The Shattering (Guardians of Ga'Hoole Series #5) ANNOTATION
"Soren's sister, Eglantine, si falling under the spell of a strange nightly dream. Then, just as Soren notices her trancelike state, Eglantine disappears, and the dreams become a deadly waking nightmare that puts the Great Tree of Ga'Hoole in terrible danger"--P. [4] of cover.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
In the midst of war, Eglantine unwittingly becomes a spy for Kludd, leader of the Pure Ones (a group of evil owls). She is brainwashed by an owl sent by the Pure Ones to infiltrate the Great Ga'Hoole Tree. Her odd behavior eventually attracts attention, and Soren and his friends vow to find out what's wrong with Eglantine. They ultimately learn what happened and help her reverse the effects of the brainwashing. Kludd continues to battle against the Guardians of Ga'Hoole for control of their tree. In the end, Kludd and his forces are defeated. But his conflict with Soren is not yet over.
FROM THE CRITICS
Children's Literature - Laura Ruttig
Feminine relations are the key to this fifth title in the "Guardians of Ga'Hoole" series. In this novel, the focus is on the character of Eglantine, rather than on her older brother Soren as in the previous novels, as the author explores the relationships between nature versus nurture, the mirroring effect of a substitute mother, female best friends, the role of the female warrior in owl society and the difficulty Otulissa has in forgiving her female nemesis Dewlap. In this story, Eglantine has been having strange dreams, which make her yearn for her deceased parents. Her refusal to accept their deaths makes her vulnerable to manipulation. Meanwhile, the rest of the owls of the Ga'Hoole tree having repelled one attack by the Pure Ones, which was led by Soren and Eglantine's evil brother Kludd, are trying to strategize on how to prevent another attack. Readers new to the series may find Lasky's immediate immersion in the story disconcerting, as there is a great deal of vocabulary and plot history to understand. However, the fantasy's strong believability and fascinating plot make this series a must-read for fantasy-lovers. 2004, Scholastic Inc, Ages 8 to 12.
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