LEVIATHAN

FIRST IMPRESSIONS For Literacy, everybody in my class was told to check out a sci- (science ction) book from the library. I chose LEVIATHAN by Scott Westerfeld. This book is about a brewing war in an alternate past, between the Darwinists, who genetically engineer and modify animals into war machines, my personal favorite, and the Clankers, who just use normal mechanics. So far, I know that Aleksandar (Alek) is the would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian empire. And I am still trying to gure out what the Austro-Hungarian empire means! I am pretty excited about this book. Just by reading the rst couple of chapters, I want to read more. I really like the idea of The Clankers and Darwinists. However, I am still curious about some things, such as, If you shoot a Darwinian creation, will it feel pain? Will it die? and that question about the Austro-Hungarian empire. After reading the next few chapters, these questions might still pepper my consciousness. Hopefully these questions will be answered.

LEVIATHAN
CHARACTER LIST
My book is full of wonderful characters, and it pains me just to write about a few. Before I tell you about some of the characters, I will give you the run-down on the story so far. This story takes place in an alternate past, where technology is advanced enough to make walking war machines and genetically engineer animals into weapons, but the characters still dress and act like its the 1800s. It is a pretty strange book. In this book, a war is brewing between the Darwinists, the ones I told you about that ght with animals, and the Clankers, who use regular mechanics. The Main Characters of my story are Aleksandar, the would be heir to the Austro-Hungarian empire, and Deryn, a girl who desperately wants to join the British forces. Aleks world has been turned upsidedown since he learned his parents were dead, and now he is traveling the country with his fencing teacher, his head of mechanics, and various loyal servants. Alek is part of a royal family, but it is tearing apart. I am excited to learn more. Deryn was a normal girl with a less than average girl-dream. Deryn wants to join the British forces. Since it is forbidden for a girl to join the British Darwinist forces, Deryn must disguise herself as a boy. But after an incident involving a spooked Medusa, (long story) she has been rescued by the giant air beast, Leviathan. What will happen next?

Jeds Brochure
Jed Baxter Monday, 4 June 2012 11:00:56 AM Hong Kong SAR China Time

LEVIATHAN
LETTER TO A CHARACTER
Dear Aleksandar, Gee, Id hate to be you. Your life is completely upside-down at the moment! I mean, what normal kid would have his parents assassinated on the assassins third try, and then kidnapped by your fencing teacher and your head of mechanics, then nally waking up in a walking machine complete with machine guns and cannons! Wow! But of course, you arent an average kid. You are the would be heir of the Austro-Hungarian empire! Right now, I am reading the rst saga about your life, and I am at the part where you have just killed your rst, and probably not last, Austrian soldier. I think it is kind of terrible that your own country is hunting you down. I mean, if my country, Hong Kong, was chasing me, I wouldnt be too worried (I am not aware of Hong Kong owning any nuclear weapons), but with the Austro-Hungarian empire on your tail, with weapons like this:

LEVIATHAN
LETTER TO THE AUTHOR
Dear Scott Westerfeld, My name is Jed Baxter, and, recently, for a project in my school, I have been reading the rst book of one of your series', Leviathan. I think this is a really fabulous book, and I cant wait to read the next two, Behemoth, and Goliath, but I dont know the order! Although this book contains lots of key information, I feel as if it is leaving something out, the time. Personally, I have decided that it takes place in an alternate time, possibly 1940s, around the would-be World War II. I nd this really confusing! I think, for future reference, you should probably make the time in the story clearer. Another thing I do like about your story is the setting. I mean, who ever wrote about the Austro-Hungarian empire!? Yet another thing I love are the Clankers and the Darwinists. I really like the idea of building your own animals that are either weapons, or help. I think that if I had one as a pet, I would make it super smart so it could do all my homework! Although the Clankers are not alive, they still would make a cool family vehicle! Imagine riding that to school! I cant wait to read the other two books! Keep on writing!

LEVIATHAN
Reading Response Journal
Dear __________, These past weeks I have been reading the book Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld. It is a very good book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoy action and adventure. The plot of this story is fairly straightforward. Two opposing forces, the Clankers and the Darwinists, have started a war with each other. the Clankers make normal machinery, but it is WAY beyond their time, and even our time! The Darwinists are even more spectacularthey build there own animals by extracting DNA from real ones. I nd this SO COOL! The characters of the book are those that follow: Alek, Deryn, Otto Klopp, Count Volger, and Dr. Barlow. Aleksandar is the would-be heir to the AustroHungarian empire. He is the "would-be"heir because his mother was a commoner, but his dad was royal. These characters you will never meet in the story, because they are both dead by the rst chapter. The Austro-Hungarian empire is the basic area where the "Clankers" are from, so that makes him a Clanker. He is now traveling the country in a "Cyklops Stormwalker" (basically a big fancy tank on legs), trying to get away from his own people, who want him dead. Deryn is a girl from London, which is Darwinist territory. She works on the huge air-beast Leviathan, (basically a living war-zeppelin), disguised as a boy. One day, a new passenger comes aboard- we'll come back to her Anyway, some time after that, the huge beast crash-lands onto the Swiss Alps due to a devastating Clanker attack, and Deryn- in boy disguise Dylan, meets a mysterious boy. Otto Klopp is Aleksandar's father's head of "mechaniks" (it's a strange book!) he and Count Volger "kidnapped" Alek onto the walker for fear that his people would come for them, and they weren't wrong. Otto is a good character. I think if he was alive, I would enjoy his company. Count Volger is Alek's fencing teacher. He is also traveling the country with Alek. He is a witty character and not one to under-estimate. The last main character is the one I told you I'd get back to- her name is Dr. Barlow. She is very smart and uent in several languages, including "Clanker-speak" (German). But she has a very dangerous secret- read this book to nd out what it is. This secret might just change the war forever. My favorite part of this book was when Alek and co. faced off against the titanic SMS Beowulf. That was a sight, I mean read, to behold! I had a lot of fun reading this book, and the fun doesn't end here- there are two more books in the series, Behemoth, and Goliath. I don't know the order, but I will nd out soon! Sincerely, Jed Baxter

I think I would lose my lunch! I hope you stay alive, because I really like this book and I want a sequel! Until next time, please stay alive! Sincerely,
Jed Baxter Monday, 4 June 2012 11:00:56 AM Hong Kong SAR China Time

Sincerely, Jed Baxter

(fan)
Jed Baxter (fan)