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Green Sky #1
Below the Root
Raamo has been chosen to rule Green-sky, but to uncover the secrets of his people, he’ll have to dig deep—very deepGreen-sky is an ideal place. Violence doesn’t exist. Its citizens, the Kindar, glide from tree to tree and exchange happy thoughts. This is all thanks to their rulers, the Ol-zhaan. And on his thirteenth birthday, Raamo D’ok is chosen to become one of the Ol-zhaan. Raamo is surprised to be named a Chosen. He isn’t a very good student—but the Ol-zhaan believe he has strong Spirit-force. But during his training, Raamo discovers that these good rulers aren’t as benevolent as they appear. They harbor secrets about his people, his family, and what lies below the forest floor. Now Raamo must Should he keep the peace, or reveal the secrets that the Ol-zhaan have protected for so long? This ebook features an extended biography of Zilpha Keatley Snyder.
229 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1975
77 people are currently reading
1191 people want to read
About the author
Zilpha Keatley Snyder
81 books454 followersZilpha Keatley Snyder was an American author of books for children and young adults. Three of Snyder's works were named Newbery Honor books: The Egypt Game, The Headless Cupid and The Witches of Worm. She was most famous for writing adventure stories and fantasies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
January 19, 2016
a little bird, a little boy, flitting through the trees; thrust upon him is a mantle of authority. to flit no more! roles taken to provide meaning, shelter, a shield: the world of Green Sky. denizens: beware of what lies below the root: there be dragons! or knowledge. or the past, a history buried. or an underclass, perhaps, striving to meet the sky!
a children's classic, of sorts. first published in 1975. shades of The Giver. a simple tale of friendship and growing up. a complex tale of myths and lies and mysteries upon mysteries. an introduction to revolution, for the little ones.
gossamer prose; steely ideas. oh what a tangled web adults may weave!
I tried describing the book to friends. their reactions were predictable. like so:
a children's classic, of sorts. first published in 1975. shades of The Giver. a simple tale of friendship and growing up. a complex tale of myths and lies and mysteries upon mysteries. an introduction to revolution, for the little ones.
gossamer prose; steely ideas. oh what a tangled web adults may weave!
I tried describing the book to friends. their reactions were predictable. like so:
December 5, 2007
This is the first book in The Greensky trilogy that just absolutely made my mind soar as a child and can still touch my heart as an adult.
A group of people inhabit the tree tops called Kindar. They are vegetarians and float from branch to branch using glider packs called Shubas. Some are gifted with powers. The power of teleportation and telekenesis (called kiniport in the books), the power to make trees grow (called grunsprek), and the power to read minds (called pensing). These children are ushered into a special school who are a part of a religious cult, the sole purpose of whom are to keep the Kindar safe from the evil creatures lurking beneath the ground, the Erdlings. A young acolyte questions his orders and finds his world turned upside down when he realizes the Erdlings are not the monsters he's been led to believe.
A story about religion and politics and social standing where children need to question their elders and question the rules that guide their society. A wonderful read that can open minds and teach that absolute obedience is not always a good thing.
A group of people inhabit the tree tops called Kindar. They are vegetarians and float from branch to branch using glider packs called Shubas. Some are gifted with powers. The power of teleportation and telekenesis (called kiniport in the books), the power to make trees grow (called grunsprek), and the power to read minds (called pensing). These children are ushered into a special school who are a part of a religious cult, the sole purpose of whom are to keep the Kindar safe from the evil creatures lurking beneath the ground, the Erdlings. A young acolyte questions his orders and finds his world turned upside down when he realizes the Erdlings are not the monsters he's been led to believe.
A story about religion and politics and social standing where children need to question their elders and question the rules that guide their society. A wonderful read that can open minds and teach that absolute obedience is not always a good thing.
October 27, 2023
Having passed an idyllic childhood in the treetop city of Orbora, the greatest of the seven cities of Green-sky, Raamo considered himself an ordinary Kindar. So it was with astonishment that he learned, at age thirteen, that he had been selected as one of the Chosen—one of only two Kindar children picked each year—destined to become a member of the priestly Ol-zhaan. This surprise was as nothing, however, when he learned from a young Ol-zhaan novitiate named Dol'Neric that all was not well within the order, and within Green-sky in general. For the Spirit skills, long the glory of the Kindar, were waning amongst the people; and the enchanted vine known as Wissenroot, which covered the forest floor far below their arboreal civilization, keeping the monstrous underground Pash-shan at bay, was fading. What could Raamo and Neric do about these great evils? Would they be able to discover what role the mysterious Ol-zhaan secret society known as the Geets-kel had to play in all this, and would Genaa, Raamo's fellow Chosen that year, be an ally or an enemy...?
The first of author Zilpha Keatley Snyder's Green Sky Trilogy—subsequent titles are And All Between and Until the Celebration —Below the Root was first published in 1975, and originated in the imaginative play of two characters in her prior non-fantasy children's novel, The Changeling . The "Green Sky" game played by Martha and Ivy, in that earlier book (published in 1970), also concerned an arboreal civilization beset by evil monsters, and was clearly the seed from which the fully fantastic trilogy grew. While there are key differences between the made-up "Green Sky" of The Changeling and the "real" one in the trilogy, and while it is by no means necessary to have read that earlier book to appreciate the trilogy, I find the connections immensely meaningful, as the earlier book is one of my favorites of all time, and is one I read and reread as a girl. How unfortunate that I did not know of this series at that time, or it might also have been a childhood favorite! It's interesting to note that many other readers discovering this series for the first time as adults approach it through the lens of having played the Below the Root video game, which featured an adventure written by Zilpha Keatley Snyder herself, and which is considered part of Green Sky canon.
Leaving all of that aside, this is an immensely engaging and deeply moving work of fantasy/science fiction for young readers. I have read it once before, but recently reread it, for a group read of the series that I am conducting with friends, and it certainly stood the test of time, and the trial of a reread. I love pretty much everything about it, from the world building—the arboreal life of the Kindar is so magical, and the songs and rituals they use to promote peace and joy within themselves and their society, so beautiful—to the vocabulary and the way it is introduced—sometimes Snyder will explain what a word means, but sometimes she will let the reader figure it out—to the emotional depth of the characters—particularly Raamo's self-reflection and Genaa's deeply buried and unexpressed sorrow and rage at the death of her father at the hands of the Pash-shan—to the story itself. The idea of creating a human civilization free of violence is intriguing, as is the sorrow of discovering that utopias are so frequently built using far from utopian means. I have seen this compared to more contemporary works of dystopian fiction, such as The Hunger Games and Divergent , but of course this came far before those works, and was quite groundbreaking in its day. It differs from such stories in this key regard, which only raises my esteem for it: namely, that it understands the central role of religion to all human societies, and it explores the beauty and power of such belief systems for the believer, as well as the all-too-frequent corruption of those who are in charge of such systems.
