Blonde Eskimo: A Novel

by Kristen Hunt

Overview

2016 Annual Indie Excellence Awards- Finalist in the Young Adult Fiction Category
As featured in: Parade: Gifts For Your Teen Bookworm, POPSUGAR: 10 New Book Series that Recapture that Twilight Magic, Kids Book Buzz: YA Holiday Book Guide, Hypable: Must-Reads for Teen Read Week, Glitter Magazine: 10 YA Heartthrobs to Fill Your Edward/Jacob Void, SheKnows: Holiday Gifts for Book Lovers, The Reading Room: Books to Pair with Your Favorite Winter Drink

Part Viking, part Eskimo, Neiva Ellis knew her family’s ancestral home, the island of Spirit, Alaska, held a secret. A mystery so sensitive everyone, including her beloved grandmother, was keeping it from her. When Neiva is sent to stay on the island while her parents tour Europe she sets out on a mission to uncover the truth, but she was not prepared for what laid ahead.
On the night of her seventeenth birthday, the Eskimo rite of passage, Neiva is mysteriously catapulted into another world full of mystical creatures, ancient traditions, and a masked stranger who awakens feelings deep within her heart. Along with her best friends Nate, Viv and Breezy, she uncovers the truth behind the town of Spirit and about her own heritage.
When an evil force threatens those closest to her, Neiva will stop at nothing to defend her family and friends. Eskimo traditions and legends become real as two worlds merge together to fight a force so ancient and evil it could destroy not only Spirit but the rest of humanity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781940716619
Publisher:	SparkPress
Publication date:	10/13/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	308
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Kristen Hunt is an artist and writer based in Phoenix, Arizona. She is an avid fan of movies, graphic novels and Young Adult literature. Anything evolving fantasy and supernatural experiences captures her interests. As a young child Kristen visited her family in Nome, Alaska and learned of her Eskimo heritage. Her Grandmother, known as the blonde Eskimo because of her golden hair and blue eyes, told Kristen the many legends found throughout Alaska, such as the Ishegocks, totems, and much more. It was these stories that inspired Kristen to write her current novel.

Editorial Reviews

09/01/2015
Gr 9 Up—Neiva is to spend her senior year with her grandmother in her family's traditional home on the island of Spirit, AK. While she knows there are secrets there, even she is surprised to find that the island is the gateway to the spirit world and most of the residents are spirits, demons, and other magical creatures. She learns about her own powers and her place as a much-awaited warrior princess. While this book contains nuggets of Alaskan Native tradition and culture, they are buried within the larger framework of the fantasy world, making it impossible for readers not familiar with Inuit cultural traditions to separate them out. Though Neiva is herself Native (sometimes identified as Eskimo, once as Inuit, though in reality this geographic region is home to the Inupiat), she is described as being blond and raised away from her culture. Coupling this with her prophesied role in the spirit world leads to a very unfortunate white savior motif that will be uncomfortable for many. The description of the setting is average Alaskan fare, but it is overshadowed by the elaborate descriptions of clothing and spiritual creatures. The writing is erratic, often jumping to different points of view with no warning. Character growth is minimal, and Neiva is perfect, and her only job is to learn to use her powers, which she does almost effortlessly. Fantasy fans will be disappointed by this work that leans too much on traditional archetypes and offers very little innovation. Readers looking for Alaskan stories will not be able to find much of substance here. Even the romance elements feel mostly rote. VERDICT A poorly written fantasy that misses the mark.—Elizabeth Nicolai, Anchorage Public Library, AK

School Library Journal

"Kristen Hunt has created a fully immersive world, one of tribal legends, towns that breathe with mystery and attraction that comes with a high cost. Her descriptions of Alaska are keen and crisp, her prose light and youthful. Neiva Ellis is the kind of brave heroine that we've come to love in YA, and I can see middle-grade readers hungrily devouring this interesting saga of Eskimo myth, tradition, and romance." —Colleen Oakes, author of Queen of Hearts, Elly in Bloom, and Wendy Darling
“Blonde Eskimo is full of the rich heritage of a culture that most know little about. Ms. Hunt brings this culture to life with vivid descriptions and fascinating characters living a life most never imagined. The relationship between the characters is dynamic and strong, changing as the characters grow. The mystery surrounding Spirit will have the reader riveted to the page." —Examiner
“Kristen Hunt's Blonde Eskimo is a magical, mysterious, and romantic tale of discovering where you come from, who you are supposed to be, and who you want to be. Hunt displays an emotionally powerful array of the choices we must make when choosing our own destiny.”
—Jessica Stevens, author of Within Reach [spring 2016]

From the Publisher