This is actually the first-ever solicited book review on the FAVL blog. I got a free copy of the book, but no payment. Stephen Davie lives in Djibo, northern Burkina Faso, and knows Charley and Emilie, FAVL's two Peace Corps volunteers. So I guess he's been reading the blog, and when his new book came out he sent along an email asking if I had noticed it, and then was kind enough to have the publisher, Anderson Press, send a copy.The book is a good adventure story, with high appeal for the 10-14 year old boy crowd. Elliot liked it just fine (of course, he's lived in Ouagadougou). I thought it was good too. Very nicely written. Davies has excellent grammar, plotting, style. And I enjoyed all the references to Burkina.
So definitely recommendable to anyone with Sahel experience and young readers in the household.
A very short plot summary is de rigueur: Jake Knight is son of British Ambassador. he's the lead, but his sister Kas has a big role too. They are kidnapped in Burkina. Lot's of adventures and interesting characters. There is a strong social justice component. No dystopia here, just a lot of earnest fun and hope.
Personally, I'd rather have had the Burkinabè outlaw Yacouba Sor character be the central character, and ditch the expatriate children altogether. I'm hoping Steve will perhaps venture out into something along those lines? There's little market for that, I suppose. But then, what a fun adventure, to create and lead the market for adventure fiction in the Sahel... doing what Alexander McCall Smith did for the African detective novel.
