The Young Unicorns (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author) "Winter came early to the city that year..." (more)
Key Phrases: young unicorns, Canon Tallis, New York, Rabbi Levy (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A first-rate suspense story.”—The Washington Post Book World

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description

A plot to rule New York City places the Austin family in terrifying danger.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf (October 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440999197
• ISBN-13: 978-0440999195
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #895,861 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fabulous book containing universal truths, July 26, 2000

By	Stephanie (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

A Wrinkle in Time has always been my favorite book, and I was hesistant to read L'Engle's other stories because I had grown so attatched to the Murrays/O'Keefe's. This book was my final Austin family novel, and I must say, if by far my favorite.

This novel, while having the classic L'Engle good-triumphing ending, was full of the darker side of life. Like Arm of the Starfish, this book made me very aware that there is evil in the world. At yet, at the same time, this evil can be combatted through love and trust. It's an incredibly powerful story, with amazing twists and characters you won't soon forget.

Another reason I simply adore this book is because it is very clear that Chronos and Kairos are crossing here. Canon Tallis, Mr. Theo, Emily, Dave . . . they all reappear (or have appeared) in other books. It's wonderful to have that kind of connection with a character.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for themselves in a world where black and white are sometimes purple.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Mystery, January 3, 2003

By	Erika Sorocco (Southern California, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

In "The Young Unicorns", we meet up with the Austin family, who are now living in New York City, as Dr. Austin is working on a research project. We also meet 2 new L'Engle characters. Dave, who used to be in a gang called the Alphabats, and Emily, a blind girl who at times stays with the Austins. Dave now reads Emily her homework, as she can't read it herself. When bizarre things begin happening to the Austin family, and a bishop begins acting strangely, the Austin children begin to worry, and decide, with the help of Dave and Emily, to solve the mystery. But what they don't realize at the time, is that getting involved may cost them their lives.

We all know that L'Engle writes amazing coming-of-age novels, but, after reading "The Young Unicorns", I now know that she also writes amazing mystery/suspense/sci-fi novels. This was an amazingly interesting book, and readers, whether previous L'Engle fans or not, will relish in her character descriptions, and adventure. A must have book.

Erika Sorocco

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, insightful;last reader superficial,misunderstood, November 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Young Unicorns (Hardcover)

This is an excellent book with many unexpected twists throughout the plot. It brings up morality in all facets: the church, science, and the family. It addresses many modern-day issues and shows how things are not always what they initially seem. I was very upset by the last review. Madeleine L'Engle is not saying that a family without a mother staying home and doing the cooking is a bad family. Many of her books have mothers who do work, and I think that her message is more that a family is what you make of it, whether there is one parent or two, one child or many children, whether you live in the city or the country. Also, L'Engle writes about Caucasions because that is what she knows. She is not being rascist. I think her messages are universal, and different skin color doesn't change your humanness or your susceptibility to danger or sinfulness or vulnerability. The writer of that review was being more rascist than L'Engle, because he/she was implying that there ARE differences between races, and there are not. It's not as though L'Engle beats it into the readers' heads that she writes about caucasions; it's just what she does, and it is not part of the messages she is trying to convey through her writing. That reader was looking at the most superficial and unimportant aspect of the book. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in something that addresses issues larger than who's dating whom and what's on TV. It is a book that will stay on the edge of your mind for months, and that you will want to reread again and again to learn more insight.