"I've seen what the world does to the weak. It'll eat you alive."
Tirio was cast out of the Takunami tribe at a very young age because of his disabled foot. But an American woman named Sara adopted him, and his life has only gotten better since. Now, as his thirteenth birthday approaches, things are nearly perfect. So why is he having visions and hearing voices calling him back to the Amazon?
Luka has spent his whole life preparing for his soche seche tente , a sixth-sense test all Takunami boys must endure just before their thirteenth birthday. His family's future depends on whether or not he passes this perilous test. His mother has dedicated herself to making sure that no aspect of his training is overlooked . . . but fate has a way of disturbing even the most carefully laid plans.
Two young boys. An unforgiving jungle. One shared destiny.
Honors:
HarperCollins Ursula Nordstrom Fiction Award
Smithsonian Magazine Notable Children’s Book
2010/2011 Mark Twain Award
2010/2011 Georgia Reading Award Nominee
Sakura Award Nominee in Japan
Tassy Walden New Voices in Children’s Literature Award
“…[a] richly hued novel about the winding turns of destiny and the bonds between father and son, tribe and family.” — Kirkus Reviews
“The vivid setting, imagined cultural particulars…and magical realism will captivate readers, as will Tirio’s complicated, shifting emotions of rage, abandonment, belonging, and love.” ~Booklist
“…this is a fast-paced and remarkable adventure story with surprising twists along the way.”~School Library Journal