TALKER 25
Book ID/图书代码： 11518014B68379
English Summary/英文概要： Debut author Joshua McCune’s gritty and heart-pounding novel is a masterful reimagining of popular dragon fantasy set in a militant future reminiscent of Paolo Bacigalupi’s Ship Breaker and Ann Aguirre’s Outpost. The Horn Book called it "absolutely gripping and absolutely horrifying."
It’s a high-school prank gone horribly wrong—sneaking onto the rez to pose next to a sleeping dragon—and now senior Melissa Callahan has become an unsuspecting pawn in a war between Man and Monster, between family and friends and the dragons she has despised her whole life. Chilling, epic, and wholly original, this debut novel imagines a North America where dragons are kept on reservations, where strict blackout rules are obeyed no matter the cost, where the highly weaponized military operates in secret, and where a gruesome television show called Kissing Dragons unites the population. Joshua McCune’s debut novel offers action, adventure, fantasy, and a reimagining of popular dragon lore. "The story packs significant punch."—Publishers Weekly
Chinese Summary/中文概要： 作者Joshua McCune 的处女作小说精彩地重新诠释了广为流传的龙的传说，故事引人入胜、十分惊悚。
故事从一个高中生恶作剧开始，无意中唤醒了一条沉睡中的龙，现在，Melissa Callahan成了人类和怪兽之战的人质……小说具有史诗般的壮丽场面，具有原创性，想象了一片居住着龙的北美地区，在那里，龙被困在保护区，必须遵守严格的管制规定，持大规模武器的军队秘密行动，同时，一档名为“亲吻龙”的可怕的电视节目将人们团结在一起。作者Joshua McCune在这部小说包含了动作、冒险、梦幻等多种元素。（LYR）
Awards/获奖情况：在这本处女作小说里，作者McCune营造了一个反面乌托邦的梦幻世界，在那里，人类与龙对战。美国军队宣称龙是他们的头号敌人，主人公 Mel发现自己被支持龙的起义军挟持，Mel已故的母亲曾经也是起义军的一员（后来不幸被龙杀害）。在与龙相处了一段时间后，军队重新抓获了Mel，并将Mel与其他青少年关在一起接受“改造修复”：他们必须通过心灵感应与龙交流，诱导龙致死。故事进行到这个阶段，语气从初中生风格变为青少年风格。酒精和性不合时宜地穿插其中，似乎对情节和人物的发展没有多少用处……这是一部快节奏的冒险小说，但突兀的结尾令人感到有些草草收尾。故事的不足之处在于过分借鉴广为流传的三部曲。尽管如此，《谈话者25》叙事性还是很精彩，动作场面很棒，喜欢这一题材的读者应该会喜欢。——Laura Falli
Gr 8 Up—In this debut novel, McCune creates a dystopian fantasy world in which humans are pitted against dragons. The United States military declares the winged creatures their number one enemy, and protagonist Mel finds herself kidnapped by the pro-dragon insurgency group to whichher deceased mother (who was killed by a dragon) once belonged. After spending time bonding with dragons, the military recaptures her, and Mel is kept with other teens to be "reconditioned": they must communicate telepathically with dragons in order to lure them to their deaths. At this point in the story, the tone shifts from middle school-appropriate to teen. Alcohol and sex are awkwardly interjected and seem unnecessary to the plot or character development. An amusing website based upon a dragon reality show portrayed in the book shows promise, yet it ultimately falls short of its potential. This is a fast-paced adventure, but the abrupt ending feels rushed. The book’s weakness lies in the heavy borrowing from popular trilogies. The emphasis on "insurgents" is reminiscent of Veronica Roth’s books, as is the mind control and monitoring of thoughts and dreams. Like Suzanne Collins’s Katniss, Mel undergoes makeup and costume changes for the cameras (she portrays herself in televised reenactments of dragon battles). Although lacking in originality, Talker 25 may have the familiarity and action-oriented storytelling that ravenous fans of the genre will enjoy.—Laura Falli, McNeil High School, Austin, TX
About the Author/作者介绍： Joshua McCune 出生于巴西里约热内卢的一个海军基地，在伦敦和华盛顿长大，在德克萨斯州读大学，在新西兰结婚。在成为作家之前，他曾从事过电话销售员、SAT教师和机器人工程师等工作。目前，他与家人居住在德克萨斯州，他笔下的人物和地点都是虚无缥缈的梦幻世界。Joshua McCune was born on a navy base in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He grew up in London and Washington, D.C., went to college in Texas, and got married in New Zealand. He worked as a telemarketer, an SAT instructor, and a robotics engineer before becoming an author. He currently lives in San Antonio, Texas, with his family, writing stories of people and places just beyond the reach of planes, trains, and automobiles (but not dragons).
Format:HARDCOVER
Rights Status/版权销售情况：Simplified Chinese/简体中文：AVAILABLE
Complex/Traditional Chinese/繁体中文：AVAILABLE
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