Although written in the 1970s, and a product of its time in many ways—the peace and joy and love of the Kindar civilization feels like the fulfillment of the hippie dream, in some sense—in other ways it feels oddly current. I was struck, during this reread, by the parallels between the Kindar civilization and social and political progressives in the western world in this present day. The way in which they both structure their beliefs around ideas of care, benevolence, the avoidance of causing harm; and the way both are built on the suppression of those who have expressed disagreement with them, the ways in which those others are demonized and made into monsters. The parallel truly astonished me, as I read how the Pash-shan haunted the dreams of Raamo and his Kindar brethren, and then thought of the many people I have encountered in this day and age, who are so constantly fixated upon those with whom they disagree, those whom they revile and fear.
As if this strength of storytelling—the ideas expressed and explored, the beautiful language of the text itself, the engrossing character studies, the fascinating world-building—weren't enough, this book is also greatly improved by the gorgeous artwork of illustrator Alton Raible. I understand that many paperback and ebook editions of this title are lacking these beautifully intricate pencil drawings, and that is a great shame, for they add to and complement the sense of magic and mystery to be found throughout. Raible worked on eleven of Zilpha Keatley Snyder's books, and his artwork is always worth looking at, poring over, and enjoying. It's a shame that he doesn't seem to have done any other work within the book world, but the drawings he did for Snyder are certainly an impressive body of work! It's well worth seeking out the original edition of this book, for the sake of this artwork.
In any case, to offer such wonderful storytelling, and to have such powerful social and intellectual relevance, almost fifty years after its publication, speaks to this book's staying power, and to its brilliance. I highly recommend it to any young (or older) reader who enjoys fantasy, science fiction, dystopian fiction, or just thoughtful fiction in general. For my part, I cannot wait to reread the next installment of the series.
The first of author Zilpha Keatley Snyder's Green Sky Trilogy—subsequent titles are And All Between and Until the Celebration —Below the Root was first published in 1975, and originated in the imaginative play of two characters in her prior non-fantasy children's novel, The Changeling . The "Green Sky" game played by Martha and Ivy, in that earlier book (published in 1970), also concerned an arboreal civilization beset by evil monsters, and was clearly the seed from which the fully fantastic trilogy grew. While there are key differences between the made-up "Green Sky" of The Changeling and the "real" one in the trilogy, and while it is by no means necessary to have read that earlier book to appreciate the trilogy, I find the connections immensely meaningful, as the earlier book is one of my favorites of all time, and is one I read and reread as a girl. How unfortunate that I did not know of this series at that time, or it might also have been a childhood favorite! It's interesting to note that many other readers discovering this series for the first time as adults approach it through the lens of having played the Below the Root video game, which featured an adventure written by Zilpha Keatley Snyder herself, and which is considered part of Green Sky canon.
Leaving all of that aside, this is an immensely engaging and deeply moving work of fantasy/science fiction for young readers. I have read it once before, but recently reread it, for a group read of the series that I am conducting with friends, and it certainly stood the test of time, and the trial of a reread. I love pretty much everything about it, from the world building—the arboreal life of the Kindar is so magical, and the songs and rituals they use to promote peace and joy within themselves and their society, so beautiful—to the vocabulary and the way it is introduced—sometimes Snyder will explain what a word means, but sometimes she will let the reader figure it out—to the emotional depth of the characters—particularly Raamo's self-reflection and Genaa's deeply buried and unexpressed sorrow and rage at the death of her father at the hands of the Pash-shan—to the story itself. The idea of creating a human civilization free of violence is intriguing, as is the sorrow of discovering that utopias are so frequently built using far from utopian means. I have seen this compared to more contemporary works of dystopian fiction, such as The Hunger Games and Divergent , but of course this came far before those works, and was quite groundbreaking in its day. It differs from such stories in this key regard, which only raises my esteem for it: namely, that it understands the central role of religion to all human societies, and it explores the beauty and power of such belief systems for the believer, as well as the all-too-frequent corruption of those who are in charge of such systems.
Although written in the 1970s, and a product of its time in many ways—the peace and joy and love of the Kindar civilization feels like the fulfillment of the hippie dream, in some sense—in other ways it feels oddly current. I was struck, during this reread, by the parallels between the Kindar civilization and social and political progressives in the western world in this present day. The way in which they both structure their beliefs around ideas of care, benevolence, the avoidance of causing harm; and the way both are built on the suppression of those who have expressed disagreement with them, the ways in which those others are demonized and made into monsters. The parallel truly astonished me, as I read how the Pash-shan haunted the dreams of Raamo and his Kindar brethren, and then thought of the many people I have encountered in this day and age, who are so constantly fixated upon those with whom they disagree, those whom they revile and fear.
As if this strength of storytelling—the ideas expressed and explored, the beautiful language of the text itself, the engrossing character studies, the fascinating world-building—weren't enough, this book is also greatly improved by the gorgeous artwork of illustrator Alton Raible. I understand that many paperback and ebook editions of this title are lacking these beautifully intricate pencil drawings, and that is a great shame, for they add to and complement the sense of magic and mystery to be found throughout. Raible worked on eleven of Zilpha Keatley Snyder's books, and his artwork is always worth looking at, poring over, and enjoying. It's a shame that he doesn't seem to have done any other work within the book world, but the drawings he did for Snyder are certainly an impressive body of work! It's well worth seeking out the original edition of this book, for the sake of this artwork.
In any case, to offer such wonderful storytelling, and to have such powerful social and intellectual relevance, almost fifty years after its publication, speaks to this book's staying power, and to its brilliance. I highly recommend it to any young (or older) reader who enjoys fantasy, science fiction, dystopian fiction, or just thoughtful fiction in general. For my part, I cannot wait to reread the next installment of the series.
February 1, 2011
This was the first book I ever checked out of the Library. I picked it up purely for the cover, and fell deeply in love with it. A couple of years later I got the Windham Classics video game as a birthday gift, and fell in love with the world all over again, but I came to it already loving the world of Green-Sky.
[Review contains minor to significant spoilers!]
Some people reviewing this book and its sequels recently have criticized their originality and called out their trope of human colonists living a low tech and agrarian lifestyle built on social views popular in the sixties and seventies, who discover the same cultural issues led them to leave earth in the first place and must confront the true origins and technology of their historical founders. Ground that has been covered by Anne McCaffrey, Larry Niven, and others from books to cartoons to Star Trek episodes over the last few decades. Let's be clear here, these books were written in the early 70s and were trope-building. This is where some of those ideas came from.
Children's Literature is often earnest and slightly obvious in it's themes, and that is appropriate for books aimed at developing intellects. It seems odd to criticize a book for not having a level of character or thematic complexity that would be discouraging to its target audience.
The world-building here is first rate. The characters are well drawn within the confines of the world they inhabit, and the storytelling mechanism was original (or at least unusual) for its time.
This is a book (and a series) about social themes, personal responsibility, and taking on the mantle of responsibility for ourselves and the society we are a part of as we grow up. The characters begin with simplistic views about good and bad, right and wrong, and what it means to obey they rules.
Watching the characters discover the realities of oppression, deception by government for the perpetuation of government, and the complicity of those who are ruled accepting negative things happening to others for the sake of the status quo was astounding as an eight-year-old. These are heady concepts, and they were handled deftly at the intellect level of children.
