2008 Printz Award WINNER

The White Darkness
By Geraldine McCaughrean

This is a story of a young teenage girl, named Symone, affectionately referred to as Sym who is captivated with stories of Antarctic exploration. It seems that she had always had a fascination with the subject, however, upon the death of her father, she seem to become obsessed by reading every book and watched every movie on the Antarctic. She identifies with the purity, isolation and silence of the white continent. Because Sym doesn’t fit in at school, she’s bullied, imagines conversations with historical people in her head, and doesn’t really get what the fuss is about boys. She has a vivid imagination and a sense of drama that her friends cannot understand. Sym embarks on a trip to France from England with her mother and family friend known as Uncle Victor. Although when they arrive at the airport her mother cannot find her passport, so Victor and Sym go ahead without her. As the story develops, the reader is given a sense of uneasiness and distrust about Uncle Victor. The author shows us a view of the Uncle that makes us question his motives. I think there is a horror in this survival story that is difficult to describe. The White Darkness is told entirely from the point of view of the main character, offering her observations of the other travelers and sharing her thoughts on the Arctic. I think the fact that the author is able to hold the readers interest while portraying the character in the manner that she did is amazing. This book is filled with action, mystery and a touch of the supernatural.