Customer Reviews

Gods of Manhattan

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Rory Hennessy is firmly rooted in reality. In some ways, far too much so for a thirteen-year-old boy, but that's sometimes what happens when it's just a boy, his mom, and his little sister. Regardless, Rory has always been able to see through and explain magic tricks. So in the interest of not spoiling his sister Bridget's ninth birthday party, Rory is avoiding the magician she insisted on having. The magician, however, is intent on Rory's participation. The result is a trick that Rory can't begin to explain or understand, and a cryptic message about Rory being in danger.

Suddenly, everything is different. Rory is seeing things that couldn't possibly be real; gargoyles eating pigeons, a cockroach riding a rat like it was a pony, an Indian warrior that Rory's dreamt about... Maybe there's more to that magician than some silly card tricks. Or else Rory's losing his mind.

With Bridget in tow, Rory goes to find the magician. According to the magician there is an entire shadow world that coexists with the Manhattan that Rory and Bridget know and love. It's called Mannahatta, and it's populated by Gods of every kind. Like the God of Justice, or the God of Sample Sales, or the God of Jaywalking. To borrow the magicians words: "When a mortal does something great, he is reborn in Mannahatta as a spirit. If his legend grows enough, he might be fortunate enough to ascend to godhood."

But there is struggle in Mannahatta: the spirits of the Munsee Indians are trapped in Central Park. The Munsees are connected to the land, but since they are trapped in a man-made park they can't actually connect to the land anymore, upsetting the balance between the two worlds. As possibly the only true mortal who can see Mannahatta without assistance (Bridget can only see things after Rory points them out), Rory is the key to setting the Munsees free.

Rory isn't sure he trusts or believes the magician, but there does seem to be a few creepy things trying to attack him. Whether or not Rory is ready or even interested in the adventure, Bridget is ready to kick some butt, starting yesterday. Now Rory has to worry about navigating a world no one else can see, saving it and the world he knows, and keeping Bridget safe. He's got his work cut out for him.

Rory is a strong and interesting main character, and Bridget is the irritating little sister who makes things worse by trying to help. The author has managed to balance serious ideas (like global warming and the Indian/Colonist conflict) with lighthearted moments (like a rat and squirrel kung fu fighting). The story jumps back and forth between Manhattan and Mannahatta, until they merge with Rory's full understanding. Which is a little bit confusing until you figure out who everyone is.

This is a great adventure story that not only keeps you involved, but doubles nicely as a history and geography of Manhattan. I imagine it's particularly poignant if you're a New Yorker, but never having been there I can tell you it didn't lose anything.

I think we may not have seen the end of Rory Hennessy, or Bridget, and I'm looking forward to finding out what else Mannahatta has in store for everyone.

Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman

The book "Gods of Manhattan" is the perfect book for children ages 9 YEARS and older. This is good for someone who is looking for an adventure in an every day ordinary city, yet it isn't your Godzilla story or a Superman adventure. It is a book happening in New York City, NY.
Some of the places that the main character(Rory), and his sister(Bridget) go are Central Park, The Chrysler Building, City Hall, The Subways, and even the Sewers!
Rory Has a special gift, and he can see the many magical creatures hidden among the city. This book reminds me a lot about a book called "The Lightning Thief", and if you have read that and you liked it, you will love this book.

I usually read books for older teens, but this one aimed at preteens and younger teens was an enjoyable fast-paced book filled with enough action, imaginative characters, impossible quests, and harrowing ending. Manhattan is not just a city, but an entity. Rory, a young teenage boy and his sister Bridget are extraordinary humans. He is a "Light" who can see past illusions and see the Mannahatta's spirits. I recommend this book to all ages.

New York City has been the setting for several recent fantasy novels --- from KIKI STRIKE to THE NIGHT TOURIST --- that shed light on the many secrets lurking behind (or beneath) Manhattan's famous landmarks. Add to that list Scott Mebus's debut work of fiction, GODS OF MANHATTAN, which melds New York City history with modern geography in a thoroughly entertaining start of a promising new series.

