Firestorm: The Caretaker Trilogy: Book 1 (Caretaker Trilogy)

Features

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 304 pages
• Published by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux BYR; First Edition edition September 5, 2006
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0374323070
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0374323073
• Book Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Weighs: 1.2 pounds

From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 8 Up–Klass enters exciting and provocative new territory with this sci-fi thriller. Seventeen-year-old Jack Danielsons life has always been normal–except that his parents have encouraged him to blend in and not try too hard. But then he learns that he is different, that he has special powers and abilities, and that he is from the future and has been sent back to save the planet. Strangers kill his adoptive parents and come after him, and the teens only hope to survive is to trust in Gisco, a huge dog who speaks to him telepathically, and Eko, a ninja babe whose loyalties are ambiguous. The writing is fluid and graceful in places. The sobering events and tone are leavened with engaging humor, and the characters are multidimensional. The relentless pace, coupled with issues of ecology, time travel, self-identity, and sexual awakening, makes for a thrilling and memorable read. The cliff-hanger ending will make readers hope that Klasss work on book two of the trilogy is well under way.–Melissa Moore, Union University Library, Jackson, TN
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Jack's parents have taught him to blend in, and he resents it. He knows he can be a star--which he becomes when he shatters his school's rushing record and appears on the news. Then his parents tell him they aren't really his parents, and Jack suddenly finds himself catapulted from being on top of the world to running for his life and being the only one equipped to avert ecological disaster. In the first volume in this eco-fantasy series, Klass avoids preaching while still conveying how easily ignorance can cause environmental atrocities; a scene in which Jack helps trawl for orange roughy is downright chilling. The nonstop run of fragmentary sentences is effective in action scenes; it's distracting everywhere else, however, so it's fortunate that the book is packed with high-intensity thrills. Style matters aside, Klass' protagonist comes off as a regular guy, right down to his awkward sexual impulses, and Jack's surprising fate will leave readers waiting eagerly for the second installment in the Caretaker Trilogy^B. Krista Hutley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Reader Reviews
It's always interesting to read the blurbs on the front of a book. You know the ones I mean; the recommendations from fellow authors about why you should pick up a copy of the book in question. What's even more interesting is when the blurb comes from someone other than an author. In the case of FIRESTORM, the first in The Caretaker Trilogy by author David Klass, the recommendation comes from Greenpeace. Yes, the same Greenpeace International that is dedicated to protecting and saving the Earth from the harmful practices that threaten to destroy it. If that isn't enough to get your attention, then maybe you should turn your ear towards Jack Danielson, the hero of FIRESTORM: "Name's Jack Danielson. Eighteen. As of right now, not quite sure I'll live to see nineteen. Always been a pretty good guy, easy-going, laid back, friend to all and enemy to none. Smart, but not too smart. Athletically inclined, but never enough to be the best. Now my whole world is falling apart. Seems my father isn't my father. My mother isn't my mother. The fact that my dad who isn't my dad shot off his own foot to prove his point should be strange enough. It isn't. There are weird bat-like creatures chasing me, and things called Gorms. I've somehow ended up on a motorcycle with a humongous mongrel dog named Gisco, who happens to be telepathic, riding in a sidecar. Now there's a woman named Eko kicking my a** on a daily basis to make me stronger. Why? Because I have to find Firestorm so that I can save the Earth. And no, I have no idea what that is. And yes, I'm a fan of sentence fragments. Look it up, my friend, but not right now. Right now I have to save the world, before there's no future on Earth for me to come back from." FIRESTORM is Jack's story, but it's also the story of what could very well happen. It's a fantasy that could be truth, if the destruction of Earth by mankind continues on its current course. After reading this wonderful book, I clearly understand why it's endorsed by Greenpeace. One of the best things of the book, besides its underlying message of taking care of the planet, is Gisco, the telepathic dog. He adds an element of humor, such as his devotion to the O Great Dog God, that lightens up a story that could come across as preachy, but never does. It's very hard to categorize FIRESTORM into one category, but if I had to I would call it a coming-of-age, contemporary fantasy, science-fiction, paranormal adventure story. If that doesn't catch your attention, I don't know what will. Let me just say that once you start reading, you won't be able to stop. And when you're finished, you'll want to read more. FIRESTORM is, luckily, the first book in The Caretaker Trilogy, so maybe if we hound Mr. Klass night and day he'll give us what we want--and sooner rather than later. Comment | | (Report this)