Book 00084: The House of Power by Patrick Carman
Title:
- The House of Power
First Publication:
- 2007 by Miramax Books
Trivia:
- Carman has stated that he drew on stories such as Frankenstein and The Turn of the Screw for inspiration for Atherton.
- At the end of the book, it states that there will be an "Atherton Two", and will called "Atherton: Rivers of Fire"
- Patrick Carman has been asked to be a part of The 39 Clues series. The 39 Clues is a series that will be written by five different authors (Carman included).
Awards:
- Wyoming Statewide Soaring Eagle Book Award short list 2009
- Oregon Battle of the Books list for 2008-2009
- New Hampshire Isinglass Teen Book Award Short List 2008
- VOYA's 2008 Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers List
- The Texas Bluebonnet award 2008 (short listed)
- Junior Library Guild Premier Selection 2008
- 2008 Kids Wings Award recipient
I bought this book year ago, but up until now was not able to read it. I left at home before I could manage to do so, that is why I am tempted to buy another copy, which I eventually thought would not be really appropriate. Might as well wait many more months before I could go back home and read. I just missed my library at home.
Synopsis
From the creator of the Land of Elyon comes a riveting adventure set in an extraordinary satellite world'created as a refuge from a dying Earth'that begins to collapse and forever change the lives of its inhabitants. Edgar, a gifted climber, is a lonely boy scaling the perilous cliffs that separate the three realms of Atherton: a humble fig grove; a mysterious highland world of untold beauty and sinister secrets; and a vast wasteland where he must confront an unspeakable danger that could destroy the people of Atherton. When Edgar discovers a book which contains the history of Atherton's origins and ultimate apocalypse, his world'quite literally'begins to turn inside out.
In the shadow of what was once the planet earth (now known as The Dark Planet) is the intriguing world of Atherton. This is a planet made up of three levels, each spiraling upward like a layered cake and sided by jagged rocks with a steep incline. On Atherton, water is the most valuable source of life and is controlled by the House of Power on the uppermost part known as the Highlands. On the second level, the Tabletop, are the workers who labor tirelessly in the fields of fig trees and live under the strict rule of their cruel supervisor. The bottom level is the mysterious Flatlands where the dangerous, always hungry beasts known as the "Cleaners" live.
Atherton thrives with this setup: the wealthy top-livers giving orders, indulging in their powers and riches; the Tabletop area living a day-to-day existence of hard work with little rewards; and the bottom wastelands is the place where no one goes --- and if they do, they never come back.
It is in the groves of healthy-growing fig trees where we first meet 11-year old Edgar. This young boy is ever-curious with an abundance of energy (despite the scare rations) that allows him to scale the steep walls of rock as he explores the world around him. Edgar is actually in search of something. Is it a dream or possibly a memory from long ago? He climbs because he is driven to discover this "something," and when he finds it he will know what to do from there. But, because of the many restrictions on the laborers, any climbing he does has to be done in secret.
To be read
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