The issues faced by the characters defy simple fixes, and have lasting consequences for themselves and the people that they care about. Lessons about moral and ethical choices, loyalty to friends and societies (and the conflicts between those things), and what happens AFTER we do the "right" thing and who it affects are all lasting lessons that I'm very glad to have discovered in these books.
I can't really recommend Below the Root and its sequels highly enough, and I hope that these classics of children's literature return to print and library shelves. They are timeless, and as a parent of children in the target age group, I haven't found anything better to introduce to my kids.
[Review contains minor to significant spoilers!]
Some people reviewing this book and its sequels recently have criticized their originality and called out their trope of human colonists living a low tech and agrarian lifestyle built on social views popular in the sixties and seventies, who discover the same cultural issues led them to leave earth in the first place and must confront the true origins and technology of their historical founders. Ground that has been covered by Anne McCaffrey, Larry Niven, and others from books to cartoons to Star Trek episodes over the last few decades. Let's be clear here, these books were written in the early 70s and were trope-building. This is where some of those ideas came from.
Children's Literature is often earnest and slightly obvious in it's themes, and that is appropriate for books aimed at developing intellects. It seems odd to criticize a book for not having a level of character or thematic complexity that would be discouraging to its target audience.
The world-building here is first rate. The characters are well drawn within the confines of the world they inhabit, and the storytelling mechanism was original (or at least unusual) for its time.
This is a book (and a series) about social themes, personal responsibility, and taking on the mantle of responsibility for ourselves and the society we are a part of as we grow up. The characters begin with simplistic views about good and bad, right and wrong, and what it means to obey they rules.
Watching the characters discover the realities of oppression, deception by government for the perpetuation of government, and the complicity of those who are ruled accepting negative things happening to others for the sake of the status quo was astounding as an eight-year-old. These are heady concepts, and they were handled deftly at the intellect level of children.
The issues faced by the characters defy simple fixes, and have lasting consequences for themselves and the people that they care about. Lessons about moral and ethical choices, loyalty to friends and societies (and the conflicts between those things), and what happens AFTER we do the "right" thing and who it affects are all lasting lessons that I'm very glad to have discovered in these books.
I can't really recommend Below the Root and its sequels highly enough, and I hope that these classics of children's literature return to print and library shelves. They are timeless, and as a parent of children in the target age group, I haven't found anything better to introduce to my kids.
April 12, 2010
I fell in love with the world of Green Sky when I was only 3 years old. Sounds preposterous, but it's true. I sat watching my dad play the Commodore game by Windham Classics for hours, and hours. By the time I was 4-5 I could beat it myself by memory - but I always would call him at work if I forgot how to load the game (Load "*", 8, 1) hahaha.
When I was old enough, my mom told me the game was based on a trilogy - and so it began.
These will always be my favorite books, period. It even beat out Alice in Wonderland which was my favorite until I finished Below the Root. I didn't even have to finish the other two - I had already found the books that captured my heart.
Neat little fact I became of aware of years later - in the game you can actually hurt people with weapons. I had never tried, and I still haven't. Something I'm proud of to this day. In a letter I received from Zilpha Keatley Snyder, she said she was happy to have created a game where the goal of completion involved no killing.
Even my alias of over 15 years reflects my love of these books =) I was kindarsky on AOL - until the username character limit was increased and I became kindarspirit forever after. People in real life actually call me kindar which is weird, but I am very used to it now ;)
When I was old enough, my mom told me the game was based on a trilogy - and so it began.
These will always be my favorite books, period. It even beat out Alice in Wonderland which was my favorite until I finished Below the Root. I didn't even have to finish the other two - I had already found the books that captured my heart.
Neat little fact I became of aware of years later - in the game you can actually hurt people with weapons. I had never tried, and I still haven't. Something I'm proud of to this day. In a letter I received from Zilpha Keatley Snyder, she said she was happy to have created a game where the goal of completion involved no killing.
Even my alias of over 15 years reflects my love of these books =) I was kindarsky on AOL - until the username character limit was increased and I became kindarspirit forever after. People in real life actually call me kindar which is weird, but I am very used to it now ;)
April 29, 2017
Rereading a beloved childhood favorite as an adult is always risky.
I read Below the Root by Zilpha Keatley Snyder and its sequels over and over and over again as a voracious young SF lover in the early 80’s (and surprisingly was oblivious to the computer game based on the same world). At the time, I was fascinated by the ability of Raamo to read minds, or at least emotions, and swept along by the idea of gliding through the treetops. I was totally immersed in the immediate events and not too concerned by the larger moralizing of the story.
Re-reading as an adult, I keep being struck by the parallels to The Giver.
> The attempt to create a utopia free of violence and pain
> A small group of privileged elites who know the secret
> That these elites commit violence to maintain the innocence of the masses
> The protagonist being chosen to join the elite
Now these items are very common in utopia/dystopia stories, but the similarity is easy to find.
When reading as a child, the many made up words used to create the foreign world of Green Sky, pense instead of telepathy, nid for home-place bower, Ol-zhaan for the priest class, just were accepted without thought. Reading as an adult, the way the wonderfully detailed world is described feels a bit dated and I wasn’t sure that the made-up words added value. Reading as a child, I was also oblivious to certain other details that just jumped out at me this time around, such as the specifics of the special medicine taken the youth halls and what exactly was alluded to by people sharing “close communion.”
Reading today, the minimal character development is grating to my adult eyes. It’s hard to decide if it is intentional because Ms. Snyder was writing for a younger audience or if the much shorter book length in 1975 just didn’t allow the space for the complex internal dialog that we have become accustomed to. But despite the flaws that my adult eyes see, I wish that Below the Root is better known and more widely read.
My memory is that I always preferred the middle book in the trilogy And All Between best. I do intend to continue re-reading to see if that holds, since I was able to pick up all 3 volumes as free ebooks during a big “sale” last year.
I read Below the Root by Zilpha Keatley Snyder and its sequels over and over and over again as a voracious young SF lover in the early 80’s (and surprisingly was oblivious to the computer game based on the same world). At the time, I was fascinated by the ability of Raamo to read minds, or at least emotions, and swept along by the idea of gliding through the treetops. I was totally immersed in the immediate events and not too concerned by the larger moralizing of the story.
Re-reading as an adult, I keep being struck by the parallels to The Giver.
> The attempt to create a utopia free of violence and pain
> A small group of privileged elites who know the secret
> That these elites commit violence to maintain the innocence of the masses
> The protagonist being chosen to join the elite
Now these items are very common in utopia/dystopia stories, but the similarity is easy to find.
When reading as a child, the many made up words used to create the foreign world of Green Sky, pense instead of telepathy, nid for home-place bower, Ol-zhaan for the priest class, just were accepted without thought. Reading as an adult, the way the wonderfully detailed world is described feels a bit dated and I wasn’t sure that the made-up words added value. Reading as a child, I was also oblivious to certain other details that just jumped out at me this time around, such as the specifics of the special medicine taken the youth halls and what exactly was alluded to by people sharing “close communion.”
Reading today, the minimal character development is grating to my adult eyes. It’s hard to decide if it is intentional because Ms. Snyder was writing for a younger audience or if the much shorter book length in 1975 just didn’t allow the space for the complex internal dialog that we have become accustomed to. But despite the flaws that my adult eyes see, I wish that Below the Root is better known and more widely read.
