Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
With a premise that asks big questions about the value of an individual life, Applebaum's (The Middler) earnestly told novel conveys messages of love, loyalty, and sacrifice. Twelve-year-old Lonny Quicke is a lifeling--a person who can revive dying animals and people, in exchange for a shortened existence. To protect him from the powerful, potentially lethal pull of dying humans, Lonny's white-presenting family--his cantankerous grandfather, worried widower father, and younger brother Midge--remain near their secluded forest home, relying on the little money Lonny's father makes fixing watches. But when food becomes scarce for the family, Lonny and Midge risk going into nearby Farstoke to earn money. Watching preparations for an annual festival that celebrates the mythology of lifelings' sacrifices upends the siblings' understanding of Lonny's power and puts the boy on a path to possible disclosure and difficult decisions about responsibility. Applebaum builds tension from the start, describing the "buzzing" Lonny feels when a nearby creature is dying, detailing Farstoke's obsession with lifelings, and building toward a message that balances hope and reality, while developing a believable narrator with deep bonds and longing. Ages 8--12. Agent: Nancy Miles, Miles Stott. (Apr.)
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Review by Horn Book Review
Twelve-year-old Lonny is a lifeling: he has the ability to restore life to dying creatures -- though this special power causes him to age every time he uses it. He's close to adult-size now; to protect him, his watchmaker father forbids him and his little brother, Midge, from going into town, where Lonny is more likely to give in to the almost irresistible buzzing sensation that alerts him to a creature in need. The boys have lived a sheltered and isolated life in the forest, almost in suspended animation, never interacting with anyone other than their father and housebound grandad. Their late mother's photo album and grandmother's notebook of stories provide clues to the larger world. One fateful day, the brothers do venture into town, on what turns out to be the day of the annual Lifeling Festival. They're shocked to hear their grandmother's stories repeated as myth, but with important differences, skillfully delineated by Applebaum, reflecting the townsfolk's point of view. The narrative otherwise sticks closely to Lonny's perspective as he comes to realize some complicated and dangerous truths. A richly imagined Tuck Everlasting-esque fantasy, with an epilogue that turns the story in an unexpected but satisfying direction. Susan Dove Lempke May/June 2022 p.136(c) Copyright 2022. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
What if you had the power to stop someone from dying? What if it cost you your own life? Twelve-year-old Lonny Quicke is a lifeling--someone with the power to heal creatures near death. Applebaum flies out of the gate, introducing readers to Lonny at the moment he decides to save a dying rabbit. Lonny makes a conscious decision to rescue the creature despite knowing that his own life will be shortened as a result. From there, Lonny and his younger brother, Midge, continue to make life-altering decisions, leaving the protective woods where their widowed father keeps them safe and journeying to the large town of Farstoke in hopes of earning some much-needed money. Farstoke, which evokes a foreboding, folktalelike feeling, holds an annual festival celebrating the supposedly mythical lifelings. Will Lonny be forced to expose his closely guarded gift? The first-person narrative dynamically reveals the action as the novel unfolds, creating gripping drama full of intense emotion. The use of onomatopoeia clearly signals the pull of the lifesaving magic when death is near. This light fantasy, set in a recognizable contemporary world with splashes of magic, will spark many philosophical discussions about values and priorities; love for friends, family, and self; and the weight of possessing power. Readers will feel the release of emotion after the satisfying ending. Characters read as White. A thought-provoking premise musing on life, love, and sacrifices made for others. (Fantasy. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