Thirteen-year-old Rory Hennessey is a Light --- one of the few mortals who can see beyond to the spirit city Mannahatta, a fantastical New York City where figures and landmarks from the past co-exist alongside Manhattan's more modern denizens. Rory, though, has focused his attention on caring for his mother and younger sister Bridget following the mysterious disappearance of his father, and he has remained intentionally blind to the sights, sounds and dangers that surround him.

That is until a charismatic magician who goes by the name of Hex stumps ever-cynical Rory with a truly puzzling magic trick and opens his eyes to the Mannahatta that has always existed in the corners of his eyes. Once Rory starts seeing these mysterious sights --- including cockroaches riding on rats, vicious gargoyles, early-20th-century ruffians, and Indians who hunt in Central Park --- he is also able to show these phenomena to Bridget, who has her own role to play.

But little known to Bridget or Rory, a drama is unfolding among the elite inhabitants of Mannahatta, particularly its group of Gods --- "of everything from Justice to Sample Sales, Guilt to Jaywalking, Money to Street Construction." The Gods are actual figures from New York City history who have been elevated to immortal status thanks to their contributions to the city. They remain immortal until their gifts have become devalued or forgotten --- at least until lately. One of their company has hired an assassin to use a special knife to kill the Gods and steal their powers, throwing the whole leadership into crisis.

Rory, as the last remaining Light, has a crucial role to play. But whom can he trust? And how can he continue to protect his family when he also has a whole city to save? Using a fast-paced narrative, GODS OF MANHATTAN introduces readers to a uniquely American mythology and kicks off a series that is likely to draw comparisons to Michael Chabon's SUMMERLAND and Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson novels.

Like Suzanne Collins's Underland Chronicles, Rory and Bridget's family dynamics provide the emotional heart of the story. Combined with the historical underpinnings (which are explained without feeling like a history lesson), humorous dialogue and real-world places, this realistic relationship forms the basis of what promises to be a compelling, well-realized fantasy series --- and one that might help those Gods of Manhattan remain relevant for a long time to come.

--- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

"The Gods of Manhattan" is a creative and complex story that introduces the spirit world that overlays and influences the real city of Manhattan. The story matches up modern day kids with spirits of New York's past in an attempt to save the city from evil.
This is an unbelieveable well written book that combines the history of New York with a great kids' adventure story. The plot lines can seem confusing at first but with a little patience, everything makes sense in the end. The concept of the interactions between the different layers of the city is really original and will definitely appeal to New Yorkers.
This is a really great book and hopefully the first of a series.

When I read a book of this genre, I ask myself: Was it a captivating story? Did it come alive for me? Happily, the answers are Yes! and Yes! This is definite page turner with a fresh new approach turning Manhattan into an action packed spirit world filled with magic and history. Perfect for New York City lovers young and old!

I came to read this book because Amazon recommends it to fan of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series, and Rick Riordan himself praised the book.
This book fell way short of Percy Jackson (or Harry Potter).
It uses the same device as Percy Jackson that the gods are real, very much alive, and play an important role in the mortal world.
The gods and the person that inspired that god are very well-researched, which is similar to Percy Jackson.
And the similarities end there.
In Percy Jackson, each character and god has a distinctive personality and make an impression on the reader.
After reading Percy Jackson, I can remember who's who like a real person.

The characters in Scott Mebus' book are bland and dry like a history textbook.
I can't recall what the characters look like, what they would say or react to their situations.
It felt as if the whole novel was a history textbook in disguise.
The sole purpose of the book seems to be stuffing as many names into it as possible and try to make them interesting (so history teachers can lure their poor students into reading the boring stuff?)
I went to high school in NYC and even took a history of NYC class, but I still find the history in this novel dull and dragging on.