My memory is that I always preferred the middle book in the trilogy And All Between best. I do intend to continue re-reading to see if that holds, since I was able to pick up all 3 volumes as free ebooks during a big “sale” last year.
January 27, 2015
Two stars, which is generous. (Strange, because I remember liking The Egypt Game; Snyder missed the mark here, though, badly.) Despite presenting the reader with an interesting world and some potentially fascinating philosophical questions, this book was SO BORING until the last forty pages, in which everything happens. Beyond the major pacing problems, there was the classic issue of telling-not-showing. I had buckets full of unnecessary background information dumped over me like cold water every three pages, which threw me right out of the narrative. I don't know about you, but when my mom reminds me to "remember the Golden Rule," I don't respond with "yes, mother, you're right" followed by a three-page treatise about the history of kindergarten education in my society.
This book is clearly intended as a coming of age story about a young person (Raamo) who is selected to join an elite group of decision-makers (Ol-zhaan) and learns terrible secrets about the world in which he lives (secret subjugation of free thinkers). There are many notable books in this subgenre written for the same age group that I would recommend instead (The Giver or Zahrah the Windseeker).
Whatever Snyder's intentions, Below the Root reads like a hand-wringing morality play about the dangers of groupthink and standardized tests and how power corrupts. And for a book of only 175 pages, it drags on forever.
This book is clearly intended as a coming of age story about a young person (Raamo) who is selected to join an elite group of decision-makers (Ol-zhaan) and learns terrible secrets about the world in which he lives (secret subjugation of free thinkers). There are many notable books in this subgenre written for the same age group that I would recommend instead (The Giver or Zahrah the Windseeker).
Whatever Snyder's intentions, Below the Root reads like a hand-wringing morality play about the dangers of groupthink and standardized tests and how power corrupts. And for a book of only 175 pages, it drags on forever.
March 14, 2009
The Zilpha Keatly Snyder went up the waterspout....
Just had to get that out of my system
Bought Below the Root and And All Between for Madison from the used bookshop in Napanee over Christmas, and reread them both while I was there. Wish they'd had Until the Celebration; the trilogy needs an ending.
I can't have been much older than Madison when I read them last. 20 years ago? I remembered them vividly. I was a little surprised to find out that they read very much like my memories of them. Often when I reread childhood favourites I find that my imagination filled in details that I remember as if I'd read them, but can't find within the printed pages. Like, well, I can't find an example, but I know it has happened, books that seem so _thin_ on reread.
But these were very like. Only my perspectives had changed.
An interesting comparison with Pamela Dean's Dubious Hills; both are about societies restructured by some long-ago cabal in an attempt to eliminate the potential for violence. There's an unusual theme..
Just had to get that out of my system
Bought Below the Root and And All Between for Madison from the used bookshop in Napanee over Christmas, and reread them both while I was there. Wish they'd had Until the Celebration; the trilogy needs an ending.
I can't have been much older than Madison when I read them last. 20 years ago? I remembered them vividly. I was a little surprised to find out that they read very much like my memories of them. Often when I reread childhood favourites I find that my imagination filled in details that I remember as if I'd read them, but can't find within the printed pages. Like, well, I can't find an example, but I know it has happened, books that seem so _thin_ on reread.
But these were very like. Only my perspectives had changed.
An interesting comparison with Pamela Dean's Dubious Hills; both are about societies restructured by some long-ago cabal in an attempt to eliminate the potential for violence. There's an unusual theme..
July 15, 2012
As a child, this was one of my favorite books. I checked it out several times from the library and knew exactly where it was on the shelf. It's been many years but I still remember the story and think of it when I'm laying in filtered sunshine wondering what it would be like to only get sunshine "below the root".
November 16, 2019
11/16/19 on sale for $1.99 for Kindle.
August 4, 2015
I remember reading this when it first came out. I loved it--my teachers hated it. I really wanted to do a book report presentation on it in speech class, and my teacher really, really didn't want me to--I remember she kept interrupting and criticising to the place I was ready to just quit talking and sit down. At the time I thought it was me; now I think maybe it was the book.
Reading it now at over 50, I can see where the off-the-grid vegetarian Utopian society thing would have upset that particular teacher, in our small rural Midwestern conformist town. I can also see the reason for my own fascination with the story, given that my parents were members of an American pseudo christian cult that emphasised "spiritual ministry" to the place that if you hadn't had a marvellous "experience" you tried to make one happen, or pretend it had. "Healing" was a huge deal in my own family, which might explain my fascination with the character of Raamo, the young boy who wants to be a healer but finds himself forced into another ministry in the Greensky community. He's pleased to be Chosen, but wonders why he can't do what he's good at.
The Snyder Houserules for a Utopian Society
1. Hide your real thoughts and emotions from others at all times, particularly if you are a "spiritual leader".
2. Practice self-hypnosis with song and meditation.
3. Drug the emotions you can't control by ingesting mildly hallucinogenic fruits, which are addictive (of course) and cause "wasting".
4. Live in denial of anything wrong in your world. Avoid anything unpleasant; sing and dance it away, and remind yourself how lucky you are to be safe.
5. Fill your days with imposed rituals to create false "positive" emotions to replace the ones you're hiding.
6. When you realise you don't have a "gift", practice "illusion" (deception) to cover your personal failings. But feel disgraced, because you are! To respond to this negative emotion, see 1-5.
Don't you just wanna go live there? *sarcasm* Looking back it didn't surprise me to discover that the author was California born and bred; this is the quintessential seventies counterculture sludge that gave birth to the "New Age" (sameold Age of Aquarius) of the eighties and nineties. No wonder my teacher hated it. Snyder's fantasy world uses words that are obvious linguistic borrowings from European languages, particularly Germanic ones: the Kindar, the Erdlings, Grundbaum--though there are some French ones as well: "pensing" (a form of mindreading) and "lapans" (little fuzzy bunny-type animals). Then there's "Raamo" himself--a little branch (from the Spanish, ramo) of the old Tree. Snyder also uses the pompous invented vocabulary so dear to the hearts of a certain type of 1970s off-gridder, calling meals "food-taking", etc. How well I remember "nutrition breaks" instead of "snacks"!
As books go, I think I see where the beginning of the series behemoth for YA novels began. This is the first of a trilogy, and gave me the impression that perhaps the author wrote all three tomes as one, and realised or was told that YA readers of the time wouldn't read a book 600+ pages long, so it was split up. That might explain why the end of this volume is simply chopped off in mid-conversation--which annoyed me then, and annoyed me even more now. It's cheating. I found myself skimming through the last chapter, hoping to get to the chase--and there wasn't one. As a kid I devoured Snyder's books, and enjoyed them. This one is not up to her usual standard of writing. Though I've shelved it under "children" I'm not sure it's really for her usual target audience, even though the protagonists are age 14.
The modern edition contains some strange typos, particularly "illusive" (unreal, creating an illusion) instead of "elusive" (quickly disappearing or escaping) which was the word called for by the context.
