Review of Brown Work Mark by Joseph Bruchac

 Review of Brown Work Mark by Joseph Bruchac

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bruchac, Joseph. 2011. Wolf Mark. New York: Lee & Low Books; ISBN 978-1-60060-661-8

PLOT SUMMARY

Luke King knows a lot of things. Like four different ways to disarm an enemy before the attacker can take a breath. Like every detail of every book, he's ever read. And Luke knows enough just enough about what his father does as a black ops infiltrator to know which questions not to ask. Like why does his family move around so much? Luke just hopes that this time his family is settled for a while. He'll finally be able to have a normal life. He'll be able to ask the girl he likes to take a ride with him on his motorcycle. He'll hang out with his friends. He'll be invisible just as he wants. But when his dad goes missing, Luke realizes that life will always be different for him. Suddenly he must avoid the kidnappers looking to use him as leverage against his father, while at the same time evading the attention of the Russian mysterious elite group, who seem much too interested in Luke's own personal secret. Faced with multiple challenges and his emerging paranormal identity, Luke must decide who to trust as he creates his own destiny.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

At first, I was not too excited to read the book but then Joe Bruchac who is not known for his YA werewolf/vampire/espionage novels intrigued me. This YA book/novel is even more fun than the cover implies. It throws it all in together; werewolves, Indian legends, secret evil laboratories, martial arts, and yes, a mysterious elite group of Russian hipsters (as many readers have come to it). In spite of its everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach, it is clear that this story is an action-adventure with a big helping of comedy. I liked that this book was not only from a male perspective, but that it took the concept of werewolves and breathed new life into the myth. Bruchac breaks away from the conventional werewolf path; werewolves are born, not created. But he adds the idea of a second skin to that concept. This actually made me think of the selkie myths from Celtic lore of the women who turned into seals when they donned a second skin. Fisherman would often hide the skins from the selkie so that the females would be forced to stay in human form and settle down in a marriage. I've read about various wolf legends before that include their having a second skin. Bruchac's interpretation of these concepts was fantastic; it was a welcome departure from the other werewolf tales that I had read.

This book's presence of several cultures is another attractive feature. You get an insight into Muslim culture because Meena, one of the characters, is from Pakistan. I had fun learning about the language and culture of Russia through the book as there is another set of characters from there. I was entertained and captivated by the Russian characters in this novel. Vlad is a fantastic character, and I adore him. Lastly, tribal lore is also incorporated into the novel by the American Indian author.

Making our kids see things they might not have noticed previously is one way to help them gain a deeper knowledge of an inclusive society. These multi-layered comments invite readers to stop and consider how characters, settings, and events are portrayed culturally in the books they read. Then, as students examine other cultures' representations more closely, they can contrast, compare, and build a connection to their own culture. You can change the default questions in each level's slots to fit your learning objectives and aspirations.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

·        Bruchac (Dragon Castle) delivers a fun twist on werewolf stories mixed with some mad science and espionage. . . . Bruchac adeptly incorporates characters of various heritages: Luke is Native American; his best friend/crush, Meena, is Pakistani; and the Sunglass Mafia a group of students who are more than they seem are from eastern Russia. Luke also possesses a hefty amount of cultural and political awareness to go with his combat and espionage expertise, which serve him well. . . . [T]he action and Luke's narration carry the book nicely. --Publishers Weekly

·        A loner teen finds himself caught up in a paranormal paramilitary threat but he has both untapped personal resources and some unlikely allies to help him out. Ever since his mother died, his father-a sometime Special Ops-type agent who happens to be of Native American descent-has been worse than useless. Lucas just concentrates on doing well in school and mooning over the beautiful daughter of one of the Pakistani scientists working at the new Romanian-owned top-secret facility in town. He goes out of his way to avoid the Sunglass Mafia, a bunch of unusually pale Russian students. But when his father is kidnapped and gives him a coded message by telephone, Lucas discovers that his heritage is more complicated and powerful than he had thought. . . . [T]he scenes with the Sunglass Mafia both defy stereotypes and manage to be very funny, and when the action kicks in, it does so in overdrive. A solid entry into the paranormal market, with an appealingly different hero. --Publisher's Weekly

·        Drawing on Native American traditions and his own lively imagination, Bruchac has written a genre-blending novel that combines horror, science fiction, and adventure into a satisfying whole. The fast pace will hold readers’ attention to the end, which yes leaves the door open to the possibility of a sequel. --Booklist

·        A loner teen finds himself caught up in a paranormal paramilitary threat but he has both untapped personal resources and some unlikely allies to help him out.

·        Ever since his mother died, his father a sometime Special Ops type agent who happens to be of Native American descent has been worse than useless. Lucas just concentrates on doing well in school and mooning over the beautiful daughter of one of the Pakistani scientists working at the new Romanian-owned top-secret facility in town. He goes out of his way to avoid the Sunglass Mafia, a bunch of unusually pale Russian students. But when his father is kidnapped and gives him a coded message by telephone, Lucas discovers that his heritage is more complicated and powerful than he had thought. . . . [T]he scenes with the Sunglass Mafia both defy stereotypes and manage to be very funny, and when the action kicks in, it does so in overdrive.

·        A solid entry into the paranormal market, with an appealingly different hero. --Kirkus Reviews

CONNECTIONS

Because Wolf Mark is told in first person, readers only get one point of view. Pick one of the other characters from the story and rewrite a scene from his or her perspective. Consider how that character feels and what he or she may be good at. What is going on in the scene where Luke might miss? Why? How does the point of view change the story?