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Gr 7 Up —Coelho takes on the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, an allegory for the human condition. In alternating chapters of verse, parallel stories in ancient Greece and modern London unfold, revealing two young men, Theseus and Theo, on exhausting and exhaustive journeys in pursuit of absent fathers. Theo, 17, an aspiring poet who has been raised by his mother in urban poverty, takes extra jobs to earn money for people-finder services by a scammer who leaves him empty-handed, until the man's attractive daughter steps in to aid Theo. Teacher Mr. Addo mentors Theo and supports his exploration of the retelling of the Minotaur myth, but blurs the line between teacher and father figure. This results in an outburst of rage so extreme that Theo blacks out and imagines himself as the minotaur facing Theseus and recognizes a brotherhood between the hero and monster; Theo sees himself as hero and anti-hero in his own story. Allusions appear throughout, like the handlebars of Theo's bike that resemble the horns of a bull, "a heroic symbol of all that is male." Coelho's verse alternates between freeform and rhyme, with use of alliteration, repetition, acrostic poetry, and other forms that are complex yet accessible. The inventive use of the "choose your own ending" device is playful and compelling. Rough pen-and-ink drawings illustrate the layered and intricate story, which is both character-driven and action-packed, intricate, hopeful, suspenseful, and thought-provoking. Characters are diverse (Theo is biracial), introspective, and authentic. VERDICT A stellar addition to all libraries serving teens, this will appeal to fans of Jason Reynolds's Long Way Down , David Elliott's Bull , and Jessie Burton's Medusa .—Rebecca Jung
Kirkus ReviewsA contemporary teen finds common ground with an ancient Greek hero in this work by U.K. Children's Laureate Coelho.Seventeen-year-old Londoner Theo has grown up for the most part without a father figure and often feels this absence in his day-to-day life: "Manhood's become a rock / I cannot lift alone." While learning about Greek mythology in English class, Theo finds solace in the tale of Theseus and his labors, and so he makes Theseus' quest to find his father the focus of his project. Theo receives encouragement for his series of poems from kind Mr. Addo, his teacher. He also begins the search for his own lost father, leading to parallel storylines: "Just like him / I'll map my wrath / by searching for my father's path." As Theo experiences his own versions of Theseus' adventures, he constructs his understanding of manhood. Additionally, growing up with a white mother, he confronts the complex reality of his Black and biracial identity, adding another layer to his turmoil. Written in verse with nods to the classic Choose Your Own Adventure genre, this clever, well-paced novel leans into its interwoven format. While some parts might occasionally feel opaque to readers who are unfamiliar with Theseus, the general theme of grappling with what it is to be a man is compelling and clear. The tale of the Minotaur is relayed in a particularly refreshing and poignant way. Milner's moving ink illustrations bolster an already vivid story.Thoughtful and well executed. (author's note) (Verse novel. 14-18)
Publishers WeeklyPrevious collaborators Coelho and Milner (
School Library Journal Starred Review (Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2024)
Kirkus Reviews
Publishers Weekly
The Oracle
Time moves in spirals;
we are flotsam on Time's sea.
Time moves in spirals
and repeats its tragedies.
This story is about two boys,
separated by centuries,
parted by myth,
divided by reality.
Two boys hoping to be men.
Two boys severed from their fathers.
Two boys searching a maze of manhood.
One in ancient Greece
from a time of magic and mythos.
One in modern London,
a city of delusion and gloss.
I am the Oracle,
your thread through this maze
as two boys start their journeys.
No step will escape my gaze.
Let me hold your hand
through these dark and winding lands.
Let us discover together
what it means to be a man.
CHAPTER 1
Theo
Theo First Hears of Theseus
I'm doodling again,
geometric patterns and swirls.
Mr. Addo doesn't mind.
He lets me doodle--
knows it helps me think.
Mr. Addo is silent again. He does this thing
when he forgets words--
presses thumb and forefinger
to the bridge of his nose and massages,
as if memory is a small furry thing
behind the eyes that needs coaxing.
He massages and ignores
our word offerings
until memory squeals to his stroking.
"Manhood--Theseus's story
is about manhood--
about fathers and sons,
about nature and nurture,
about legacy and destiny,
about parents and their children
and what it means to be a man."
I nearly say something
before remembering
the happy-family kids around me--
the two-parent kids,
big-house-in-Putney kids,
been-on-a-plane kids,
have-the-full-Sky-package kids.
I rest my head back on my arms
and listen to Mr. Addo tell Theseus's story.
I scratch a poem title
into my book . . .
Theseus Killed Them!
Theseus Killed Them!
"Your father is a king," said his mother.