I will probably read the other two, just to find out what happened. I remember reading part, or possibly all, of vol 2, but I think vol 3 was unavailable to me at the time.
Reading it now at over 50, I can see where the off-the-grid vegetarian Utopian society thing would have upset that particular teacher, in our small rural Midwestern conformist town. I can also see the reason for my own fascination with the story, given that my parents were members of an American pseudo christian cult that emphasised "spiritual ministry" to the place that if you hadn't had a marvellous "experience" you tried to make one happen, or pretend it had. "Healing" was a huge deal in my own family, which might explain my fascination with the character of Raamo, the young boy who wants to be a healer but finds himself forced into another ministry in the Greensky community. He's pleased to be Chosen, but wonders why he can't do what he's good at.
The Snyder Houserules for a Utopian Society
1. Hide your real thoughts and emotions from others at all times, particularly if you are a "spiritual leader".
2. Practice self-hypnosis with song and meditation.
3. Drug the emotions you can't control by ingesting mildly hallucinogenic fruits, which are addictive (of course) and cause "wasting".
4. Live in denial of anything wrong in your world. Avoid anything unpleasant; sing and dance it away, and remind yourself how lucky you are to be safe.
5. Fill your days with imposed rituals to create false "positive" emotions to replace the ones you're hiding.
6. When you realise you don't have a "gift", practice "illusion" (deception) to cover your personal failings. But feel disgraced, because you are! To respond to this negative emotion, see 1-5.
Don't you just wanna go live there? *sarcasm* Looking back it didn't surprise me to discover that the author was California born and bred; this is the quintessential seventies counterculture sludge that gave birth to the "New Age" (sameold Age of Aquarius) of the eighties and nineties. No wonder my teacher hated it. Snyder's fantasy world uses words that are obvious linguistic borrowings from European languages, particularly Germanic ones: the Kindar, the Erdlings, Grundbaum--though there are some French ones as well: "pensing" (a form of mindreading) and "lapans" (little fuzzy bunny-type animals). Then there's "Raamo" himself--a little branch (from the Spanish, ramo) of the old Tree. Snyder also uses the pompous invented vocabulary so dear to the hearts of a certain type of 1970s off-gridder, calling meals "food-taking", etc. How well I remember "nutrition breaks" instead of "snacks"!
As books go, I think I see where the beginning of the series behemoth for YA novels began. This is the first of a trilogy, and gave me the impression that perhaps the author wrote all three tomes as one, and realised or was told that YA readers of the time wouldn't read a book 600+ pages long, so it was split up. That might explain why the end of this volume is simply chopped off in mid-conversation--which annoyed me then, and annoyed me even more now. It's cheating. I found myself skimming through the last chapter, hoping to get to the chase--and there wasn't one. As a kid I devoured Snyder's books, and enjoyed them. This one is not up to her usual standard of writing. Though I've shelved it under "children" I'm not sure it's really for her usual target audience, even though the protagonists are age 14.
The modern edition contains some strange typos, particularly "illusive" (unreal, creating an illusion) instead of "elusive" (quickly disappearing or escaping) which was the word called for by the context.
I will probably read the other two, just to find out what happened. I remember reading part, or possibly all, of vol 2, but I think vol 3 was unavailable to me at the time.
February 3, 2015
I've wanted to read this book for awhile because I had played (but never got very in) the intriguing 8-bit computer game that's based on it. Sadly, seems even just bungling around in that game was a better experience than reading its source material.
The world Synder sets up is interesting enough - a science fantasy dealing with a society that lives in giant trees (think somewhere between Ewok and Elvish sophistication of arboreal house-making and living), a society split into the Kindar who glide from tree to tree using worn 'shuba' wings, and the holy Ol-zhaan who rule over them, both of whom possess varying degrees of 'Spirit' powers - telekinetic and telepathic abilities, and then there's the forbidden forest floor, where the monstrous Pash-shan live. Of course, there's secrets behind this societal set-up that our young protagonist must inevitably uncover.
But the book is constantly undone by *so* much telling instead of showing - it could almost be used as a textbook case of this. Countless infodumps from the characters and the narrator, especially at every major plot turn, that undo any spell the book could have cast.
I am still going to retry the game via emulator, though, to see if it retains any of its magic.
The world Synder sets up is interesting enough - a science fantasy dealing with a society that lives in giant trees (think somewhere between Ewok and Elvish sophistication of arboreal house-making and living), a society split into the Kindar who glide from tree to tree using worn 'shuba' wings, and the holy Ol-zhaan who rule over them, both of whom possess varying degrees of 'Spirit' powers - telekinetic and telepathic abilities, and then there's the forbidden forest floor, where the monstrous Pash-shan live. Of course, there's secrets behind this societal set-up that our young protagonist must inevitably uncover.
But the book is constantly undone by *so* much telling instead of showing - it could almost be used as a textbook case of this. Countless infodumps from the characters and the narrator, especially at every major plot turn, that undo any spell the book could have cast.
I am still going to retry the game via emulator, though, to see if it retains any of its magic.
July 14, 2014
I'm assuming the target audience for this book is the 10 to 13 year olds but it is good enough to be enjoyed by adults.
I hate to call it sweet, but for a large part that is exactly what it was. Raamo and his people live a peaceful, joyous life in the trees and a lot of the book was the descriptions of this life. It wasn't until we were a fair bit into it that we learned that all wasn't as it seemed with this peaceful existence.
This can't really be read as a stand alone - the story just basically stops at a crucial point and you are left wondering what just happened. I checked on the next two installments and figured out that the first is from the viewpoint of the tree-people, the second is from the viewpoint of the people who live underground, and the third is where it all comes together and we finally have a resolution.
I would recommend it to people who enjoy books like The City of Ember, The Giver or The Knife of Never Letting Go.
I hate to call it sweet, but for a large part that is exactly what it was. Raamo and his people live a peaceful, joyous life in the trees and a lot of the book was the descriptions of this life. It wasn't until we were a fair bit into it that we learned that all wasn't as it seemed with this peaceful existence.
This can't really be read as a stand alone - the story just basically stops at a crucial point and you are left wondering what just happened. I checked on the next two installments and figured out that the first is from the viewpoint of the tree-people, the second is from the viewpoint of the people who live underground, and the third is where it all comes together and we finally have a resolution.
I would recommend it to people who enjoy books like The City of Ember, The Giver or The Knife of Never Letting Go.
September 10, 2016
Read it when I was 13 or so (I think this was the first "serious" book I have read in the English language), then re-read it five years later and found that it did not lose any of its magic. It is about people who live in tree tops on a planet with low gravity and giant trees, with houses and other buildings on the branches. It is a utopian (or rather dystopian?) society led by clerics, where violence and anger is unheard of, more or less as a result of indoctrination.
There are stories of fearsome monsters who allegedly inhabit the forest floor, and people are forbidden even to look at the ground. In the end a young and curious boy discovers that the forest floor is inhabited not by monsters, but by people alike them, cast out and banished from their society - and he ends up questioning all he has been taught.