This is such a great children's book. I absolutely fell head over heels for it. The content is so different from what I was use to reading. A keeper in my collection.

This engaging, spirited read is terrfic for kid and grownup fantasy lovers. Mebus weaves a new mythology for New York alongside a great story of siblings saving the world. (Or Mahattan, at least.) Highly recommended for any native New Yorkers and anyone planning a trip to NYC.

Fantasies for children that are set in New York take the surreal aspects of the city itself and extend them to their natural extremes. Luli Gray's, Falcon's Egg discussed the possibility of dragons in Central Park (and Nancy Springer's Dusssie did the same thing with Gorgons). Changeling by Delia Sherman covered a range of magical areas, from Broadway to the very sea. And Neal Shusterman's Everlost did some questionable, if original, things with the Twin Towers. The difference between these and "Gods of Manhattan" is that it aims higher . . . and falls further as a result. A set of ill decisions that could easily have been avoided combined with an ending that is oddly insulting takes this otherwise fun fantasy into dangerous sketchy territory. It will be popular, but it is too flawed to support entirely.

Thirteen-year-old Rory Hennessy has a weird kind of gift. As far as he knows, all his life he's been able to see through the tricks and machinations of professional magicians. But when a strange fellow calling himself Hex comes to Rory's house to do a show for the boy's little sister Bridget, the man manages to open Rory's eyes in a way he's never known. Now he can see stone gargoyles swallowing pigeons whole and cockroaches riding rats like they were horses. A whole new world has revealed itself to Rory and it is a world that goes by the name of Mannahatta. As it turns out, Rory is what's known as a "Light", and he is a most uncommon fellow. Here in Mannahatta, all those historical figures that made their imprint on the island's memory, be it big or small, are remembered as Gods of Manhattan evermore. People like Babe Ruth, Frederick Douglass, and Walt Whitman are ruling the city, but dark dealings are afoot. A group of Indian spirits from the Munsee tribe is trapped in Central Park. Now it is up to Rory to free these spirits and avoid the evil machinations of a mysterious Willem Kieft before everything goes terribly wrong.

Here are the assumptions that I was making when reading this book. If you don't agree with them, then you probably won't have the same problems with the story that I did. So, the idea is that if you are famous in New York and remembered by its residents then you remain as a kind of god after your death. Fair enough. What's more, even if you've ended up a kind of urban legend or vague story, you can still be a god. There's a god of shoplifting, a god of guilt, and so on and so forth. There are quite a lot of gods in this book too. In fact, if you turn to the Cast of Characters at the beginning you can see the names of the top twelve. The Council of Twelve consists of the twelve gods that rule all the others. Now take a close look at these guys. Take a good long look. Do you see anything strange about them? Could it be that they are all white, with the exception of "Caesar Prince", who happens to be a made up character? This seemed a tad odd to me. I mean we're talking about the gods that rule Manhattan. Since when was Manhattan ever an all-white burg? So I took a closer look at the book and here are the stats I came up with.

Number of black characters in the book: 3 (two made-up, one a real historical figure)
Number of Jewish characters in the book: 1 (a murderer who is killed right at the start)
Number of Dominican characters in the book: 0 (in spite of the fact that the hero lives in
Inwood)
Number of Hispanic characters AT ALL in the book: 0
Number of Asian characters in the book: 0

Curiouser and curiouser. How on earth does a person go about writing a book about the people who represent Manhattan and make almost all of them white? Then I took a closer look at exactly whom Mebus has selected to represent us. The Goddess of Trends is Zelda Fitzgerald. Hunhuna? Call me kooky, but wouldn't Madame C.J. Walker, who New York schoolchildren actually learn about in school and who was black, be a better choice?

You might point out that Harry Potter and the Percy Jackson books aren't exactly bastions of multicultural values either, but that's not exactly fair. Harry Potter takes place in British boarding schools. Not New York. Percy Jackson takes place at camp. Not New York. New York City is as wonderful as it is precisely because of the multiple ethnicities and races that have built it up over the years. And when you write a book that discusses the gods of the city and then proceed to make almost ALL those gods white, you are doing a disservice to the very people who have helped to make Manhattan the way it is today.

