Undine [Hardcover]

Penni Russon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 31, 2006

Being sixteen is confusing and unpredictable enough for anyone. But if you're Undine, you also begin hearing voices calling you home in the middle of the night and then you suddenly produce a storm out of thin air. Your best friend Trout insists on falling messily in love with you, while you end up with a crush on his older brother. Meanwhile, the ocean begins appearing in your inland bedroom, and your dead father turns out to be not so dead after all

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 7 Up–Undine isnt your ordinary teenage girl. She doesnt like Tuesdays, has a best friend named Trout, and can cause storms to form out of thin air. She comes from a tight-knit family that includes her mother, brother, and aunt. She has always been told that her father died before she was born but a mysterious whispering voice convinces her that he is still alive. Trout, thanks to his love of Shakespeare, links the words that the voice is speaking with The Tempest. After the book itself appears in her house, Undine figures out where the voice is calling from and goes to meet her father. Teens will empathize with this girl who has magical powers that she cant control and a desire for a father who loves her for herself, not the powers she possesses or what he can gain from them. The strength of Russons writing and the intensity of the story itself will draw readers to Undine, but they will also find some familiar themes, such as unrequited love, reflected in her best friend, Trout. Australia creates an interesting backdrop and readers will enjoy some of the unfamiliar slang. This novel offers readers a new and interesting magical twist as well as a surprise ending.–June H. Keuhn, Corning East High School, NY
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From Booklist

Gr. 9-12. The messages, "trickling through . . . her consciousness," start arriving when Undine is 16: "Come Home!" At the same time, she begins to feel a potent, frightening force within her, "something extra to herself." When her anger sets off a violent weather storm, her fierce, bewildering power is confirmed, and as more messages appear, she starts to link them with questions about the father she has never known. Moving between remote shores and modern cities of Tasmania, Russon's debut novel is, like Undine's magic, wild and difficult to define. There are heavy ties to Shakespeare's The Tempest, which, along with other connections, sometimes feel contrived, and Russon's ambitious questions about morality, love, and the relationships between parents and children, science and magic, occasionally overwhelm the story. Anchoring the book, though, are spot-on depictions of mundane, contemporary teen anxieties ("Am I boring?" she worries during a lapse in conversation with a sexy guy), and scenes of gripping fantasy that will utterly capture readers. An impressive debut from a writer to watch. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books (January 31, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060793899
• ISBN-13: 978-0060793890
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,399,116 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A deftly crafted fantasy brought vividly to life, January 9, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Undine (Audio CD)

Superbly narrated by Mellisaa Eccleston, "Undine" by Penni Russon is the story of Undine, a young girl who gets along quite well with her somewhat eccentric mother, loves her little baby brother, and is best friends with her next-door neighbor Trout -- who has something of a crush on her. But something strange is beginning to happen to her. She finds that she is able to affect the weather. It seems she is beginning to be able to do magic! But magic can have consequences -- sometime rather unpleasant ones. This complete and unabridged, 6 CD audiobook is flawlessly recorded with a running time of six hours. A deftly crafted fantasy brought vividly to life in a true 'theatre of the mind' experience for children age 13 and older, "Undine" will prove to be a popular addition to school and community audiobook collections!

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BRILLIANT!!!, February 4, 2006

By 

~ "~Gypsy~" (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Undine (Library Binding)

I'm not a big book reader, I just dont seem to find the time. But I just couldn't put Undine down! I was entrapped in the mystery and the magic. A book that I'm sure most people will enjoy. I highly recommend it.
I'm lucky enough to be in Australia where the second novel has been released. I promise you, once you read Undine you will want to read the second book!
Do yourself a favour... and buy it!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very good bood, February 27, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Undine (Hardcover)

I really liked this book, and although it wasn't alway clear what was going on, the author describes her characters very well and gives them depth and meaning