Book Review - Leviathan

Leviathan by Scott Westerfield (Simon Pulse, 2009)

Leviathan took me by surprise. Having read some of Scott Westerfield’s books, I was not expecting it to be terrific; however, it was really very good. The idea was a refreshing break from so many cookie-cutter fantasies and sci-fi. It is amazingly believable as well as ingenious, and the characters are fun. It is a marvellous book.

Leviathan chronicles the lives of two young people, Deryn and Aleksander. Through the course of their adventures, they wind up on the Leviathan, an airship made out of a thousand living organisms. Caught together, Alek and Deryn must find a way to survive in this world of machines and monsters.


One of the problems I found with Westerfeld’s previous books (The Uglies and Midnighters series) was that I couldn’t connect with any of the characters. Although he improved a lot in Leviathan, the characters were still a bit clichéd.

However the setting of the story was really something else, something very special. The steam-punk, cyber-punk world, in which fabricated animals fight hulking machines, is absolutely fascinating. I also greatly enjoyed the illustrations by Keith Thompson, which truly captured the essence of the book.

All in all, Leviathan was a fantastic book that everyone should take the time to read.

Nick, 11, Canberra