Fountaindale Public Library

The boy lost in the maze, a story told in poems by Joseph Coelho ; illustrated by Kate Milner

eng

illustrations

no index present

12 and up

fiction

The boy lost in the maze

1389608509

a story told in poems by Joseph Coelho ; illustrated by Kate Milner

"This story is about two boys, separated by centuries, parted by myth, divided by reality. Two boys hoping to be men. Two boys severed from their fathers. Two boys searching a maze of manhood"--, Back coverFrom the UK Children's Laureate comes a spellbinding YA novel in verse blending the ancient myth of Theseus and the Minotaur with the quest of a modern-day teen in search of his father. Theo, a seventeen-year-old London schoolboy with a single mother, is desperate to track down the father who left them, whom he scarcely remembers. At school he discovers Greek mythology and the ancient story of Theseus, a fatherless son driven on a similar search. As Theo focuses on Theseus in a series of poems he composes, it becomes clear the two journeys echo each other in uncanny ways. Theseus must conquer his enemies-a psycho Cyclops, a tree-bending murderer, a monstrous pig-while Theo is tricked and double-crossed, confronting obstacles ranging from a search-agency scam artist to a depraved lawyer. Poet Joseph Coelho brilliantly interweaves the boys' stories, following them through dangers, horrors, and false successes, revealing that Theo must be as resourceful and strong as his mythical hero. In a unique twist, readers are asked to take a role in picking which option the heroes should pursue when facing choices on their path to manhood. The two alternating stories, along with stories from the Minotaur's perspective, fuse into one in a riveting climax, as the protagonists meet in the heart of the labyrinth

adolescent