The thing is, I can see schoolteachers in New York City gleefully plucking this book up to use in class. What better way to introduce kids to Walt Whitman, Peter Stuyvesant, or Adriaen van der Donck? But at the same time, what a throwback to old curriculums that ignored lesser known and important people. You'll find no Percy Suttons here. No Madame C.J. Walkers. Not even an Italian like Fiorello H. LaGuardia.

And then there are the Indians. When I first picked up the book I was a little surprised to see a blurb on the back from Joseph Bruchac. Mr. Bruchac has certainly written a couple fantasies in his time (I'm a big fan of Wabi: A Hero's Tale) but not so many that he'd be the first fellow you'd think of when you wanted to promote a fantasy novel. Usually a publisher would contact a Tamora Pierce or a Rick Riordan. But when I saw the Indians in this book it all fit together. Ah. Joseph Bruchac is Native American himself. And if people started saying that the Indians in this book were akin to the ones in Peter Pan what better argument to present them with than the fact that Joseph Bruchac himself approved? Truth be told, I was never comfortable with the Indians for most of this book, but I decided to play along. If Mebus wanted to make some kind of a point about the island's original inhabitants (all the while ignoring the non-white immigrants) who was I to object? So I read it through and everything was fine . . . until I got to the end.

Spoiler Alert: For those of you who wish to keep everything a surprise. Everybody ready? Okay. So for much of the book Rory's quest is to find the objects that will allow him to free the Munsee tribe from their prison in Central Park. The villainous Willem Kieft has kept them there for years and the Indians have grown, quite understandably, more and more pissed off as a result. But just when the hero is about to free them, he is saved from making a terrible mistake. Rory has had a dream where a Munsee friend from his youth, Wampage, has told him that if he frees the Indians horrible things will happen. You see, because the Indians are so angry they want revenge on the people who have trapped them there. No surprise. So FOR THEIR OWN GOOD Rory is to keep them trapped against their will until they cool off a little and everything's copacetic. I will repeat that: The white kid decides to keep the Indians trapped because otherwise they might just hurt themselves by being too angry. I was more than the teensiest bit shocked when I read this. Seriously? We can't trust Indians to rule themselves wisely? They need intervention because otherwise they'll do stupid things? Am I the only one who sees a problem with this?

The crazy thing is, there's a lot to like here. In fact, if you were an average white kid reader, you might think this was a pretty cool book. There are paper mache bodies and lots of exciting chase and action sequences. The dialogue is tons of fun and the main character and sister are great kids to follow. I liked sentences like, "He knew she couldn't see what he was seeing. Because he was going crazy and that's not really a team sport." And to Mebus's credit, he makes Alexander Hamilton the slimy fish he really was. And Aaron Burr and Willem Kieft as your villains? Inspired. Who could be a better New York duo (though Boss Tweed would have been my personal pick)? But if you delve even a little below the surface of the story you see how privileged, white, and patronizing the book gets at times. It just seems like an incredible waste. Mebus is clearly talented, and I have high hopes for his future books. I don't know why nobody ever mentioned to him how insulting the book could feel at times. Maybe they just weren't paying attention.

In the end, Mebus has written a book that is about a very interesting place, but it is not Manhattan. Anything above 110th Street (aside from an oddly gentrified Inwood seen here) is ignored entirely. New York is more than just the white residents that made it famous. It may well be that fantasy fans ignore these details and love the book for its snappy writing and crisp dialogue. For those of us who can see what's missing, it's a harder sell. A good concept and an interesting story, sure. But in the end a novel of this sort is the sum of its parts. And with significant parts missing, there's only so much you can save. Hopefully we'll see less simplified material from Scott Mebus in the future.