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Nation | 
 enlarge | Author: Terry Pratchett
Publisher: HarperCollins
Category: Book
List Price: $16.99
Buy New: $8.25
You Save: $8.74 (51%)
New (20) Used (5) from $8.25
Avg. Customer Rating:  44 reviews
Sales Rank: 219
Media: Hardcover
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 384
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 5.9 x 1.4
ISBN: 0061433012
EAN: 9780061433016
ASIN: 0061433012
Publication Date: October 1, 2008 (New: Last 30 Days)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
The sea has taken everything. Mau is the only one left after a giant wave sweeps his island village away. But when much is taken, something is returned, and somewhere in the jungle Daphne—a girl from the other side of the globe—is the sole survivor of a ship destroyed by the same wave. Together the two confront the aftermath of catastrophe. Drawn by the smoke of Mau and Daphne's sheltering fire, other refugees slowly arrive: children without parents, mothers without babies, husbands without wives—all of them hungry and all of them frightened. As Mau and Daphne struggle to keep the small band safe and fed, they defy ancestral spirits, challenge death himself, and uncover a long-hidden secret that literally turns the world upside down. . . . Internationally revered storyteller Terry Pratchett presents a breathtaking adventure of survival and discovery, and of the courage required to forge new beliefs.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 39 more reviews...
 When much is taken, something is returned October 7, 2008
For Pratchett fans familiar with his personal struggles, this book is a comfort and a joy. It's not about him of course - it's about life and death, history and future, old men and young children and the existence of God. In other words, it's about all of us. There are no storybook endings here but the real endings are even more satisfying.
A cracking good read October 7, 2008
Just a short note to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I have been a fan of the Discworld series for more than 25 years so I am not the target audience for "Nation", But as crusty old grump easing into the 'golden years' I will say it had me shedding a tear or two at the end and damn few books manage that at my age.
I was sorry to see it end and I wanted to know more about the world that the events in this story brought about.
The juvenile (now termed 'Young adult') books of my youth were the early stories by Robert Anson Heinlein (July 7, 1907 - May 8, 1988), and he like Pratchett never talked down to his intended readers. With both of them you find no hint of a simplified vocabulary or the other major sins of the genre.
Heartily Recommended for any that enjoy a good read.
Another Winner! October 7, 2008
This book has all the hallmarks of a great adventure story but with the addition of the wit and 3 dimensionality that Mr. Pratchett brings to his characters both good and evil.
There are similarities/references to archetypal stories such as Shakespeare's "The Tempest", "Robinson Crusoe" by Daniel Dafoe, "Mutiny on the Bounty" and even Melville's "Moby Dick" in the atmospheric way the author creates the world inhabited by this strange and delightful cast.
Make no mistake though, this is an alternative world, not our own and Mr.Pratchett once again expounds on his wonderful theory of time and space in a way similar to but more sophisticated than "The trousers of time" which feature so strongly in "Johnny and the bomb".
Bright children will enjoy it, advanced readers of 11 and up, capable of absorbing the nuances of, for instance, "Harry Potter" or a great classic novel like "Kidnapped" by Robert Louis Stevenson will thrive on it. This is certainly not just a children's book.
 Nation October 5, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
... I need there to be the old man and the baby and the sick woman and the ghost girl, because without them I would go into the dark water right now. I asked for reasons, and here they are, yelling and smelling and demanding. The last people of the world and I need them. Without them I am just a figure on a grey beach , a lost boy, not knowing who I am. But they know me. I matter to them that's who I am." from Nation by Terry Pratchett
Nation asked questions that we all ask ourselves at some point, about God, about what to believe, and about ourselves. Since this is a fiction book, it is not trying to give you answers to those questions, because it is also asking you how would you deal with what happens to the characters Mau, Daphne and slew of others. If your world ended, would you believe what you were taught to believe? Or would you grow with the change?
The characters were interesting. Especially Mau and Daphne, the main characters. Sometimes I got bored with the other characters and annoyed with one character, or animal, in particular that had every right to get on their nerves.
This book reopened questions that I already had and still have, which made this review hard to write. I wasn't sure what I liked because I have been focusing on the questions and finding answers. I guess what I am saying is I liked the book. It has a message that isn't new but is interesting. It is well written and characters are decent.
About the Author: Terry Pratchett is the author of many Discworld novel, childrens books and other fantasy books. He lives with his wife in England.
Who you are is who they need you to be October 5, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Nation is about change. First about the change of becoming an adult and learning that you have no choice but to exert your judgment and power on the world around you. But it's also about change forced upon Mau and Daphne, and the other survivors who begin trickling to the island. It's about upheaval, and keeping your history and culture without being a slave to the past and outmoded ideas, i.e., moving forward on your own terms. And it's about actually going through those things. This isn't some self-help book that says `people must do X.' It's a good story in which you will see yourself, and question whether or not you'd be willing to suckle milk from a wild pig in order to save a baby's life.
The book is also fairly entertaining. I don't think anything about the plot was exceptional, but Pratchet is a great writer, and it shows throughout the book. For example, all the characters are written with distinctive, memorable voices that you will remember after the book is done. When Mau has a desperate plan to save the day, you aren't able to figure out what it is until it happens. You see the twists coming, but I wasn't able to figure out what the twist was until it turned, and I usually have twists figured out 100 pages in advance. This is one of those book I considered giving 4 stars to, but it's not as good as Anathem or Raw Shark Text, my past 4s, so I'm going to go with 3 stars. Still a good read, though.
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