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Ark #2
Flight of the Raven
Desperate to escape the group of environmental terrorists that are holding him hostage, Elijah, who is telepathic, enters the consciousness of a lonely girl named Amber and her brutal, yet charismatic father to replace the Ark family.
294 pages, Library Binding
First published October 1, 2001
2 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie S. Tolan
40 books96 followersStephanie S. Tolan's earliest memories involve books. Those that were read to her and those she read to herself, often late at night with a flashlight under the covers. She always thought there was a special magic in the little black marks on paper that could turn into whole worlds and real people. Born in Ohio and raised in Wisconsin, she wrote her first story in the fourth grade. It was thrilling to discover she could make the magic herself, and she decided then and there to be a writer.
Other ambitions came and went, but writing stayed on, and she majored in creative writing at Purdue University, then went on to a Master's Degree in English. Marriage and the sudden addition to her life of three young stepsons, and then a son, forced writing into the nooks and crannies, but she wrote poetry and plays for adults as she taught college English. In the mid-seventies, Stephanie began working in the Poets-in-the-Schools program in Pennsylvania. Her first group of students were fourth and fifth graders, and she found among them a new generation of intense readers, still using the flashlight-under-the-covers trick.
The difference, she felt, was less in the children themselves than in the fast-changing world they lived in. Her writing for children and young adults, beginning with Grandpa -- And Me in 1978, has reflected that contemporary world.
Stephanie Tolan is also well known as an advocate for extremely bright children. She co-authored the award-winning nonfiction book, Guiding the Gifted Child, and has written many articles about the challenges gifted "asynchronous" children and adults face as they find a way to fit into their world. She lectures throughout the country to audiences of parents, educators and counselors attempting to find ways to meet the children's needs. Her experiences with these "amazing, off-the-charts" young people inspired the themes of Welcome to the Ark, a powerful novel about four brilliant young misfits in a world teetering on destruction.
Stephanie Tolan currently lives in Charlotte, NC, with her husband.
Other ambitions came and went, but writing stayed on, and she majored in creative writing at Purdue University, then went on to a Master's Degree in English. Marriage and the sudden addition to her life of three young stepsons, and then a son, forced writing into the nooks and crannies, but she wrote poetry and plays for adults as she taught college English. In the mid-seventies, Stephanie began working in the Poets-in-the-Schools program in Pennsylvania. Her first group of students were fourth and fifth graders, and she found among them a new generation of intense readers, still using the flashlight-under-the-covers trick.
"They brought back to me that special reading joy that most adults, even the readers among us, have lost, and I wanted to try my hand at writing for those kids, so like myself at their age and yet so different."
The difference, she felt, was less in the children themselves than in the fast-changing world they lived in. Her writing for children and young adults, beginning with Grandpa -- And Me in 1978, has reflected that contemporary world.
Stephanie Tolan is also well known as an advocate for extremely bright children. She co-authored the award-winning nonfiction book, Guiding the Gifted Child, and has written many articles about the challenges gifted "asynchronous" children and adults face as they find a way to fit into their world. She lectures throughout the country to audiences of parents, educators and counselors attempting to find ways to meet the children's needs. Her experiences with these "amazing, off-the-charts" young people inspired the themes of Welcome to the Ark, a powerful novel about four brilliant young misfits in a world teetering on destruction.
Stephanie Tolan currently lives in Charlotte, NC, with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 15, 2023
Set in a near future North American dystopia, where some people have different abilities. I've labelled this one "fantasy" but really there is little in here that does not exist. The Militia, however, would be attracting much more serious attention from the US government than happens in this book. However, I enjoyed this book a great deal. Shamanic elements combined with domestic terrorism and the uneasy co-existence between the two.
When is it ok to resist evil? Does resisting evil make you evil yourself?
There are many big questions here, and they do not clog the gears of the plot. Of course I wanted to know more at the end, but that is just the mark of a good piece of art: leave them wanting more.
OK, I just learned this very minute that this book was the second in a series. Now I like it even more, because I never once felt that I was jumping into the middle of something.
When is it ok to resist evil? Does resisting evil make you evil yourself?
There are many big questions here, and they do not clog the gears of the plot. Of course I wanted to know more at the end, but that is just the mark of a good piece of art: leave them wanting more.
OK, I just learned this very minute that this book was the second in a series. Now I like it even more, because I never once felt that I was jumping into the middle of something.
