GODS OF MANHATTAN
by Scott Mebus
Puffin Books/Penguin Young Readers Group
Hardcover: 9780525479550
Paperback: 9780142413074
Ages 8-12
352 pages

New York City has been the setting for several recent fantasy novels --- from KIKI STRIKE to THE NIGHT TOURIST --- that shed light on the many secrets lurking behind (or beneath) Manhattan's famous landmarks. Add to that list Scott Mebus's debut work of fiction, GODS OF MANHATTAN, which melds New York City history with modern geography in a thoroughly entertaining start of a promising new series.

Thirteen-year-old Rory Hennessey is a Light --- one of the few mortals who can see beyond to the spirit city Mannahatta, a fantastical New York City where figures and landmarks from the past co-exist alongside Manhattan's more modern denizens. Rory, though, has focused his attention on caring for his mother and younger sister Bridget following the mysterious disappearance of his father, and he has remained intentionally blind to the sights, sounds and dangers that surround him.

That is until a charismatic magician who goes by the name of Hex stumps ever-cynical Rory with a truly puzzling magic trick and opens his eyes to the Mannahatta that has always existed in the corners of his eyes. Once Rory starts seeing these mysterious sights --- including cockroaches riding on rats, vicious gargoyles, early-20th-century ruffians, and Indians who hunt in Central Park --- he is also able to show these phenomena to Bridget, who has her own role to play.

But little known to Bridget or Rory, a drama is unfolding among the elite inhabitants of Mannahatta, particularly its group of Gods --- "of everything from Justice to Sample Sales, Guilt to Jaywalking, Money to Street Construction." The Gods are actual figures from New York City history who have been elevated to immortal status thanks to their contributions to the city. They remain immortal until their gifts have become devalued or forgotten --- at least until lately. One of their company has hired an assassin to use a special knife to kill the Gods and steal their powers, throwing the whole leadership into crisis.

Rory, as the last remaining Light, has a crucial role to play. But whom can he trust? And how can he continue to protect his family when he also has a whole city to save? Using a fast-paced narrative, GODS OF MANHATTAN introduces readers to a uniquely American mythology and kicks off a series that is likely to draw comparisons to Michael Chabon's SUMMERLAND and Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson novels.

Like Suzanne Collins's Underland Chronicles, Rory and Bridget's family dynamics provide the emotional heart of the story. Combined with the historical underpinnings (which are explained without feeling like a history lesson), humorous dialogue and real-world places, this realistic relationship forms the basis of what promises to be a compelling, well-realized fantasy series --- and one that might help those Gods of Manhattan remain relevant for a long time to come.

        --- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

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