Content levels
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Themes
Synopsis
"Ben Lovatt can never fit in. To those he meets, he seems awkward: too big, too strong, inhumanly made. He baffles and he terrifies: those who do not understand him want him locked up.". "His own mother locked him up; then, guilty, she liberated him. But her unyielding love for him corroded their family; this fifth child broke the home into bits. And now he has come of age and again finds himself bewildered and alone. He searches in the faces of those he meets to see the hostility there, or the fear, or more rarely the kindness. Occasionally a gentler, less fearful person understands his need, how hard he is trying to fit in. Mostly people make use of him, and he finds himself in the south of France, in Brazil, and in the mountains of the Andes, where at last he discovers where he has come from and who is people are"--BOOK JACKET.
Is Ben, in the World appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 16 and up.
This literary fantasy sequel explores themes of alienation, exploitation, and identity through a protagonist who is othered by society. Contains mature themes of abuse, manipulation, and the psychological impact of being treated as inhuman, though violence and sexual content are not graphic.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, mild sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include emotional abuse, captivity, and abandonment (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teens interested in character-driven literary fantasy about searching for identity and belonging will find this thought-provoking.