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rachelmanija Jul. 2nd, 2010 11:06 pm)
rachelmanija Jul. 2nd, 2010 11:06 pm)A classic psychic kids novel which I somehow failed to read until now.
Tony, who is telekinetic, and Tia, who can talk to animals, open locks, and has perfect recall - but can't speak - are brother and sister psychic orphans, hated and feared by a world that doesn't understand them, and pursued by the parts of the world that understand them all too well. They flee an evil orphanage, are helped by an athletic Irish priest (who looks like a zombie trying to conceal his undead state with way too much eyeliner in the illustrations), rescue bears, and seek their origins.
I've liked some of Key's other books better - this was a bit unsubtle and slight, with a seriously rickety plot, though it did have one good twist at the end (why Tia can't speak.)
Sadly, the best bits consisted of unintentional comedy:
A cold finger of doubt crept suddenly into Tony's mind.
That reminds me of the classic "And then the hand of fate stepped in."
When Tony and Tia explain how their uncle died in a revolution and plaintively ask why people are violent and cruel, the kindly Irish priest explains, "Because human rights and human suffering mean nothing to a communist."
Five pages later, Tony and Tia explain about how their people managed things, without money, greed, or conflict. The kindly Irish priest says, "Imagine! A small group, advanced far beyond the idea of personal profit, coming to a greedy commercial world..." He rhapsodizes on in this vein for some time, unaware that he seems to be describing... communists!
No, I've never seen the movie.
Escape to Witch Mountain
Tony, who is telekinetic, and Tia, who can talk to animals, open locks, and has perfect recall - but can't speak - are brother and sister psychic orphans, hated and feared by a world that doesn't understand them, and pursued by the parts of the world that understand them all too well. They flee an evil orphanage, are helped by an athletic Irish priest (who looks like a zombie trying to conceal his undead state with way too much eyeliner in the illustrations), rescue bears, and seek their origins.
I've liked some of Key's other books better - this was a bit unsubtle and slight, with a seriously rickety plot, though it did have one good twist at the end (why Tia can't speak.)
Sadly, the best bits consisted of unintentional comedy:
A cold finger of doubt crept suddenly into Tony's mind.
That reminds me of the classic "And then the hand of fate stepped in."
When Tony and Tia explain how their uncle died in a revolution and plaintively ask why people are violent and cruel, the kindly Irish priest explains, "Because human rights and human suffering mean nothing to a communist."
Five pages later, Tony and Tia explain about how their people managed things, without money, greed, or conflict. The kindly Irish priest says, "Imagine! A small group, advanced far beyond the idea of personal profit, coming to a greedy commercial world..." He rhapsodizes on in this vein for some time, unaware that he seems to be describing... communists!
No, I've never seen the movie.
Escape to Witch Mountain
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Mind you, I suspect "psychic orphans on the run" hits enough of my narrative kinks that I'd still enjoy a reread, but it's nice when one's not reading in spite of the prose.
I at one point read a novelization of the movie sequel, without realizing that it wasn't in fact by Alexander Key, and was vastly disappointed by the downturn in quality. Tia can speak now! There are evil doctors! And a psychic goat! And hijinks with a telekinesis-powered schoolbus full of Tia's pet truants! I kind of think I'd find it awesomely cracktastic now.