There are stories of fearsome monsters who allegedly inhabit the forest floor, and people are forbidden even to look at the ground. In the end a young and curious boy discovers that the forest floor is inhabited not by monsters, but by people alike them, cast out and banished from their society - and he ends up questioning all he has been taught.
November 20, 2019
I liked the idea for this book, but unfortunately there's too much telling the reader and not enough showing. This meant I never really felt involved in the book - the whole way through it felt like the start of a book where authors often info dump worldbuilding information. This wasn't helped by the fact that that not much happens until halfway through the book. Things suddenly pick up and then you've hit the end, just when it feels like it's got underway.
June 23, 2022
the writyng style is really excellent, very good and awesome.
July 20, 2015
I had never heard of this book or this series or even this author until a good friend of mine mentioned doing her zillionth re-read of this beloved piece of her childhood. Since of course I needed to understand her book love, she loaned me this first volume and I settled in for a discovery.
I despaired, at first, because it took me a while to get into this. Snyder makes no apologies about her world-building, which is great in the sense that it's very solid and detailed world-building and frustrating in the sense that it took me a minute to figure out what kind of world was actually being built. I also found the characters rather flat at the beginning as they are assembled to create the main set-up necessary for the plot.
But then the plot kicks in with a vengeance, and from there I was very interested indeed. I'm glad I stuck with it, because this is a great story of the perils of hiding from fear and the unknown; it's not so much that the plot twists are surprising (although the reality of who the Kindar came from definitely was) because the main plot separation has been used several times since the publication of this. But the imagination and somewhat ethereal nature of this story draw you in almost without you realizing it. It ends up being a bit of a mash-up of "Demolition Man," "Fern Gully," and "Planet of the Apes," except I think it predates all of those (maybe not "Planet").
Thing, though: be sure to have the second book nearby for when you finish this. That cliffhanger is fierce.
I despaired, at first, because it took me a while to get into this. Snyder makes no apologies about her world-building, which is great in the sense that it's very solid and detailed world-building and frustrating in the sense that it took me a minute to figure out what kind of world was actually being built. I also found the characters rather flat at the beginning as they are assembled to create the main set-up necessary for the plot.
But then the plot kicks in with a vengeance, and from there I was very interested indeed. I'm glad I stuck with it, because this is a great story of the perils of hiding from fear and the unknown; it's not so much that the plot twists are surprising (although the reality of who the Kindar came from definitely was) because the main plot separation has been used several times since the publication of this. But the imagination and somewhat ethereal nature of this story draw you in almost without you realizing it. It ends up being a bit of a mash-up of "Demolition Man," "Fern Gully," and "Planet of the Apes," except I think it predates all of those (maybe not "Planet").
Thing, though: be sure to have the second book nearby for when you finish this. That cliffhanger is fierce.
March 22, 2023
Leave it to The Amazing Zilpha to create a fantasy world so unique and unfamiliar, yet so engaging! The worldbuilding of Green-Sky never overwhelms the story, but instead is deftly woven into it. It can't be easy to construct a believable high fantasy setting without slowing the plot to a crawl, but ZKS somehow did it.
The arboreal world of the Kindar has so many clever details that never would have occurred to me. Fire isn't used because it naturally does not mix well with wood and leaves, and metal is alien to the Kindar because they have no stone from which to extract ore. It is implied that . This makes it pretty fun to look for other clues. One thing I noticed was a lot of names that were very similar to various nature-related words. Here is my list so far:
Raamo: "rama" is Spanish for "branch"
Valdo: "wald"(pronounced "vald") is German for "forest"
Pomma: "pomme", French for "apple"
Hearba: "hierba", Spanish for "grass"
Baya: Spanish for "berry"
Orbora: sounds like arbor or arboreal
Ciela: "cielo" is Spanish for "sky"
Haba: Spanish for "bean"
I did guess the main plot twist quite early on, but it is still a good twist in spite of that, so I have no complaints on that point. And there will doubtless be more surprises(good and bad alike) in the rest of the trilogy!
The arboreal world of the Kindar has so many clever details that never would have occurred to me. Fire isn't used because it naturally does not mix well with wood and leaves, and metal is alien to the Kindar because they have no stone from which to extract ore. It is implied that . This makes it pretty fun to look for other clues. One thing I noticed was a lot of names that were very similar to various nature-related words. Here is my list so far:
Raamo: "rama" is Spanish for "branch"
Valdo: "wald"(pronounced "vald") is German for "forest"
Pomma: "pomme", French for "apple"
Hearba: "hierba", Spanish for "grass"
Baya: Spanish for "berry"
Orbora: sounds like arbor or arboreal
Ciela: "cielo" is Spanish for "sky"
Haba: Spanish for "bean"
I did guess the main plot twist quite early on, but it is still a good twist in spite of that, so I have no complaints on that point. And there will doubtless be more surprises(good and bad alike) in the rest of the trilogy!
June 5, 2016
I just reread this, the first book in an awesome fantasy trilogy for children or young adults. It surprises me that this trilogy has never been that well-known or popular. It deals with serious themes: how a society might choose to rebuild after war and chaos; what happens when a corrupt government exists to sustain itself; how the average person will cling to the status quo, even if that means turning a blind eye to evil actions. There are similarities to The Giver, but this trilogy preceded The Giver by a couple of decades, I think. Actually, there are probably similarities to tons of works -- I'm also thinking of the Fifth Season, which was published last year... and I don't even read much in this genre. This trilogy precedes all of that, maybe even set the standard for addressing these issues. The world-building is top-notch; I've had a clear picture of the Kindar way of life that has stayed with me since I first read the series.
July 11, 2023
Loved this series as a tween, rereading it now and still really drawn to the atmosphere of the world ZKS created, as well as the moral issues. It's very much 70s forest sff but I love that aesthetic, and there's some LeGuin influence for sure (one thing in particular). My biggest feeling is this really ought to be adapted into a limited series or 3 season show by one of the streamers because it could be beautifully rendered and have deeper exploration. (I'm doing a vague review because I think giving away too much of the story spoils it)
February 28, 2022
This is a really great book. I had always wanted to read it and then once I started listening to The Story of Simon Simopath by the UK band Nirvana and the album reminded me of this book, so I picked it back up after putting it down for years. Truly a great, whimsical read.
May 19, 2012
I enjoyed this beautiful world and these interesting characters :)
July 19, 2021
I was disappointed in this series because it wasn't what I expected from reading The Changeling by the same author. It The Changeling is set in contemporary (~1970) California in the real world, but Ivy and Martha play imagination games about the heroine Princess Wisteria and the usurper Queen Oleander in the Land of Green Sky, a planet whose gravity is so light people can wear special garments and glide like flying squirrels. This trilogy that starts with Below the Root is called Green Sky and it IS set on that planet, but there are no queens nor princesses. Despite my disappointment, it's still worth reading.
The society that does live in the Land of Green Sky features implausibly well-functioning socialism (though not labelled as such), considers violence so horrible there are no (polite) words for it, and uses rituals to keep people focused on Peace, Joy, and Love. They are ovovegetarians and allow free love for the young (and the priestly class, oddly.) There are also gifts of the Spirit (not to be confused with Christian meanings of that phrase) like reading each other's thoughts and telekinesis, though these gifts seem to be fading away from the population. Some people chew a soothing berry if they aren't able to feel Peace. The leaders prescribe a young person's career and no one seems to complain about it.