September 17, 2019
I loved this book. I admire Stephanie S. Tolan for her essays and blog posts around the topic of 'giftedness'. This story about a small boy who turns out to not have Aspergers and who can speak 'normally' (if he feels safe) touched me deeply, even more than number one in the series Welcome to the Ark.
I wondered what age group of (gifted) children or teenagers is reading this book. If you found out about your 'giftedness' as an adult and still feel 'way out' or like an alien this tale might interest you. And if you still feel an alien sometimes my blog post on the topic might interest you :-)
I wondered what age group of (gifted) children or teenagers is reading this book. If you found out about your 'giftedness' as an adult and still feel 'way out' or like an alien this tale might interest you. And if you still feel an alien sometimes my blog post on the topic might interest you :-)
June 21, 2021
There is much more ambiguity in this book than the first one "Welcome to the Ark", and it's much more set in the real world. I suppose it's a book that is meant to be continued... but will the author continue it or is it meant that we are supposed to continue it?
Personally, I do not have a lot of faith in ESP when (I think) simply having heightened perception can explain someone's "uncanny" understanding of others - unlike other types of books about gifted children, where a child might exert power more from them quickness in assessing & reacting usefully to a situation. In this regard, I find the plot slightly more mythical than it needs to be. But nevertheless inspiring as it grapples with the moral question of whether violence is ever a proper answer? There is a sense that it is ideal to not use violent means when possible. Yet...?
Personally, I do not have a lot of faith in ESP when (I think) simply having heightened perception can explain someone's "uncanny" understanding of others - unlike other types of books about gifted children, where a child might exert power more from them quickness in assessing & reacting usefully to a situation. In this regard, I find the plot slightly more mythical than it needs to be. But nevertheless inspiring as it grapples with the moral question of whether violence is ever a proper answer? There is a sense that it is ideal to not use violent means when possible. Yet...?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2022
I really enjoyed it! But, I feel like there are a lot of loose ends that need anouther book to be tied up, there are supposed to be 3 books, but it has taken 21 years and a 3rd still hasn't come out. On anouther topic, I think that the ideas introduced in the first book and that have also been in the second are very interesting! I would recommend this book to others!
May 25, 2017
I really liked the first book, but this one was just meh. This was my second time reading it and I didn't like it any more than the first time. Everything just fell a bit flat for me and I didn't like most of the characters or the plot.
May 3, 2017
The book is a interesting book about a kid who broke out of a mental hospital. and they gave him a good story and a raven that has kept watching over him. but at first the book is not really all that interesting but it gets more interesting with the new charaters and the new setting and what they thought about the boy then and now because the opinions change some just did not like him at all a he thought that the boy was a waste of time and kept badmouthing him. in his mind everytime he closes his eyes he turns into an animal say like a bird in the trees or a racoon and he goes away from the world for a second when he does that he went through a lot of pain his mother died and he sees the guy that use to beat her and it brings bad flashbacks to him. but hischaracter is real deep once you find out more about him you really get interested in his traits and his special personality
February 27, 2010
I enjoyed the issues this book brought up. I didn't know it was a sequel, but I felt it was able to stand on its own without making me feel that I didn't know the whole story.
This book can be used as a leader into discussions on population control, ESP, human connectedness, terrorism, biowar, power, politics. I really enjoyed all the questions it made me think of. I like books that make me think.
This book can be used as a leader into discussions on population control, ESP, human connectedness, terrorism, biowar, power, politics. I really enjoyed all the questions it made me think of. I like books that make me think.
February 6, 2017
Good companion novel to The Ark, perhaps even a little more interesting due to the remote survivalist setting and showing things from the perspective of the resistance fighters (a.k.a. domestic terrorists). I appreciated the format being straightforward text this time. I was a little surprised it didn't catch up to the epilogue at the end of book 1, leaving the story feeling unfinished, but I did see a lot of interesting parallels to the current political climate in the U.S.
February 12, 2008
I liked this one even better than "Welcome to the Ark," but it is a sequel so read the other one first. They're both really good.
May 11, 2009
Quite enjoyable.
June 12, 2011
YA. Follow up to Welcome to the Ark. Still interesting POV.
January 18, 2012
Although geared to middle andn high schoolers, it makes you think about so many important issues. Whether it's autism, biowar, disfunctional families....the writing is so interesting.
November 29, 2012
I didn't like this one as well as the first, but I'm glad to not be left hanging about what happened to Elijah! Still goof though.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews