The August 5

Intense political ideology and oft-repeated object lessons, tinged with a hint of Evita, characterize Helland’s debut, set in the fictional world of Seahaven. Tamsin Henry is the cottager (lower class) daughter of the ruling class’s greatest enemy. She nearly dies, caught up in her father’s machinations just before his arrest, though a strange boy saves her life. Fourteen-year-old Tommy Shores is the son of a ruthless, entitled politician of the upper-class Zunft government. Tamsin and Tommy’s paths cross first on a distant shore, and then in the capital city, on the cusp of great political unrest. What follows is a somewhat tangled account of young people forced into maturity before their time as they try to free the five leaders of the class rebellion. While the novel is written in an approachable style, the lack of action, stiff lead characters, and pointed introduction of class warfare, both literal and figurative, create a somewhat slow read. The attempt at a coming-of-age tale falls just short of its mark, relying too heavily on exposition over action. Ages 12–up. Agency: Dystel & Goderich Literary Management. (Nov.)