Welcome to our stop on THE DARKEST PATH blog tour for author Jeff Hirsch. This tour is hosted by Book Nerd Tours. View full tour schedule here.
Author: Jeff Hirsch
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Dystopian
Released: September 24th 2013
Review Source: Blog Tour
Publisher: Scholastic Press
USA TODAY bestselling author Jeff Hirsch once again creates a futuristic world with stunning, dramatic realism.
A civil war rages between the Glorious Path–a militant religion based on the teachings of a former US soldier–and what’s left of the US government. Fifteen-year-old Callum Roe and his younger brother, James, were captured and forced to convert six years ago. Cal has been working in the Path’s dog kennels, and is very close to becoming one of the Path’s deadliest secret agents. Then Cal befriends a stray dog named Bear and kills a commander who wants to train him to be a vicious attack dog. This sends Cal and Bear on the run, and sets in motion a series of incredible events that will test Cal’s loyalties and end in a fierce battle that the fate of the entire country rests on.
Including a country at war with its self and a cultish regime that threatens to tear apart two brothers, the Darkest Path strikes you as a hauntingly original novel. With Darkest Path being his third book, Jeff Hirsch shows improvement in his mastery of storytelling. On a whole, Hirsch’s writing really shines when he creates scenes of tension and turmoil. It’s the dramatics that pull the reader in and invoke such strong emotions. But lets not forget about how he also manages to create great characters that helps set his writing apart.
Set in a modernistic world, America struggles in a civil war between the US government and a crazy cult regime named the Glorious Path. Caught at a young age by the regime, Callum and his brother James struggle to sustain loyalties. Callum works hard to earn a role in the regime with a viscous dog trainer to support James who has an asthma problem. One day Cal befriends a dog that forces him to act against his boss who wants to turn the dog into a monstrosity. This forces Cal and James to go on the run sending them on a journey that will change his life forever. Through out his journey Cal faces terrible obstacles that ultimately shows him where his true path lays. Jeff Hirsch shows his writing talent in his best book yet, demanding a share of the limelight in the young adult genre. With his extreme character and dramatic writing Hirsch leaves me after reading his book, hoping for a sequel.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I live in upstate New York with my wife and a small passel of animals. I used to write plays (I actually have an MFA in it, which is number 8 on US News and World Report’s list of the top twenty most useless masters degrees) and now I write books for teens. I’ve written three, The Eleventh Plague, Magisterium and The Darkest Path.- A few random facts about me:
- I’m incredibly superstitious.
- I believe in baking as the ultimate stress reliever. I mean, sure, I write pretty good books but have you tasted my Triple Chocolate Espresso Cookies?
- I’m deeply obsessed with the work of Joss Whedon, Stephen King, Bryan K. Vaughn, Prince and Tom Waits.
- I started writing because of two women—Susan Cooper, author of the Dark Is Rising Series and Denise Stewart, my 7th grade English teacher.
You can visit Jeff Hirsch at http://www.jeff-hirsch.com
Giveaway: 3 Winners will receive a Signed Copy of The Darkest Path by Jeff Hirsch. 5 Winners will receive a Surprise ART Bookmark by James Vallesteros. Must be 13+ to Enter. International Giveaway.
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