1. Leviathan By: Scott Westerfeld By: Matthew Nicklas

2. Setting  The story takes place in Europe during a fantasy version of World War 1 in 1914.  Most of the story is located in Austria-Hungary, Switzerland, and at the beginning in London.  The weather is cold and snowy in Switzerland on a glazier.  Also fast amounts of trees and forest throughout the novel.

3. Characters  Alek is the prince of Austria-Hungary he is very out going and brave and slowly grows up from a child to an adult.  Deryn Is a girl born to be a pilot and has always had the need to become one.  Volger is a count and Alek’s trusted fencing teacher. He is determined to help Alek and to do what his father has left him to do.  Klopp is Alek’s mechanik and is a skilled walker pilot.  Dr. Barlow is a clever, smart, and devious. She is a boffin who comes aboard the leviathan to transport a case filled with a top secret object.

4. Summary  Alek is the prince of Austria-Hungary and he is on the run from his parents’ murderers, the Germans. Deryn is a girl who wants to join the navy but has a big problem, girls cannot be airmen. These characters both have something to hide but will soon find themselves aboard a Darwinist airship, the Leviathan.

5. About the Author  Scott Westerfeld was born in Dallas, Texas on May 5, 1963  Scott Westerfeld lives in New York City but occasionally goes to Sydney, Australia for the summers.  He is the author of many other books such as the Uglies series.

6. Critics Corner  What are your opinions of the book as a whole?  My opinions of this book leaves me exited and ready for the next book. I believe the story was confusing to begin with but it was detailed enough that I began to understand the plotline.  What encouraged you to choose this book and particular genre?  When I was trying to decide my book I first went to the library but I couldn’t find any book that appealed to me. Then I remembered a book that I saw in Barnes and Nobles that looked interesting, so I went and bought that book.  Were there any messages from the author in this book?  There was one message that I got from the book that I don’t think was his original message. I believe that he was trying to tell me to always do the right thing and help people even if you completely dislike them.  What did you learn from this book?  There wasn’t much that I learned from this book but one historical fact I learned was that World War 1 started with the archduke of Austria-Hungary being murdered by the Germans.  If I was to recommend this book I would recommend it to readers who like fantasy.

7. citations  Thompson, Keith. leviathan. book cover. Scott Westerfeld. Web. 4 Dec. 2009..  Thompson, Keith. Caricture map of Europe. le cirque du dedain. Web. 14 Dec. 2009.  Thompson, Keith. Ascending. Scott Westerfeld. Web. 15 Dec. 2009..Thompson, Keith. Stealing Away. The Readers Quil. Web. 15 Dec. 2009.  http://www.mrsnelsons.com/files/mrsnelsons/scott_westerfeld2.jpg http://www.mrsnelsons.com/files/mrsnelsons/scott_westerfeld2.jpg