LitPick Review
Lozen is a Killer of Enemies. She is a hired hand for the Ones, the four rulers who run Haven. Lozen's job is to kill the monsters that lurk outside of Haven's protective wall. The only thing is, Lozen has to do it if she wants the Ones to let her family live. They already killed her Uncle and Father. Lozen has special powers that help her fight the monsters, and her captors.
Opinion:
Killer of Enemies was fearsome and full of the best action I have ever read.
The Plot:
As Lozen spends most of her time hunting the monsters, I found it really hard to see where the plot was developing. As the story progressed though, the plot became detectable and riveting. This book was like nothing I've ever read. Compared to most YA literature, this book was like the giant ravenous, blood thirsty raven compared to a normal raven. Yes, most of the story was spent away from people, Lozen was never a boring narrator The story progresses on to the point where Lozen realizes she has to get her family out of there or else they will all be killed. That really raises the stakes and made the book even more suspenseful.
The Characters:
Lozen was a lonely one, so we didn't really get to see the development of anyone but her. Even as she is portrayed as a super girl, she is not stronger than the rest of her family. All the characters seemed to have changed with their world. The Ones were very interesting, especially the Dreamer, who holds secrets that Lozen could never imagine.
The Standout:
The best part about Killer Of Enemies was the action. It was gripping and interesting. Joseph Bruchac made a web of words that no one can escape. Every time Lozen flew through the air while firing a gun, I wanted to jump up and down pumping my fist. The monsters were kick-butt. It was a beefed up western. Also, the Apache history and culture integrated into this book is beautiful. Lozen retells stories from Apache past, and really takes pride in her heritage. Never before has anyone written a story like this.
The Moral:
The Moral of this story is how hard decisions are always there, and even when the world seems dead there is still good people out there. The story was completely appropriate for it's intended Young Adult age group. There was only a little bit of well intended swearing.