Berserker

Gr 9 Up—Hanne and her siblings are different, and nobody can know. In a small town in Norway, their powers can be a blessing and a curse. Descended from Vikings, Hanne, her two brothers, and their father possess Nyttes, gifts bestowed by the Norse god Odin intended to lead the historic voyagers to success. While her father can create intricate ships and her brothers control the weather and exhibit incredible strength, Hanne's Nytte is much more troublesome. She is a Berserker and flies into a killing rage when her loved ones are threatened. After a terrible accident, the siblings, along with their frail younger sister, must flee Norway and travel through the American frontier, hoping that their uncle in Montana can teach Hanne to control her gift. The family meets a cowboy named Owen whom they hire as their guide through the increasingly cold autumn trails. The travel party must navigate the treacherous terrain without being recognized by either the Norwegian men or the local authorities who are on their tails. Even though its set during the American westward expansion, no mention of Native American tribes is made. Laybourne has blended the fantasy of Norse gods with the American West with ease to create a coming-of-age story that is full of intrigue, adventure, budding romance, and self-discovery. The story is at times violent and bloody but, at others, is soft and touching. The blend of historical fiction and mythology is well done and the teenage protagonists are wholly relatable.