The Outcasts: Brotherband Chronicles, Book 1
by John Flanagan
Fantasy, Young-Adult, Adventure, Fiction, Middle-Grade, Historical-Fiction, Action
They are outcasts. Hal, Stig, and the others – they are the boys the others want no part of. Skandians are known for their size and strength. Not these boys. Yet that doesn’t mean they don’t have skills. And courage – which they will need every ounce of to do battle at sea against the other bands, the Wolves and the Sharks, in the ultimate race. The icy waters make for a treacherous playing field . . . especially when not everyone thinks of it as playing. John Flanagan, author of the international phenomenon Ranger’s Apprentice, creates a new cast of characters to populate his world of Skandians and Araluens, a world millions of young readers around the world have come to know and admire. Full of seafaring adventures and epic battles, The Outcasts is sure to thrill readers. Perfect for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, T.H. White’s The Sword in the Stone, and Christopher Paolini’s Eragon series.
Recommendations from Common Sense Media
Age Recommendation: 10+
What Parents Need to Know:
Parents need to know that this adventure/fantasy from the author of the Ranger’s Apprentice series is fairly low on violence. Pirates kill sailors and watchmen in two brief scenes and there’s one significant fist fight among teen boys, but otherwise the focus is on teens coming together as a team. The main character, Hal, becomes a leader, and the boys in his underdog “brotherband” employ all their skills to compete against other, stronger brotherbands. There’s lots of talk about Hal’s mentor Thorn and his years of drinking, but he quits in order to be a positive figure in Hal’s life.
Educational Value: 2/5
A glossary of sailing terms appears at the very beginning of the book, showing how important it is for readers to know them in order to follow along.
Positive Messages: 4/5
Teamwork, becoming a leader, brain over brawn, taking responsibility for mistakes, and respecting authority are all important learning lessons for the boys in the Heron brotherband. Hal also learns that winning respect is more important than beating everyone in a competition. Maybe not the best lesson, though, is when a Hal stands up to a bully with his fists and everyone decides this is the only way to handle the situation.
Positive Role Models: 4/5
Hal becomes a leader in this book, overcoming the prejudice he faces because his mother is a foreigner and earning respect. He makes mistakes and can be thoughtless to Thorn, his supportive mentor, but he always owns up to what he’s done and makes amends. All the boys in Hal’s brotherband are the last ones anyone would pick to be on their team but they still come together and work hard to win. Hal’s friend Stig has a problem with his temper but he’s loyal and hardworking. Thorn is an alcoholic who stops drinking to be a better mentor to fatherless Hal. On the minus side, the boys are training to be Seawolves and sail ships that sometimes raid other towns and keep the spoils.
Violence & Scariness: 2/5
Pirates overtake ships and kill the crew, one of them a boy. They also slit a couple throats. In the brotherband there’s a nasty fist fight, rough wresting as part of the competition, and some sparring with weapons. Back stories are told of Hal’s father dying from a spear, Hal and Stig nearly drowning, and Thorn losing his hand in a sailing accident.
Sex, Romance & Nudity: 1/5
A brief mention of a teen kiss and some flirtling.
Language: n/a
n/a
Products & Purchases: n/a
n/a
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking: 2/5
Much about Thorn’s years of heavy drinking after the loss of his hand, how he quits to mentor Hal, and how he nearly starts drinking again to cope with a sadness but throws the bottle away. Ale is served at a party.
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