5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Each Page Offers Another Gift for the Imagination, June 9, 2009
This review is from: Seekers #3: Smoke Mountain (Hardcover)
Kallik is a young polar bear living in the frigid north with her mom and brother. She knows she has a lot to learn before she will be able to survive on her own. However, she isn't too worried as long as she has her mom to keep her safe and fed. But then comes the accident. Suddenly on her own, Kallik struggles to survive.
Lusa is a young black bear who has lived her entire life in a zoo. She hasn't had too many worries, as the fences keep her safe from predators, and the zoo keepers feed her every day. And then she makes a promise to a dying friend, a risky promise that requires her to escape the zoo fences. She cleverly manages to do just that. Suddenly on her own, Lusa struggles to survive.
Toklo is a young grizzly bear living near the mountains with his mom and sickly brother. When his brother dies, his mom is so overcome with grief, she chases Toklo away from her. Suddenly on his own, Toklo struggles to survive.
Ujurak is another young brown bear with a few unique talents, including the ability to change shape into other animals. He also receives dreams and can read signs from the spirits. On his own, Ujurak struggles to survive.
These four young bear cubs stumble into each other's lives and manage to form a unique family all their own. They rely on one another for survival and love as they struggle to complete their quest --- a search for a new home. But they encounter many obstacles and dangers in their path, including all of the sicknesses the wild is suffering, mostly from the hands of humans.
SMOKE MOUNTAIN starts off where the second book, GREAT BEAR LAKE, left off, with the four bears setting out from Great Bear Lake following the huge Longest Day celebration. Lusa spent quality time with some real wild black bears. Toklo faced his fear of water and came to peace with his mother and brother's spirits. And Kallik finally found her long-lost brother, Taqqiq, and convinced him to join them on their quest. All of them have heard of the paradise rumored to exist farther north, where there's plenty of food and room to thrive. Ujurak receives signs and dreams from the spirits guiding them on their path, and an old bear also gives them some advice and direction for their travels, including sharing the dangers of a place called Smoke Mountain.
An unexpected run-in with humans, however, forces them right in the thick of the danger. To further add to their troubles, they find they are being hunted by even more humans. And when Lusa has a special dream, she learns she has another monumental quest to accomplish, one far too big for a little bear cub to succeed on her own. But maybe with the help of her good friends, they might just have a chance.
Erin Hunter has written over 30 books, and her spark just continues to glow brighter and stronger, attracting more and more fans eager with enthusiasm for her next story. The Seekers series is extra special, shinning with her obvious love of nature and animals. She brings us an up-close-and-personal account of the abuse of our planet and the ones who suffer the most. This isn't a school lecture on preservation, but a heartfelt account of true-to-life struggles seen through the eyes of some special characters who have grown to be much like friends. Hunter delivers her important messages in the midst of heart-pounding adventure and non-stop excitement, each page offering another gift for the imagination. THE LAST WILDERNESS, the fourth installment in the series, won't get here fast enough.
--- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman, author of FINDING MY LIGHT, GHOSTS OF THE UPPER PENINSULA and THE BLACK POND
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