Zee
Par Magdalena Nitchi
Zee par Su J. Sokol est l’incarnation merveilleuse d’une prémisse fascinante : que se passe-t-il lorsqu’une enfant est télépathe mais aussi très empathique ? Comment la pression des pensées des autres influence-t-elle cette enfant, et comment un seul parent peut faire face à l’éducation d’une jeune aussi précoce ? Le roman suit Zee, la protagoniste, et sa famille, de son enfance à son adolescence troublée où la pression sociale et les pouvoirs empathiques de Zee culminent. La famille de Zee pourra-t-elle l’aider à trouver le moyen d’équilibrer son empathie, ou va-t-elle s’autodétruire ?
Comme toujours, Sokol crée des personnages réalistes aux relations complexes. Zee a quatre adultes principaux dans sa vie : sa mère Emma, qui n’a pas de conjoint, Malcolm, le donneur de sperme pour Zee, son partenaire Pedro, et Meena, l’ex-partenaire de Pedro et une amie proche d’Emma. Bien que les quatre soient amis et participent tous dans le parentage de Zee, plusieurs désaccords provoquent des tensions entre eux, ce qui entraîne plus de problèmes pour Zee. La représentation décontractée de la communauté LGBTQ+ dans ce livre est merveilleuse, et l’accent mis sur la valeur de la famille retrouvée m’a réchauffé le cœur. Ce roman est un exemple parfait de l’expression « il faut tout un village pour élever un enfant », et l’accent mis sur la communauté correspond parfaitement avec le thème de l’hyper-empathie.
Après avoir adoré la traduction française de Cycling to Asylum/Les Lignes Invisibles, j’étais curieuse de lire la version française de Zee. Sylvie Nicolas a réussi à livrer une belle traduction qui laisse transparaître la plume originale de Sokol. Nicolas capture habilement les moments où Zee écoute les pensées d’un adulte et ne les comprend pas, ainsi que les changements dans la narration de Zee à mesure qu’elle vieillit. Zee est une œuvre rare magnifiquement traduite, qui ne perd rien de sa qualité ou de son style littéraire.
Zee est une histoire merveilleuse qui vous enveloppe dès le début et constitue une bouffée d’air frais dans une époque où de nombreuses personnes sont émotionnellement surmenées. Le dévouement de Sokol au pouvoir de la communauté et au genre hopepunk est louable. Si vous aimez des histoires de fantasy réalistes qui se concentrent sur le développement des personnages et de la communauté, Zee s’agit du livre pour vous.
The Last Unicorn
By Olivia Shan
April is indeed the cruellest month— which spells a most optimal time for rereading comforting old favourites. For me, Peter S. Beagle’s 1968 seminal novel The Last Unicorn perfectly fits the bill.
The story of a Unicorn questing to find what has become of the rest of her kin— alongside the “useless” magician Shmendrick and the crabby but pure-hearted Molly Grue— has been loved by many respected authors, from Ursula K. LeGuin to Patrick Rothfuss. The hauntingly beautiful 1982 animated adaptation featuring the voices of Mia Farrow as the eponymous Unicorn and Sir Christopher Lee as King Haggard has also deservingly garnered an enduring cult following. Both of these factors have jointly cemented Beagle’s story as both a beloved nostalgic staple and a true modern fantasy classic.
The Last Unicorn is a deceptively simple book, but I am convinced even the most jaded of fantasy readers will be moved by its themes of mortality and regret. Rereading it now as an adult (and a literature student), I find Beagle’s gentle satirizing of epic literary conventions and his metaphorical exploration of the loss of innocence all the more poignant and heart-rending.
Beagle’s masterpiece is perfect all on its own— it is perhaps the most compelling example of an effective short fantasy book. Excitingly, for those who want to read more about its universe and beloved characters, a somewhat-sequel titled The Way Home has just been released by Penguin Random House this month. The Way Home compiles two novellas set in the same world as The Last Unicorn: the Hugo and Nebula-winning “Two Hearts,” set decades after the events of the original novel, and the never-before-released story “Snooz.” You may expect a review for this new release coming your way soon— if yours truly ever disentangles herself out of her many research papers.
Dinosaur Sanctuary 2
By Magdalena Nitchi
I absolutely adored the first volume of Dinosaur Sanctuary, so I was delighted when Volume 2 was released this March. Itaru Kinoshita and Shin-ichi Fujiawara have once again teamed up to create an amazing manga that is both educational and heartwarming. The protagonist, Suma Suzume, is close to completing her training as an apprentice Dinokeeper, but there are still plenty of challenges that she must face—and new dinosaur species to introduce to the reader!
My favourite story in this volume was “Two Sides of Benkei,” a multi-chapter saga which follows the newest dinosaur born in the theropod unit. “Two Sides of Benkei” builds on a chapter from the previous volume, in which a Troodon mating pair struggle to lay their eggs. Benkei the Troodon is the runt of his litter, and ends up being fostered by Suzume until he can match the size of his peers. However, Suzume also has to find a way for him to integrate into the group without being rejected, which is difficult when she also has to keep up with the rambunctious chick. Benkei’s visual design is absolutely adorable, and it is great to see Suzume solving problems on her own, rather than relying on the more experienced Dinokeepers for guidance.
I also appreciated the additional insight into Suzume’s backstory, and into the infamous accident that caused Enoshima Dinoland’s rapid decline in popularity. While it might be a bit cliché to have this manga’s protagonist be a bright-eyed newbie who is determined to turn around the fate of the failing Dinoland park, I can’t help but find Suzume endearing. Her genuine passion for dinosaurs, her curiosity, and her wonder have thoroughly won me over.
Kinoshita has once again knocked it out of the park with Volume 2 of Dinosaur Sanctuary. The story is mostly lighthearted, but that makes the more emotional moments all the more poignant. Volume 3 and a French translation of Volume 1 will both appear this September, so keep an eye out! This is the perfect read for any dinosaur fan in your life, or a way to convince others to love dinosaurs as much as you do.