"Just lift this heavy rock--
he left some things for you
to prove you're kingly stock."
Beneath the rock he found:
sandals and a sword.
Sandals for a journey,
a sword for the criminal hordes.
Theseus walked his father's road
but the way was filled with tests.
He had to battle six enemies
and prove he was the best.
The first was Periphetes,
who was a little dim.
Theseus took his bronze club;
Theseus killed him.
The second was Sinis,
who killed with a bent-tree limb.
He ripped his victims in two;
Theseus killed him.
The third was a pig
who'd been causing quite a stir.
She was the Crommyonian Sow;
Theseus killed her.
The fourth was Sciron,
who gave his victims a surprise swim.
He'd feed them to a monster turtle!
Theseus killed him.
The fifth was Cercyon,
a king who wrestled for a whim.
He'd wrestle strangers to death;
Theseus killed him.
The sixth was the innkeeper Procrustes,
who liked everything to be trim,
forcing guests to fit his bed!
Theseus killed him.
When the killing journey was done
Theseus found his father's kingdom grim,
the young yearly killed by the Minotaur . . .
so Theseus killed him!
All About the Minotaur
We have to choose
a subject for our
English coursework.
I choose
to write about Theseus.
Everything is just about him and the Minotaur.
I choose
to delve into his journey to his father.
I choose
to start reading
everything I can about him.
Everything is all about the bull.
Everything is all about the Minotaur.
Everything is about muscle and horns.
Everything is about bestial strength,
blood and bones.
I choose
to make my coursework
a series of poems
about his search for his father.
"Why Can't I See Dad?"
I've noticed a silence
whenever I ask about my father.
Unspoken whisperings
mumble behind my mother's sealed lips.
I last saw him
in a mudslide of argument.
Told never to open the door to him,
to stonewall his calls
and brick up his letters.
Seventeen now and feeling the weight
of a father's absence.
Manhood's become a rock
I cannot lift alone.
It's more than the clichéd stuff,
the girl stuff,
the body-changing stuff.
It's an energy thing.
A sit-back-and-relax-with-Dad thing.
A kick-off-your-sandals-and-trade-sword-stories thing.
But my mother's silence is immovable
as I try to pry up the edges
of her secrets.
Offerings
Years of sacrifice,
years of feeding
quivering concerns
into the flaring snout of my mind.
I wanna see my dad
But he left us
I don't need him
But I miss him
If he cared, he'd call
Who can I ask . . . ?
If he cared, he'd send a card
Who would understand?
What parts of me are like him?
There Is a Stone in my Chest
Mark and I map the future
on a rainy walk home after school.
He wants to be a journalist.
His dad will teach him how to drive,
he's already picked his universities,
his parents will be at the open houses,
his dad lets him sip raindrops of whiskey
on sleepless nights.
His dad tells him how to talk to girls,
how to be respectful,
how to listen
like leaves listen to morning dew.
My mum tells me . . .
"You don't have to go to university--
no one in our family has. You'll drown."
My mum says . . .
"Splash your name onto the council housing list."
My mum says . . .
"Not another drab open house--
I'm not going again."
Dad would want me to go.
On his hailstone visits
he'd complain to Mum . . .
"Why can't this boy read?"
Because no one taught me how.
There is a stone in my chest
when I think of my father.
A stone I cannot lift.
A stone that settles its weight
when I visit the barber's alone,
when my body blooms.
There is a stone in my chest
that I cannot lift.
Excerpted from The Boy Lost in the Maze by Joseph Coelho
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
From the UK Children’s Laureate comes a spellbinding YA novel in verse blending the ancient myth of Theseus and the Minotaur with the quest of a modern-day teen in search of his father.
Theo, a seventeen-year-old London schoolboy with a single mother, is desperate to track down the father who left them, whom he scarcely remembers. At school he discovers Greek mythology and the ancient story of Theseus, a fatherless son driven on a similar search. As Theo focuses on Theseus in a series of poems he composes, it becomes clear the two journeys echo each other in uncanny ways. Theseus must conquer his enemies—a psycho Cyclops, a tree-bending murderer, a monstrous pig—while Theo is tricked and double-crossed, confronting obstacles ranging from a search-agency scam artist to a depraved lawyer. Poet Joseph Coelho brilliantly interweaves the boys’ stories, following them through dangers, horrors, and false successes, revealing that Theo must be as resourceful and strong as his mythical hero. In a unique twist, readers are asked to take a role in picking which option the heroes should pursue when facing choices on their path to manhood. The two alternating stories, along with stories from the Minotaur’s perspective, fuse into one in a riveting climax, as the protagonists meet in the heart of the labyrinth.