Blonde Eskimo: A Novel

Gr 9 Up—Neiva is to spend her senior year with her grandmother in her family's traditional home on the island of Spirit, AK. While she knows there are secrets there, even she is surprised to find that the island is the gateway to the spirit world and most of the residents are spirits, demons, and other magical creatures. She learns about her own powers and her place as a much-awaited warrior princess. While this book contains nuggets of Alaskan Native tradition and culture, they are buried within the larger framework of the fantasy world, making it impossible for readers not familiar with Inuit cultural traditions to separate them out. Though Neiva is herself Native (sometimes identified as Eskimo, once as Inuit, though in reality this geographic region is home to the Inupiat), she is described as being blond and raised away from her culture. Coupling this with her prophesied role in the spirit world leads to a very unfortunate white savior motif that will be uncomfortable for many. The description of the setting is average Alaskan fare, but it is overshadowed by the elaborate descriptions of clothing and spiritual creatures. The writing is erratic, often jumping to different points of view with no warning. Character growth is minimal, and Neiva is perfect, and her only job is to learn to use her powers, which she does almost effortlessly. Fantasy fans will be disappointed by this work that leans too much on traditional archetypes and offers very little innovation. Readers looking for Alaskan stories will not be able to find much of substance here. Even the romance elements feel mostly rote.