Gussy
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
A magical, lyrical middle grade novel that will enchant fans of Kelly Barnhill and Anne Ursu, about a girl who must take on the ultimate responsibility in her village—and the dangers of secrets kept locked away in the dark.
Gussy knows that being a village Protector is a big job, even if Grandpa Widow makes the role look easy. So when Grandpa Widow is suddenly called to travel across the desert surrounding the village, and Gussy has to step into the role of Protector herself, she barely feels ready to perform the magical Rites that keep her village safe from the Great Doom, the mysterious power that threatens the residents in the lands outside.
On her very first night in charge, a mysterious young girl arrives in search of shelter, forcing Gussy to break the number one rule of being a Protector: When the sun goes down, keep the gates shut.
Soon it becomes clear that the Great Doom has managed to get inside the village walls. And as the villagers all look to Gussy for help, Gussy will have to turn to some surprising allies to save the only home she’s ever known.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A young ritualist with an outsize sense of duty attempts to hold her own in Cajoleas's (Minor Prophets) rambling frontier fantasy. For the residents of an unnamed desert outpost within Darkling Valley, all that keeps them safe from lurking supernatural force The Great Doom are Grandpa Widow and orphaned protégée Gustavina Mithridates Pearl—Gussy—two protectors tasked with performing granular daily Rites meant to ward off infection. When Grandpa Widow is summoned by the powerful Council of Protectors, Gussy is charged with shielding the town on her own, a task that becomes exponentially more precarious after she in a sympathetic moment that directly violates a Rite—opens the town gates after dark, welcoming a lone girl in during a terrible desert storm. Gussy's belief structure and colloquial narration dominate the novel's languid first act. Though secondary characters lack the detail of Gussy's daily rituals, Cajoleas gracefully builds to a rousing climax, portrayed alongside a refreshingly positive message of grit, gumption, and community. All characters are cued as white. Ages 8–12.
