Spirit Quest (1) (The Legend of Skyco)

Spirit Quest is exactly the type of book I loved to read when I was in elementary school & junior high and for that, I'm giving it 4 stars. This book wasn't what I expected when I picked it up. I thought it was going to be a fast paced adventure and have the husquenaugh be the main focus of the story. The husquenaugh is a ritual that boys go through to become men and full fledged members of the tribe. The ritual is a focus of the story, but its more a background focus. You follow Skyco's preparation for the husquenaugh and everything that leads up to it. This book is fascinating simply because of the amount of information wrapped up within the story. There is a lack of books featuring Native American culture, and I really appreciate the amount of research the author put into the subject matter. She didn't just write a book based on what she saw on TV and in movies. It is quite obvious while reading, that she not only researched the tribe, but also plants and animals of the region as well.This wasn't a book I sped through trying to get to the ending. In fact, I read it over the course of a month (while reading other books). This was a book I picked up here and there, read a chapter, and then mulled over the information. I savored the experience and enjoyed the journey.One last note is that Lorna Murphy did an exceptional job with the illustrations peppered throughout. Every single time I saw one, it added just a little bit of joy to the book.I received an advance reader copy of this book that I have chosen to review.

Yay for more indigenous voices in YA literature! Jennifer Frick-Ruppert transports readers back to pre-European contact America in what today would be the state of North Carolina. Skyco is a member of the Algonquin nation and is about to begin the all important transition from childhood to adulthood by making his spirit quest. Along with other young men of the tribe, Skyco is given a teacher and must complete a series of tasks that will lead him to his destiny. Will Skyco be the next chief of his tribe? Or will he become a medicine man?Heavily researched, imagine my surprise when I completed the book and discovered that Skyco was a real person. It certainly adds an extra dimension to the story. The author's note was quite fascinating and is accompanied with an appendix of Algonquin vocabulary. Due to the latter, I would suggest that readers find a bound copy rather than an ebook so that you can flip back and forth."Spirit Quest" transported me to the right time and place and rang true about Native American life before interactions with the Europeans. The story affirms the customs and teachings of the people with a great deal of respect and the illustrations created by Lorna Murphy are carefully placed within the text.Although this book didn't have me on the edge of my seat, I really liked the story for its focus on the teachings of the Algonquin nation.This is the same review that I published on my Goodreads account on April 9th, 2017

Skyco is an Algonquin Native American that is going through the rituals and ceremonies he must do before he becomes a man in the Algonquin tribe. A shaman, Roncommock teaches him including how to contact the spirit world and communicate with the spirits. Coming back from a fight with another tribe of Native Americans, Roncommock is attacked by a bear. Skyco having no weapons defeats the bear. How does he do that? Skyco finds that his spirit animal is the bear.The novel is filled with different adventures and discovering nature that he didn't notice before. It is detailed about nature. It is fascinating for me as this novel takes place before the English colonists arrive. The author imagines and also bases her story on a true Algonquin boy's life as describes in notes and airy entries by the English people. It is a story that can be read by anyone children or adult.Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.