The Divine

Reviewed by: Jill O'Connor - North Yarmouth Academy, Yarmouth, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 25, 2016

Review

Gritty and gory, this GN is definitely for older readers. The authors were inspired by a photograph showing a young Burmese boy with an automatic gun slung over his shoulder and a cigarette in his mouth. He was a 12-year-old twin and, together with his brother, commanded an army of 800 refugees calling themselves "God's Army". The authors wondered what would have brought a child to that moment. This book infuses a realistic military operation with the mysticism of Southeast Asia. Mark is a retired munitions expert and he is drawn back to Quanlom, an obscure Asian country where the US presence is not sanctioned, or wanted by the natives, by his friend Jason, another munitions operative, who promises a lucrative pay-off. Against his good sense, but needing the money for his expanding family, Mark agrees to go and bomb a hill. Instead of a simple job, he meets an army of angry native children, ancient warrior gods, and a vengeful dragon! The illustrations are sharp and gorgeous, and the scenes of battle are horrific and lush. It was these illustrations that kept me turning the pages. The story of these child soldiers was never really explored with any depth. The book touches on the idea that there is a fine line between good and evil and the perspective of which side of these one lies on is in the eye of the beholder. Not a book for everyone, but certainly one that will make the reader think and feel.

Overall Book Score: good