Title: Troy Author: Adele Geras Illustrator: Erich Lessing Publisher: Harcourt, Inc. Number of Pages: 340

Troy, by Adele Geras, is an exciting novel based on the ancient city of Troy in Asia Minor, now Turkey, along with all the legends and myths about it. Set around the end of the ten-year war between the Greeks and the Trojans, Geras centers on the women of Troy who are concerned with the war being over. The war started when Paris of Troy brought Helen, wife of Menelaus, to Troy with him. The Greeks set out after Helen to get her back, which now has resulted in a ten-year siege. Bored gods and goddesses seek refuge from their boredom in stirring things up in Troy: Aphrodite, the goddess of love, messes up the lives of two sisters, Xanthe and Marpessa. Marpessa is a quiet girl gifted with the ability to see gods. Xanthe is a kind, loving girl who tends to the wounded brought into Troy from the battlefield. Forced by an arrow shot from the bow of Eros, also known as Cupid, Xanthe falls in love with one of the young soldiers who has been wounded. Alastor, the soldier, loves Marpessa instead of Xanthe, and Marpessa loves him right back. Several deaths of both Greek and Trojan heroes, including Hector and Achilles, make Zeus and the other gods even more bored and sick of the war. Ares, the god of war, inspires the Greeks with an amazingly intelligent plan: a wooden horse! Read this wonderful book that is truly a masterpiece of mythology, legend, and fact all rolled into one book to find out the inevitable outcome.

I liked how Geras worked in a mythological aspect to her novel, making it look as if the gods of ancient Greece really were here today and then, able to control every step we take, every step they took. The novel moves a bit slowly at the beginning. The main action and main problem take place in the last half of the book, but stay with Geras-- it's worth it!

I would recommend this book because it is a wonderful work of literature, and better than most contemporary writers for young adults. I'd probably recommend this book to kids in fifth grade to ninth grade. Children who are interested in mythology and ancient history are bound to love this book, as well as people who enjoy learning and reading about ancient Greece. If this book sounds interesting, I'd recommend books about history, particularly the "Horrible Histories" series, and books about mythology. All in all, many kids of all ages would enjoy Troy. (June, 2001)