The Lost Sun by Tessa Gratton

Published: June 25th, 2013

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Pages: 369

Copy: Library

Summary: Goodreads

Fans of Neil Gaiman's "American Gods" and Holly Black's "The Curse Workers" will embrace this richly drawn, Norse-mythology-infused alternate world: the United States of Asgard. Seventeen-year-old Soren Bearskin is trying to escape the past. His father, a famed warrior, lost himself to the battle-frenzy and killed thirteen innocent people. Soren cannot deny that berserking is in his blood--the fevers, insomnia, and occasional feelings of uncontrollable rage haunt him. So he tries to remain calm and detached from everyone at Sanctus Sigurd's Academy. But that's hard to do when a popular, beautiful girl like Astrid Glyn tells Soren she dreams of him. That's not all Astrid dreams of--the daughter of a renowned prophetess, Astrid is coming into her own inherited abilities. 

When Baldur, son of Odin and one of the most popular gods in the country, goes missing, Astrid sees where he is and convinces Soren to join her on a road trip that will take them to find not only a lost god, but also who they are beyond the legacy of their parents and everything they've been told they have to be.

Review

Oh my goodness, how much I enjoyed this book.  It picked me up within a few pages and carried me through the story to the very end.  The United States of Azgard became real to me and I was travelling through the center of them along with Soren, Astrid and Baldur.  

A short while ago I reviewed a book (the name of which escapes me right now) where I commented that although an alternate version of our world, everything had the same names and the characters spoke the same and it was hard to tell the difference between universes. In The Lost Sun, Ms Gratton has created a world that has developed alongside ours at the same pace, but is in its own way totally different.  People use the interweave, not internet, have televisions, but watch the Gods live.  The states are just slightly different Mizizibi/Lafloride/Montania - they eat a ham LT or Arnold chips. This world is complete in every way and was so easy to believe.

As were the characters - Astrid and Soren were so real, with their wonderful personalities and so full of doubts and laughter.  True to themselves and each other and always growing in knowledge.  Soren's boon from Odin was so right it gave me shivers.  Theirs was a true love story -  I laughed and yes, I cried too.  A perfect mystery that needed to be solved.  The Lost Sun is a beautiful coming of age story that shows us the power of belief in ourselves and other.  If you're in the mood for a perfect love story with a difference, try The Lost Sun.  Maybe you'll enjoy it as much as I did.