Review: Norse mythology intertwined with contemporary America and a compelling teenage heroine!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 13, 2014
Set in America, Wraithsong is a Young Adult novel told in first person by Sonia, a high school senior. Sonia's dad was killed the year before, and she and her mom have been coping, but added to Sonia's troubles are being bullied at school, and having to control herself rather than retaliate. Sonia, it turns out, has supernatural powers, which she doesn't know much about and her mother (who does) refuses to tell her... yet. Once Sonia is eighteen, things are going to change...  Sonia is a young Huldra, a kind of Norse siren, and the book intertwines Norse mythology with the modern world. One of an ancient line, Sonia is the newest initiate, and her mother is to guide her so she can join the Dynasty of Huldra based in Minnesota (the historic center of Scandinavian immigration to the U.S.). However, a rogue Huldra is at large, stealing powers, and, it turns out Huldu (the male equivalent) are afoot, too, and remarkably attractive... It's a delightful mythological romp, with magic, romance, and the wistful longing to be special (but the difficulties that actually accompany it) that most teenagers have. It falls in with another great YA series, the Telesa books, by Samoan author Lani Wendt Young, which entwines  Samoan mythology with contemporary life, and it's a wonderful mix.  Like Wendt Young's books, this one does suffer from the first person narrative. The layers and mythological depth of the works would be lifted by a strong 3rd person narrative, allowing more than the limited perspective of the teenage heroines.  In this one, although Sonia is a compelling character, the whole set up is so marvelous, it could just carry so many more layers and meanings.  However, it's a terrific read, and I'm looking forward to the next in the series.