Reviews
"An ambitious sci-fi novel that will charm eco-champions . . ."
—Kirkus Reviews
—Kirkus Reviews
* * *
"Knauf 's powers of description are marvelous, as is her ability to create original, funny characters and terrific, punchy dialogue. . . . will leave readers hoping for a sequel."
—BlueInk Review
—BlueInk Review
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"The minor characters are exquisite: lively, entertaining, and complex."
— San Francisco Book Review
— San Francisco Book Review
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"A Plant-whisperer Who Kicks Butt"
For those who feel the world is going to hell in a genetically-modified hand basket because of global warming, toxic waste, and unscrupulous agribusiness practices, Sandra Knauf's sly YA novel, Zera and The Green Man, delivers a shot of hope.
A fantasy adventure tale, Zera takes aim at mankind's attempts to improve on Mother Nature's perfection by taking dangerous shortcuts. Zera, whose name means "seed" in Hebrew, confronts arrogance incarnate through the people who run Void Chemical Corporation, a company that specializes in freakish genetic mutations. It employs a cadre of Dr. Frankensteins, including her Uncle Theodore (her legal guardian since her parents are dead), who appears to have swapped his conscience for fame and money. Void's scientists have created such monstrosities as the "walato," a product (fruit? animal?) by splicing together the genes of a tomato and a walrus. They're betting that the creation will thrive in the Arctic and make them billions.
So what's a nature-loving girl to do? Knauf's irreverent 15-year-old protagonist is full of questions as she struggles to confront the dark forces toying with the fate of the natural world. The story, set in Colorado, is more than a manifesto against bioengineering, but is also a tender coming-of-age story about someone trying to find herself in a world that seems consumed with fashion, groupthink, and instant gratification. Other characters, such as Nonny, Zera's no-nonsense grandmother, and Tiffany, Uncle Theodore's girlfriend-you-love-to-hate, make this story a fun tale about flawed, real people as well as an imperiled planet.
Knauf's prose and insights about teenagers keeps the story zipping along, letting readers into the fantastical world of a sassy girl who not only loves Venus flytraps, but can talk to them too.
Zera and The Green Man is Knauf's first foray into fiction, but it probably won't be her last. Brimming with wit and spunk, Zera and the Green Man will strike a chord with readers of any age who like to eat their tomatoes the old fashioned way—with just a bit of salt.
—D'Arcy Fallon, Author of So Late, So Soon
* * *
This young-adult novel is an interesting, at times spellbinding mixture of magic and science, adventure and romance. Zera, the rebellious 15-year-old heroine, comes to The Pikes Peak area of Colorado to stay with her grandmother, yet soon finds herself engaged in the battle between organic gardening/farming and a biotechnology company on the cutting edge of genetically modified industry. The novel is largely set in "Ute Springs," clearly the author's name for Manitou Springs, and like all the best young adult novels, contains lots of easily digestible information, in this case about organic gardening, biotechnology, and life in a Colorado mountain town. The author passionately rejects the ethos of GMO, and provides an edge-of-your-seat climax to this novel set in the not-too-distant future.
—Eva Syrovy
