Nevertell is an action-packed adventure that takes place on the plains of rugged Siberia. This debut novel by author Katharine Orton is one part fantasy, one part fairy tale retelling, and one part historical fiction. Lena, a 12-year-old girl born in a Stalinist labor camp, is on the verge of a big adventure and discovering who she really is. On this great adventure, not only does she get to see beyond the prison camp, but she discovers she has magical powers. This makes this adventure novel also one part a coming of age story.

Lena learns a lot throughout the novel and realizes she has a lot left to learn as her world, while rather harsh, had also been very sheltered. She is a relatable character and it is nice to see her growth. However, there is a lot going on in this novel and it doesn’t seem to all be explained. There are a lot of subplots and side stories that just don’t get wrapped up or in some cases explained at all. This novel seems to have potential. I enjoyed the characters and I even enjoyed the addition of magic to a somewhat loosely based historical event while also tying in a little Russia folklore. It just seems that there was too much going on and therefore doesn’t all get enough attention to fully explain how it adds to the main plot. Lena and the villain of the story, the commandant of the prison camp, seem to be the only characters fleshed out and fully developed. Because of the potential of this author and her magical way of describing some scenes, I look forward to other works of hers. 

Review of an Advance Reading Copy

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Walker Books

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: None 

Violence/Gore:  Mention of prisoners being the kind of people who would hold a blade to some one’s throat; Character grabbed and dragged away; Character kicks someone in the shin; Mention that they are trying to starve the prisoners; Character mentions she could possibly be shot by the guards (3 times); Mention of someone giving people a black eye for trying to take something from her; Guard mentions “making an example” of prisoners through violence; Person said to have the reputation of a killer; Character overhears people plotting to kill her; Characters chased by something they call a ghost hound which attacks one of them and bites them on the arm; Character mentions her uncle had been shot and killed by the guards when she was only a baby; Characters told how a bite from a ghost hound/wolf will turn them into a zombie like creature that wanders the frozen tundra of Siberia; Character recounts the plot to kill her; Character mentions how her mother would give black eyes to people; Characters are attacked by a magical fish; Character throws a burning candle at someone; Character is grabbed and yanked closer; Character mentions that she could be thrown from a carriage by someone else and left to die; Someone is said to be in a confinement in the prison camp and it is slowly killing her; Someone points a pistol at a character; Guards threaten to shoot the prisoners who are gathered; Guard grabs character by her hair to drag her away; Character kicks a person; Guard stomps on character’s hand; Guards shoot into a crowd; Prisoners chant “kill him” about a guard that has been captured.

Sex/Nudity:  3 accounts of boy hugging a girl.

Mature Subject Matter:

Death; prison camps and the oppression of a people.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

None