Search for Senna by Katherine Applegate

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In the dark past, Zeus and Odin, Huitzilopoctli and Ra, and the other gods of myth decided to abandon the real world. They created another universe, where magic rules, where all the mystery and terror of these capricious immortals holds sway. It is a place where Vikings still sail in the name of Thor, where the Aztecs still make human sacrifices to Huitzilopoctli, and where Merlin still weaves his subtle webs.

For a thousand years and more, Everworld has existed apart from the real world. But now Everworld is in trouble. The cozy universe created by Earth’s ancient immortals has been invaded by the creatures of myths that are no part of human tradition. The gods are under attack, divided and terrified. And in this moment of supreme danger, Loki, Norse god of evil, reaches across the barrier between Everworld and the real world to seize a new power: Senna Wales.

Senna carries with her four ordinary high school kids from the Midwest: David, the insecure hero and Senna’s love; Christopher, the joker Senna spurned, who hides his own anger and bigotry beneath a glib veneer; Jalil, cold, calculating, and so devoted to rationality he can’t even acknowledge his own strange tie to Senna; and April, Senna’s half sister, actress, flirt, and Senna’s most dangerous enemy.

I loved the ending!

I know this is a weird way to start a review, but it just had to be stated. This is book one is the Everworld Series by K.A. Applegate. There are twelve all together and I’ve decided to take a break from being an adult and read this series. It’s a little weird for me as I read book three back in middle school and even though I keep meaning to pick up the rest of the books…I never did. But, better late than never!

The important facts:

1. There are four main characters, David, Christopher, Jalil and April
2. Everything that happens is because of Senna
3. There is another universe
4. There are gods in said universe who want them dead

This series opens up with the narrator, David Levin explaining a fight over his girlfriend, Senna:

“The fight started at the Taco Bell where a lot of seniors and some juniors went for lunch.”

That opening line, while not the best thing ever penned, grabbed me in and I had read the first six chapters before I even realized it.

The group finds themselves being sucked into another universe after Senna gets snatched by some water wolf (when you read it, you’ll understand). Surprisingly, everyone is quite calm about this. They meet Loki (yeah as in the Norse god of destruction). Loki tells them he is responsible for Senna being brought to Everworld, but that she’s disappeared.

The four mange to escape after Loki sends them to be thrown in a pit and they meet up with the Vikings, who lo and behold are about to go to war with the Aztecs.

David, our narrator, is your typical high school loner, new kid in school, has all of one friend, and no one really messes with him. But David isn’t as tough as he likes people to believe. Throughout the book, he tries to make up for the cowardice he showed to Loki and seems to genuinely like the Vikings and their way of life.He also is the only one, so far, who seems to want to actually find Senna, but that might have to do with the fact that she’s his girlfriend and he promised to save her.

“David, when it happens… when it happens, David, will you save me?”

Ms. Applegate is best known for her Animorphs series, and I will admit, that’s how I learned of Everworld, but these books are grittier and more in-your-face that the former. And just like the Animorphs, each book is narrated by a different character. Bad things happen to people in this series, whether they deserved it or not and Applegate does not sugarcoat.

I recommend this series to anyone who is looking for a short, young adult, sci-fi book that is gritty and based on mythology (of any kind).

These books are definitely must reads and I am moving on to book number two: Land of Loss.

Safe reading!

View all my reviews