The Dirt Eaters

November 3, 2003
Foon's (Skud
) sprawling post-apocalypse fantasy, the first in the planned Longlight Legacy trilogy, opens years after the Abominations have poisoned the earth and turned the desert into the Devastation. Savage raiders destroy the peaceful city of Longlight, an enclave so secluded it has become mythical to those outside. One of the few survivors is teenage Roan, who feels torn between his father's pacifist teachings and his newfound desire for revenge. Roan is offered sanctuary by an odd cult of Brothers led by a motorcycle-riding Prophet, but it comes at a high price. On the verge of initiation, Roan attacks the Prophet and escapes, led by three spirit guides who come to him in dreams and tell him that his younger sister is still alive and needs his help. Countless subplots and incidental characters add to the elaborate set-up: peaceful angelic beings that live underground; death-inducing Mor-Ticks, bugs that dig into human skin to lay explosive larvae; and legendary Dirt Eaters, who use dirt as a drug to become lucid in their dreams. The most interesting story line involves the city of Fairview, whose Governor sells the town's children for laboratory experiments or so their organs can be harvested for use by the Masters of the City. Although the surfeit of ideas might cohere in the next two installments, this first suggests that the plotting may simply be too ambitious. Ages 13-up.

Starred review from January 1, 2004
Gr 5 Up-This outstanding first title in a trilogy should have readers eagerly anticipating the next installment. Foon lays the foundation for a compelling dystopian novel featuring Roan, a 15-year-old boy thrust into a hero's journey after his peace-loving village is destroyed. He and his younger sister, Stowe, are the only survivors. She is taken to the City and used for nefarious purposes that will presumably be explained in later books. Roan, at first, seems to have been saved by a man named Saint, the leader of a small band of warriors. When the teen uncovers the truth about Saint, he flees into the polluted, devastated wilderness. He is befriended by another teen who shows him how to survive. They journey into various villages, meeting people who will help them on their quest. There's a lot more going on in this well-written adventure. Readers will be reminded of Lois Lowry's The Giver (1993) and Gathering Blue (2000, both Houghton) (assigned jobs and isolated, barbaric civilizations post-disaster), Rodman Philbrick's The Last Book in the Universe (Scholastic, 2000) (pollution, disease, and illiteracy), and even Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 (Turtleback, 1953) (aversion to books and independent thought). In addition, older readers will notice biblical references, Buddhist elements, Eastern ideas, and metaphysical concepts. All in all, an entertaining and promising start.-Laurie von Mehren, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Parma, OH

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