Sila's Revenge
Author Jamie Bastedo ISBN 9780889954229 Binding Trade Paper Publisher Red Deer Press Inc Publication Date October 30, 2009 Size 133 x 191 mmEighteen-year-old Ashley Anowiak is an eco-warrior who is prepared to go to any lengths to bring to the world's attention the plight of Planet Earth. She's already burned down the office of the local oil company. Now she's ready to move out of her own Arctic community and into the international spotlight.
Ashley is part of group called the Dream Drummers, who have been invited to perform at New York's Carnegie Hall. Here the adventure only begins, as she and her group of friends are pirated off to Australia by an embittered former environmentalist bent on executing a mysterious cataclysmic gesture which will endanger everyone.
It's at this moment that Ashley and the Dream Drummers are called to perform on the massive Scorched Earth Stage, in front of an audience of half a million, and a television audience of half the world's population.
Jamie Bastedo's story takes place against a big canvas-moving swiftly from Arctic Canada to urban New York to the Australian desert, with astute observations and insights into each environment. His protagonist is a spunky teenager, his villain a classic dark force-and his story a cautionary tale for the 21st century that is bound to inspire young readers into learning more about the biggest crisis to face the world in its history.
"Riveting. A rare combination of storytelling and science writing that keeps you reading."
— CBC North
"Although aimed primarily at young adults and absolutely suitable for them in every way, this novel will be enjoyed by older teens and also by adults. There is a great deal of sound science underlying the adventure, travel and mystery, and the imaginative story is an excellent vehicle both for eliciting concern regarding the environment and for promoting steps for change . . . The novel leaves no doubt regarding the crisis facing us, but it also reinforces the idea that everyone, like eco-warrior Ashley, can make a change if only we channel knowledge and passion, head and heart, towards healing our planet for this generation and those to come. This novel is entertaining yet provocative and deserves a priority spot on everyone's reading list as well as on library and classroom shelves.
Highly Recommended." ****/4
— CM Magazine
"Sila's Revenge is a thought provoking novel. Bastedo includes simple and interesting science to help understand global warming, along with personal accounts from the characters to personalize climate change. . . A good addition to environmental fiction."
Rated G (Good, Great)
— Resource Links
"Bastedo folds fact and theory on climate change into a fantasy novel that urges readers to hope, rather than anger. Plot, more than character, propels the story, but what sticks in the mind is Ashley's initiation into a dramatic geography and geology, a reminder that it's in confronting the natural world that we are motivated to save or repair it."
— The Toronto Star
"This follow-up to Jamie Bastedo's On Thin Ice is a thrilling story that weaves its way around the world with its urgent and powerful message that resonates on every page. . . Bastedo packs a lot into this story which manages to be action-packed and intense while also conveying an almost surreal, timeless and dream-like quality at times. The book is filled with intriguing and engaging characters who will help inspire readers to recognize that each individual can make a difference."
— Canadian Children's Book News
"Red Deer Press is a wonderful Canadian company and they have the most wonderful YA novels. . . Bastedo created a very well crafted, informative, entertaining and surprisingly 'mystery/like' novel that passes along the eco message loud and clear yet, kept me completely hooked into the storyline and attached to the main character."
— Bookshipper.blogspot.com
"As mighty and mending as 10,000 drums! Sila's Revenge is a global adventure with a uniting message. Jamie Bastedo is truly at the top of his game."
— Richard Van Camp, author of The Lesser Blessed and The Moon of Letting Go
"This youth thriller set in a forbidding future ... picks up where Bastedo's last novel, On Thin Ice, left off. Our heroine, Ashley Anowiak, is now 18 and her informed passion for protecting the planet has intensified ... Ashley has explosive youthful energy and raw determination on her side, but can she summon the collective action needed to change the climate's future?... A powerful voice that demands to be heard."
— News North
"The glowing core of this adventure story is about the Power of One - how one person with a little passion, talent, and heart can help tip the environmental balance away from destruction and collapse towards hope and healing."
— Dr. David G. Malcolm, PhD, Former Executive Director, Canadian Circumpolar Institute
"Yes, Bastedo is a fine writer, but more than that, he is able to sift through all the data and pull out the most riveting and heartbreaking examples of environmental destruction for his readers. By bringing the Arctic to Australia, Bastedo makes a statement about the similarity of peoples and problems, and about the need for a unified front to preserve all of life on this planet. Sila's Revenge is a page-turning adventure tale, but it is also a call to action. This book speaks for the young adults it is written for, addressing an issue that will define their future and showing them a protagonist they can emulate. As Ashley says to an assembled crowd of over-30 scientists, "There's no more time to pussyfoot around with carbon tagets fifty years from now... Most of you will be dead by that time. We're the ones who'll still be here..."
— Deborah Adams/2010 for curled up with a good kid's book
"The topic is extremely timely, and Bastedo manages to pull off a story that will draw readers who enjoyed the first installment, who have a strong interest in environmental concerns, and who like unique and quirky adventures."
— School Library Journal
Jamie Bastedo's
work is all about taking science and natural history to the streets. Whether hosting lively nature shows on the radio or writing about his northern home, Jamie spreads a contagious enthusiasm and love for the land. Well established as a popular science writer, he has written books on northern nature and numerous natural history features in magazines including Up Here, Backpacker and Winter Living. Jamie lives in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
Pennsylvania School Library Association Top 40 Fiction, 2009
