The Wikkeling, by Steve Arnston
Welcome to Addition, a city of the future where the focus is to keep everyone safe and supervised. Children are monitored by computers even when they sleep. School Competency Testing can deem children "Finished," resigning them to a life of garbage collecting. "Don't Walk" signs show photos of dead pedestrians. Cars not only provide directions, but they also play nonstop advertisements. There are almost no books. There are no animals. Everything is new, clean, modern, efficient, and above all else, safe.
This is the world in which Henrietta lives. Henrietta is rather disliked at her school, lives in an old model house, and has debilitating headaches. But suddenly, everything starts getting a little more interesting. She makes two friends, Gary and Rose, who also suffer from mysterious headaches. She is given a book, The Bestiary, which has descriptions and drawings of various creatures, from the Autumn Bat to the Pulchritude Hound. She discovers a Wild Housecat living in her attic, and must nurse him/her (they name the animal Mister Lady) back to health. The children dicover that time in Addition stands still while they are in the attic, and the windows from that room look out into the past. And most mysterious and frightening of all, they are being chased by the Wikkeling, a waxy, yellow creature who flickers sporadically into their world, and whose long fingers cause their headaches. And so the mystery builds as the children realize they must figure out how all of the pieces fit together before the Wikkeling reaches them.
First time author Steve Arnston creates an intriguing and truly creepy dystopian novel for the middle grade set. There is no evil source at play here- just a version of reality where technology combined with fear and the drive for efficiency has taken over. His vision of the future is tied enough to current realities, both in technology and educational testing, that it is not a huge leap for readers to buy in. The characters are well-developed down to the last detail. From the teacher concerned with the class's statistics to Rose's secretly squatting family who runs their own underground library servicing the mysterious and dilapidated Old City (Addition adjacent), each character serves to provide a little more insight into the world Arnston creates and a backdrop to the children's adventure.
Finally, the real kicker- excellent writing. Arnston delivers this dystopian adventure with sharp writing and even sharper humor. Literary, creepy, well-developed and hilarious, this is a great handsell.
Is it a Newbery contender? That's a more difficult call- the book contains fantastic black and white drawing that contribute mightily to the creepy factor. Also, The Bestiary book is handwritten and illustrated. Only text can be considered by the Newbery Committee. I could be convinced, however, that the writing is indeed strong enough to stand alone. The real issue is that while some explanation is eventually given regarding the Wikkeling's identity and origin, there are some loose ends that most certainly demand a sequel. A Newbery can only be given to a standalone work. While there is resolution in The Wikkeling regarding plot, is it satisfying and complete enough to garner a Newbery? Read it and decide for yourself. One thing is certain. It is worth your time.
Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0