So what's wrong with this utopia? Only that the ruling priests lie to the people about both the past and the present - in order to protect them. Those who persistently ask too many questions or find out things they aren't supposed to know are apt to vanish. These disappearances are blamed on the monstrous Pash-shan who live below the magical Root of the Wissenvine which contains them in underground dens. It's not quite clear whether they eat the vanished ones or enslave them.
The story focuses on three young people newly appointed to the priesthood and their unsettling discoveries, and on a child found on the forest, apparently escaped from the Pash-shan.
Although this is the first of a trilogy it ends reasonably well, in a victory for truth, though it seems fragile to me.
Note that this book and its sequels are clean, except for a brief and very vague mention in this one of shifting love affairs in the co-ed youth halls (where the young people are fed contraceptives daily). This would probably go right over the heads of most young kids. We don't hear about any specific love affairs - there's not even any kissing. Most people past their mid 20s seem to be in monogamous pair bonds.
The society that does live in the Land of Green Sky features implausibly well-functioning socialism (though not labelled as such), considers violence so horrible there are no (polite) words for it, and uses rituals to keep people focused on Peace, Joy, and Love. They are ovovegetarians and allow free love for the young (and the priestly class, oddly.) There are also gifts of the Spirit (not to be confused with Christian meanings of that phrase) like reading each other's thoughts and telekinesis, though these gifts seem to be fading away from the population. Some people chew a soothing berry if they aren't able to feel Peace. The leaders prescribe a young person's career and no one seems to complain about it.
So what's wrong with this utopia? Only that the ruling priests lie to the people about both the past and the present - in order to protect them. Those who persistently ask too many questions or find out things they aren't supposed to know are apt to vanish. These disappearances are blamed on the monstrous Pash-shan who live below the magical Root of the Wissenvine which contains them in underground dens. It's not quite clear whether they eat the vanished ones or enslave them.
The story focuses on three young people newly appointed to the priesthood and their unsettling discoveries, and on a child found on the forest, apparently escaped from the Pash-shan.
Although this is the first of a trilogy it ends reasonably well, in a victory for truth, though it seems fragile to me.
Note that this book and its sequels are clean, except for a brief and very vague mention in this one of shifting love affairs in the co-ed youth halls (where the young people are fed contraceptives daily). This would probably go right over the heads of most young kids. We don't hear about any specific love affairs - there's not even any kissing. Most people past their mid 20s seem to be in monogamous pair bonds.
May 31, 2018
This is a young adult novel with a unique setting, an interesting premise, an unexpected blending of genre, and a severe pacing problem.
It would seem that the Green Sky trilogy began life as a much bigger work, split into chunks down the line, and it shows. I'd have a hard time picturing younger folks being able to sit through this, for a variety of reasons. I think there's an excellent story fighting its way out, so I'll run down some of its finer points--which tend to be a double-edged sword:
The setting's use of "Pensing", signature shuba gliders, and non-violent communal concepts are colorful, but come at the cost of flat characters. They really do seem as though they need another book or two to level out. That said, Raamo's inciting conflict--of being forced into an unwanted "chosen" position instead of what he likes and is good at--is an intriguing prospect that helps push the story forward. As for the rest, I really couldn't tell you.
The plot itself is actually not bad on paper, being more about sleuthing and unraveling a conspiracy than about wisecracking or action. The issue is, given the premise (the characters exist in a society where they literally don't know the meaning of "war"), there is very little tangible conflict over the book. Without some kind of 'tilt' the story begins to drag before long. There is an excellent standoff near the book's finale, which uses these concepts (pensing, war, etc.) together in a memorable fashion: in effect, a standoff minus the standoff. It's really something, and for me made the book worth a look.
The pensing dynamic, pastoral community, and even the forested world give this a strong hippie vibe, and that's probably no accident. I didn't find it off-putting, but I wouldn't call it subtle.
All in all, there is minimal activity in the book, and it's surprisingly long for how little it provides. In the younger crowd, I could see its inventions stirring the imagination, but I could also see its shonky pace as a serious test of patience.
It would seem that the Green Sky trilogy began life as a much bigger work, split into chunks down the line, and it shows. I'd have a hard time picturing younger folks being able to sit through this, for a variety of reasons. I think there's an excellent story fighting its way out, so I'll run down some of its finer points--which tend to be a double-edged sword:
The setting's use of "Pensing", signature shuba gliders, and non-violent communal concepts are colorful, but come at the cost of flat characters. They really do seem as though they need another book or two to level out. That said, Raamo's inciting conflict--of being forced into an unwanted "chosen" position instead of what he likes and is good at--is an intriguing prospect that helps push the story forward. As for the rest, I really couldn't tell you.
The plot itself is actually not bad on paper, being more about sleuthing and unraveling a conspiracy than about wisecracking or action. The issue is, given the premise (the characters exist in a society where they literally don't know the meaning of "war"), there is very little tangible conflict over the book. Without some kind of 'tilt' the story begins to drag before long. There is an excellent standoff near the book's finale, which uses these concepts (pensing, war, etc.) together in a memorable fashion: in effect, a standoff minus the standoff. It's really something, and for me made the book worth a look.
The pensing dynamic, pastoral community, and even the forested world give this a strong hippie vibe, and that's probably no accident. I didn't find it off-putting, but I wouldn't call it subtle.
All in all, there is minimal activity in the book, and it's surprisingly long for how little it provides. In the younger crowd, I could see its inventions stirring the imagination, but I could also see its shonky pace as a serious test of patience.
June 9, 2019
My name is Raamo, and I don't understand why I was Chosen. I'm just an average Kindar teen, so how did I get selected to be an Ol-zhann, one of the wise rulers of Green-Sky? Maybe it's because I haven't lost my Spirit-skills like most of the other citizens. I'm worried about my sister's health, as she seems to be withering and slowly fading away. I'll receive some training as a Healer, so maybe I'll be able to help her. However, someone has been speaking to me through our minds, but I don't know who it might be or why they're contacting me. This just adds to my confusion. I'm learning that my former classmates might have been encouraged to be deceitful during their training, and the Ol-zhann or harboring secrets. I never could have imagined the shocking truth.
It was clear early on that a conspiracy would be revealed regarding the governing of the Kindars. The setting of the story takes place among the trees in a dense forest. The characters are humanish and spread their clothing to glide between the branches. You should recognize references to technology from our culture. The forest floor is feared, as stories are told about certain death dooming anyone falling down there. The Pash-shan are almost mythical, evil creatures, because none of the Kindars have survived to report about seeing them. Things like that immediately get my mind wondering about the truth. Life in Green-Sky is all about peace and kindness to the point that a word like "killing" is treated like the greatest offense and profanity. Raamo's curiosity gets him into trouble, although the mysterious mind-speaker gets him started. The book shares deep messages about government and social differences. Should citizens be told the truth if it might upset the foundation of the society's beliefs? Leaders are supposed to look out for the welfare of the citizens, but what if the citizens are unaware of the issues in the first place? The book has a dystopian feel to it, and I think I'll probably read the sequel. If you're looking for a short book about government conspiracy, give it a shot.
