small British Island and knows from the moment she sees Lucas walking on the causeway that connects her home to the mainland that he will play a significant part in her life. A handsome, prescient young drifter, Lucas is tagged as a gypsy, a thief, by t

Publishers Weekly

A 15-year-old girl befriends a rootless teen who mysteriously arrives on her island off the English coast and who the islanders suspect may be behind a sexual assault. "Brooks's second novel is an ambitious and intricately crafted tale of love and resurrection," wrote PW in a starred review. Ages 12-up. (Mar.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature

Fifteen-year-old Caitlin McCann realizes that her small world is changing as she struggles from adolescence to adulthood during one long summer in the community of Hale, an isolated English island. She faces the ugly side of humanity when her brother begins acting uncharacteristically and hanging out with the community degenerates. Even worse, her best friend follows his lead. Caitlin's mother died in a car accident when she was young, and although her father is amazingly supportive, she feels completely isolated. In this confusing whirlwind, Caitlin feels drawn to Lucas, a mysterious boy who suddenly appears on the island but whom the community, fueled by ignorance, views with skepticism and hatred. Before long, a member of the community accuses Lucas of a horrific assault that he did not commit. On one fateful rainy day that summer, an angry mob hunts Lucas down, and Caitlin must decide between comfort and safety or doing what she knows in her heart is right. This book will enthrall young adults who enjoy adventure and romance, but it also presents much deeper and intriguing issues—an aspect of fiction on which most young adults thrive. Caitlin McCann is a friendly and delightful character that readers will find enjoyable and fascinating. This riveting and exciting novel will most definitely captivate many young readers. The book was first published in 2003 in the United Kingdom, and this is Brooks' first publication in the United States. 2003, Scholastic Inc, Ages 12 up.
—Rebecca White

VOYA

Lucas is described by the subtitle as a story of love and hate. I feel, however, that Brooks has put too much attention into the small details (Caitlin's exact position when she first saw Lucas), thus avoiding overall themes. Brooks also tends to repeat ideas and words. Nevertheless, this novel attempts to probe issues considered classic for coming-of-age novels. For this reason, readers should not completely overlook the book. VOYA Codes: 4Q 4P J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2003 (orig. 2002), Chicken House/Scholastic, 432p,
— Theodora Ranelli, Teen Reviewer

KLIATT

Fifteen-year-old Cait lives on a small island off the coast of England with her father, a writer of YA novels. Her older brother, home from university, is hanging out with a bad crowd of hard partying teenagers, but Cait wants no part of this group. She is especially fearful of rich boy Jamie Tait, whom her father refers to as "the biggest little shit on the island," and with reason: Jamie, though he has a jealous girlfriend, makes threatening sexual advances toward Cait. When a mysterious, "fine-looking" boy named Lucas appears on the island, Cait is immediately attracted to him and befriends him, and Lucas helps save her from Jamie. Lucas is living rough, in the woods (there is even a reference to Jean Craighead George's My Side of the Mountain), and the islanders consider him an undesirable "gypsy." When he saves a little girl from drowning—inadvertently showing up Jamie and his friends, who did nothing to help—they plant the false rumor that he was molesting the girl. And when a girl who had been seen with Jamie is found badly slashed, Lucas is accused of the crime and the hunt is on, with tragic consequences. This suspenseful and moving tale is reminiscent of What Happened to Lani Garver?, by Carol Plum-Ucci (reviewed in KLIATT, September 2002), in which another teenage girl tells about a "different" boy (this one is very effeminate) who comes to her island home and awakens hatred and brutality among the narrow-minded residents, to her shock and horror. Brooks, the acclaimed author of Martyn Pig (reviewed in paperback in this issue), offers a similarly compelling, dramatic, violent tale of prejudice against outsiders and a young girl's coming-of-age. KLIATT Codes: JS—Recommended forjunior and senior high school students. 2002, Scholastic, The Chicken House, 432p.,
— Paula Rohrlick

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-This beautifully written allegorical tale by the author of Martyn Pig (Scholastic, 2002) stays with readers long after it ends. Set on an isolated island off Great Britain, the novel has it all-love, hate, sin, forgiveness and redemption, and a memorable title character. As Caitlin, 15, relates the events of the previous summer, she recalls with crystal clarity the moment when the mysterious boy appeared out of nowhere. His arrival precipitates a series of incidents that exposes the ugly underbelly of the seemingly idyllic setting. Lucas, 16, is enigmatic and direct, and has the uncanny ability to read people and predict their actions. He lives off the land, and doesn't seem to want or need anyone. The locals don't understand him, and they see him as a threat. Lucas rescues Caitlin from being raped by Jamie, a seemingly upstanding college guy who, with his gang of rowdy, beer-drinking buddies, spreads rumors and innuendoes about the stranger. The situation rapidly escalates into an accusation of attempted murder after one of the island girls is brutally attacked. A group of residents abandons rational thought and becomes a senseless mob, seeking vigilante justice. The writing is extraordinarily lyrical. The often-dreamlike quality of island life is juxtaposed with the ever-present threat of violence like the calm before a storm. All of the characters are sharply defined. Lucas, with his mixture of real and unearthly qualities, is unique and unforgettable. This is a powerful book to be savored by all who appreciate fine writing and a gripping read.-Sharon Rawlins, Piscataway Public Library, NJ Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

In this bleak, ambitious story, tragedy ensues following the arrival on an English island of a wandering stranger named Lucas. Narrator Caitlin, 15, is attracted to Lucas, who camps out nearby, and she senses a mystical quality in him that is not explained, but must simply be accepted by the reader. As summer progresses, episodes pile up slowly and the air is charged with tension. Jamie, a rich teenager, nearly rapes Caitlin, then threatens Lucas and joins those falsely accusing him of a crime. While motivations aren’t always clear, the ugly mood on the island is unmistakable and promises to end in violence, with a few surprising plot twists along the way. One can read this in allegorical terms, with the worst of modern life represented by Jamie and his mindless attacks on Lucas, who is aligned with nature. Readers who appreciate interesting symbolism and fine descriptive writing, and who like to sink into a long mood piece, will find this hard to put down. Admirers of Martyn Pig, however, will not find the same clever plot and dark humor. (Fiction. YA)