Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Title: Steelheart
Author: Brandon Sanderson
ISBN: 9780385743570
Publisher: Ember
Copyright Date: 2013
Genre: Science Fiction; Dystopian Future

About the Author:
Brandon Sanderson was born in 1975 in Lincoln, Nebraska. As a child Brandon enjoyed reading, but he lost interest in the types of titles often suggested to him, and by junior high he never cracked a book if he could help it. This changed when an eighth grade teacher gave him Dragonsbane by Barbara Hambly.
Brandon was working on his thirteenth novel when Moshe Feder at Tor Books bought the sixth he had written. Tor has published Elantris , the Mistborn trilogy and its followup The Alloy of Law , Warbreaker , and The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance , the first two in the planned ten-volume series The Stormlight Archive. He was chosen to complete Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series; 2009’s The Gathering Storm and 2010’s Towers of Midnight were followed by the final book in the series, A Memory of Light , in January 2013. Four books in his middle-grade Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians series were released by Scholastic, and his novella Infinity Blade Awakening was an ebook bestseller for Epic Games accompanying their acclaimed Infinity Blade iOS video game series. Two more novellas, Legion and The Emperor s Soul , were released by Subterranean Press and Tachyon Publications in 2012, and 2013 brought two young adult novels, The Rithmatist from Tor and Steelheart from Delacorte.
The only author to make the short list for the David Gemmell Legend Award six times in four years, Brandon won that award in 2011 for The Way of Kings. The Emperor’s Soul won the 2013 Hugo Award for Best Novella. He has appeared on the New York Times Best-Seller List multiple times, with five novels hitting the #1 spot.
Currently living in Utah with his wife and children, Brandon teaches creative writing at Brigham Young University. 
Goodreads. Brandon Sanderson. http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/38550.Brandon_Sanderson.

Curriculum Ties:
  • Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
  • Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.
  • Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. 
Plot Summary:
Steelheart begins with the introduction of super powered people. However, these are not superheroes. They take what they want and they kill who they want, and there is nothing that the government or anybody can do about it. David finds this out early in life, when Steelheart, a seemingly invincible super tyrant, kills David’s father. However, before David’s father dies, he shoots Steelheart and Steelheart bleeds. David now knows that Steelheart can be killed, and he decides to devote his life to studying “epics” and finding a way to kill Steelheart. Ten years after this original event, David meets a team of people who are working to kill and stop the epics. They are called the Reckoners, and with their amazing technology, David has a chance to finally make his dream a reality. Unfortunately, things aren’t easy, even with a team at his back. He will still have to struggle to kill multiple epics and fight through police forces hunting him, before he will have a chance to kill Steelheart. 

Critical Evaluation:
Steelheart features a plot centered around revenge. The main character, David, is looking to kill the man who killed his father, which makes the story about him training and learning about his opponent, fairly typical. However, new aspects are brought to the story with the dystopian future, where everyone who gets super powers becomes evil, and Chicago is plunged into perpetual night. The plot also evolves as the story goes on, with elements of romance and David’s realization that he needs to learn to do something bigger than just commit revenge. This is brought to David’s attention by Abraham, who brings up that they will have to figure out how to run the city if they kill it’s ruler. There are also a number of varied, strong supporting characters in this story. The Reckoners, as a group, have a number of varied characters, like Abraham, who was a cop, and the Professor, who was once a high school teacher. These characters add to the story with their insights and personalities. Steelheart is the first of a trilogy. 

Readers Annotation:
Epics, men and women with superpowers but no morals, rule the world, with Steelheart being one of the most powerful of them. But Steelheart has made a mistake. He killed David's father, and David is going to get his revenge, no matter the cost.