It was clear early on that a conspiracy would be revealed regarding the governing of the Kindars. The setting of the story takes place among the trees in a dense forest. The characters are humanish and spread their clothing to glide between the branches. You should recognize references to technology from our culture. The forest floor is feared, as stories are told about certain death dooming anyone falling down there. The Pash-shan are almost mythical, evil creatures, because none of the Kindars have survived to report about seeing them. Things like that immediately get my mind wondering about the truth. Life in Green-Sky is all about peace and kindness to the point that a word like "killing" is treated like the greatest offense and profanity. Raamo's curiosity gets him into trouble, although the mysterious mind-speaker gets him started. The book shares deep messages about government and social differences. Should citizens be told the truth if it might upset the foundation of the society's beliefs? Leaders are supposed to look out for the welfare of the citizens, but what if the citizens are unaware of the issues in the first place? The book has a dystopian feel to it, and I think I'll probably read the sequel. If you're looking for a short book about government conspiracy, give it a shot.
July 17, 2024
As a child, I loved playing the computer game Below the Root. It was so mysterious and beautiful, with complex NPCs whose actions changed depending on which main character you chose to play. I’ve hunted this game down and have been able to play it again using a DOS emulator. Imagine my surprise when as an adult I discovered it was based on this book/series! I had to hunt it down and read it.
Almost impossible to find for purchase for less than $40 a book, I was thrilled to find this available digitally from my local library. Hooray for public libraries!
This book was phenomenal. There’s so much going on at so many levels. At a basic level this is a coming of age YA adventure/quest, with an unlikely hero and his friends. At deeper levels, the book tackles things like social issues, ideological (and ethnic/cultural) division, political corruption, corporate vs individual responsibility, how to bring about needed change in a real and lasting way that does the most good/least harm. Deep things for a “children’s” book.
Having each character tell their own story as part of the narrative kept things engaging while filling in backstory and moving the plot forward. As each new character was introduced and their backstory shared, I instantly recalled their character from the computer game and it made the universe come alive even more. It also shows the reader that sharing our stories and listening to others’ stories has the power to transform our thoughts and beliefs (without the author having to explicitly state it). Conversely, the predicament the characters find themselves in also shows that those in power can craft and share their version of a story to attain their own ends. Storytelling has power to transform. What stories do we tell and why, and are they true, beneficial, harmful? That is a timeless question.
Lovely book. Can’t wait to see what happens in the next installment.
Almost impossible to find for purchase for less than $40 a book, I was thrilled to find this available digitally from my local library. Hooray for public libraries!
This book was phenomenal. There’s so much going on at so many levels. At a basic level this is a coming of age YA adventure/quest, with an unlikely hero and his friends. At deeper levels, the book tackles things like social issues, ideological (and ethnic/cultural) division, political corruption, corporate vs individual responsibility, how to bring about needed change in a real and lasting way that does the most good/least harm. Deep things for a “children’s” book.
Having each character tell their own story as part of the narrative kept things engaging while filling in backstory and moving the plot forward. As each new character was introduced and their backstory shared, I instantly recalled their character from the computer game and it made the universe come alive even more. It also shows the reader that sharing our stories and listening to others’ stories has the power to transform our thoughts and beliefs (without the author having to explicitly state it). Conversely, the predicament the characters find themselves in also shows that those in power can craft and share their version of a story to attain their own ends. Storytelling has power to transform. What stories do we tell and why, and are they true, beneficial, harmful? That is a timeless question.
Lovely book. Can’t wait to see what happens in the next installment.
Read
December 30, 2020Cross-posted from my blog where there's more information on where I got my copy and links and everything.
This was freaking weird. But that’s probably most likely a me thing more than anything. This kind of science fiction is just not really my thing and this one didn’t do much to sway me that way. However, I did research into this as well, and it was quite popular. There was even a video game made based on these which was apparently pretty good and somewhat unique in its features at the time.
And it has also been re-released on Kindle in 2012, which is probably really great for anyone who loved the books as a kid and wants to re-read them or just have them in their collection. They have cool covers, and they’re only about 6 dollars which is probably what you’d spend buying a used copy unless you happened to find one specifically.
This is just really a me thing. This has a bit of a Giver or Chrysalids vibe, and I totally get people liking these, remembering them fondly, and even liking them now, but I just wasn’t into it. I’ve enjoyed a lot of books from Snyder, and I would totally read more as an adult, but this one’s not just for me. I’m not even going to rate it, because it’s so much a “not for me” book that it wouldn’t be fair.
Don’t let my opinion stop you if you think this sounds interesting. I’m gonna pass this one along and hope it finds a home with someone who likes this genre a bit more.
This was freaking weird. But that’s probably most likely a me thing more than anything. This kind of science fiction is just not really my thing and this one didn’t do much to sway me that way. However, I did research into this as well, and it was quite popular. There was even a video game made based on these which was apparently pretty good and somewhat unique in its features at the time.
And it has also been re-released on Kindle in 2012, which is probably really great for anyone who loved the books as a kid and wants to re-read them or just have them in their collection. They have cool covers, and they’re only about 6 dollars which is probably what you’d spend buying a used copy unless you happened to find one specifically.
This is just really a me thing. This has a bit of a Giver or Chrysalids vibe, and I totally get people liking these, remembering them fondly, and even liking them now, but I just wasn’t into it. I’ve enjoyed a lot of books from Snyder, and I would totally read more as an adult, but this one’s not just for me. I’m not even going to rate it, because it’s so much a “not for me” book that it wouldn’t be fair.
Don’t let my opinion stop you if you think this sounds interesting. I’m gonna pass this one along and hope it finds a home with someone who likes this genre a bit more.
December 29, 2021
My older sister and I used to play an eerily enchanting video game on the Commodore 64 in the mid-80s called Below the Root. I think I mostly watched my sister play because she knew what she was doing and I was a bit young for it. The game had such a unique aesthetic (characters gliding through a forest of enormous trees) and it generated such strange feelings in me that it has stayed with me through the years. I noticed this book cover in a used bookstore recently and was surprised to find that this strange game was based on a 1975 Lois Lowry-esque book. I ended up enjoying the book though it wasn't super compelling.
April 7, 2022
I probably would have loved this as a kid, since I was a big fantasy fan, and the weirder the better. But now I’m less impressed by made-up words (“food-taking” instead of meals? Really?) and strange names, and I’m tired of the dystopian plot in which there’s a lovely society but nothing is as it seems, the rulers who are in on the secret scare the people into compliance and commit violence to protect their perfect little society, etc. I’ve seen The Village. That’s enough for me. Did not finish.
May 14, 2025
Middle school age trilogy with a message for our current time. This is fantasy story about a dysfunctional society that very much mirrors the divisions in the U. S. at the time the story was written in 1975 and today in 2025. One group has subjugated another group for their own gain, but the society is now suffering as a result. In the first book of the trilogy, three young adventurers come together from very different backgrounds and discover the division and plan to solve the problem. On to book 2, And All Between.
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