Customer Reviews

The Dark Pond

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This book, based on tales told by Native Americans in the Northeast, is a story by Joseph Bruchac, a member of the Abenaki tribe. I couldn't help but compare it to Skeleton Man by the same author and the same premise of taking a traditional story and putting it in contemporary society. The characters never became alive in this story. It's an excellent story of itself, but the story is the thing here, not the characters.

If you read Skeleton Man and loved it, you'll like The Dark Pond. If you liked The Dark Pond, read Skeleton Man, you'll love it.

Joseph Bruchac delivers an interesting adventure tale in THE DARK POND. His main character is Armie, a half-Shawnee Indian/half-Armenian teen who's been kicked out of several schools. His wealthy, busy parents keep finding new schools to put him into. But the one he's currently in, high in the mountain country, has more danger in it than anyone could imagine.

Armie is a good character, solid and sympathetic, and he also has unusual powers that kids will enjoy. Even though he doesn't understand it, animals love Armie. He fills his pockets with raisins and nuts so the birds and squirrels will have something to eat when they come to visit.

But Armie also demonstrates a lot of the same weaknesses that plague most kids: not fitting in, missing parents, and a lack of friends. All of those things make him interesting. But when he finds the dark pond high up in the mountains and discovers the evil lurking inside it, readers will be compelled to find out what's going to happen.

Bruchac blends a lot of world myth in his novel, primarily borrowing from the Abenaki tribe tales and the stories concerning Beowulf. The evil is so familiar and alien that it seems entirely too real.

The book can be a little difficult to get through because there isn't much dialogue. The first-person narrative helps quite a bit, but the story often has Armie off on his own. That makes the danger more real, but I like dialogue in stories. I read this book to my nine-year-old and he had the same opinion. Just not enough talking.

But by the time we reached the thrilling climax, we were both solidly hooked. I'd reach SKELETON MAN and enjoyed it. THE DARK POND has convinced me that I need to read more of this author's books, and my son agrees.

This Genre is realistic fiction. I think the most accurate theme is courage and gallantry. The setting mostly takes place in the forest near a boarding school in which Armie goes to go. A boy named Armie goes to this boarding school because has parents are working most of the time and all the other schools he goes to, he always gets kicked out. One day while Armie was walking in the forest there was this one dark pond. It had this type of lure that Armie couldn't resist. Any time Armie had,he would go to this dark pond and see what was inside. He was always to scared to go inside the pond and see for himself. A new worker came to work in the school and he was sort of like Armie. Armie was very nature like and loved hiking,feeding birds and playing with the animals. In school Armie was always trying to fit in and have lots of friends. When he was like this, he hardly had any friends. This worker was just like him. This worker also never talked. They met in the forest and they were speachless. This guy was looking for the same thing in the pond. Its up to you to findout what is in this mysterious pond.

Joseph Bruchac, author of Skeleton Man, includes Shawnee traditions and tales in this suspenseful story. The main character is Armie Katchatorian, a Shawnee-Armenian-American who is a student in the North Mountains School. He is sent there because his humanitarian lawyer parents don't seem to have time for him with all their work and travel. He always has seemed to be especially in tuned to nature and animals have always been drawn to him. It is this sensitivity that strongly draws him to a dark pond in the woods. But there seems to be a deadly force that is under the water. Fellow Native American, Mitch Sabattis, helps Armie to learn about the pond and its dark force, and ultimately stopping it.

The story is good and a little creepy, certainly not too much for a younger audience. And I enjoyed the character of Armie who was interesting and unique. While the story wasn't as measurable as Skeleton Man, I wasn't disappointed in it. Anyone one who takes pleasure in mysteries or other works by Joseph Bruchac will also like The Dark Pond.

Book arived in a timely manner, but back cover had a rip in it. It can be repaired by covering the book.