Book Talking Ideas:

  • Talk about the Epics and their powers. Look for peoples reactions to the Epics and their powers.
  • Talk about the first experience David had with Steelheart killing David's father. What would you do to get revenge?
Reading Level/Interest Age: 10-18

Challenge Issues:
  • There is extensive violence, including the murder of the main character's father in the opening sequence.
  • There is some minor cursing. 
Defense Collection:
  • On the heels of his YA debut, The Rithmatist, Sanderson opens another series for teens with an ultraviolent yet playful entry into the superhero genre. More than a decade ago, a mysterious event known as Calamity created Epics—powerful beings straight out of the comics, complete with both incredible abilities (invulnerability, illusion, transmutation) and silly weaknesses (smoke, UV light, being attacked by someone exactly 37 years old). Thus far, the Epics appear to be wholly corrupt, with villains rising up to subjugate humans and take over the world. David’s father was killed by a ruthless Epic named Steelheart , and David, now 18, has waited 10 years for revenge, certain that he holds the key to Steelheart ’s weakness. Hooking up with a ragtag group of rebel Epic-killers, David and crew knock off Steelheart ’s subordinates and lure him out. Although readers may not be surprised at the twists that arise, the near-constant action, Sanderson’s whiz-bang imaginings, and a fully realized sense of danger (the brutal opening scene alone will hook many) make this an absolute page-turner. Ages 12–up. Agent: Eddie Schneider, JABberwocky Literary Agency. (Sept.) --Staff (Reviewed July 15, 2013) (Publishers Weekly, vol 260, issue 28, p)
  • Gr 8 Up — This fun, fast-paced, futuristic science-fiction superhero story is the first in a projected series. When David was six, an unexplained explosion in the sky caused perpetual darkness and ordinary people to gain supernatural powers. These people became known as Epics. Two years later, in a bank in what was once Chicago, now called Newcago, David witnessed Steelheart , one of the most powerful Epics of all, murder his father. In the 10 years since his father's death, David has made it his mission to learn all he can about Epics. Everyone thinks they are invincible, but he knows otherwise. He knows that each one has a weakness, and he's seen Steelheart's . Steelheart  can bleed. David intends to get his revenge. A cowed populace accepts the fact that Epics control their lives and the strongest among them are in a constant battle for dominance. Only one shadowy group of ordinary humans called the Reckoners dare fight to eliminate them. David persuades the Reckoners to let him join their ranks after proving he has unique knowledge about Epics. This enjoyable read focuses more on action than character development and is perfect for genre fans who love exciting adventure stories with surprising plot twists. Readers will be rooting for David, a super geek with a love of weapons, who can hold his own against Epics with names like Nightwielder, Conflux, or Firefight.—Sharon Rawlins, New Jersey State Library,Trenton --Sharon Rawlins (Reviewed July 1, 2013) (School Library Journal, vol 59, issue 7, p100)
  • Awards:
    • Garden State Teen Book Awards (New Jersey): Fiction (Grades 6-8)
    • Kentucky Bluegrass Award: Grades 6-8
    • Rhode Island Teen Book Award
    • YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults: 2014
  • Freedom to Read Statement
  • ALA Library Bill of Rights
  • Springville Public Library Collection Development Policy
    • The Library Director and designated staff actively evaluate and select materials. The Springville Public Library Board, acting under the authority given to it by Title 4, Chapter 6 of the Springville Municipal Code and Title 09 of the Utah State Code, has the ultimate responsibility for the determination of the policies for selection and acquisition of materials.
    • Library materials are selected based on the following (not necessarily in order of priority):
      • Local public demand and usage potential
      • Popularity
      • Subject coverage
      • Relevance
      • Accuracy and currency
      • Presentation, readability and format
      • Point of view (all sides)
      • Cost
      • Local connection
      • Social values
      • Collection balance
      • To assess the item based on the above criteria, staff utilize:
      • Nationally recognized and relevant pre-publication reviews
      • Staff expertise
      • Bestseller lists
      • Patron recommendations and requests
      • Reliable social media reviews 
Purpose in Collection:
Brandon Sanderson is a very good, and prolific author. Not only does he continually have a new book out, which increases interest in his books, he also lives in this area, which makes him far more popular than otherwise. As such, adding his books, and Steelheart, to the collection is important to the area.

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