Friday, September 11, 2009

The Unnameables


The Unnameables
by Ellen Booraem

"If it hath no Use, it needeth no Name, and wilt do thee no Harm. Turn thy Back and 'tis gone. Beware, lest thou stare at the Nameless thing for too long. Thou, and only thou, canst Transform the unnamed to the Unnameable. And then in Truth thou shalt be Gone."

This is one of the most important rules for the Island and Surrounding Waters. Everyone and everything must have a name. And that name must reflect its use. If it isn't useful, it can't have a name and it must be gone.

If you carve, your name is Carver. If you cook, your name is Cook. If you fish, your name is Fisher. If you practice carpentry, your name is Carpenter.

Life is simple that way. There is no confusion.

But Medford Runyuin is not one of them. His parents died when he was young and he was taken in by a Carver. And though he's been raised by one of them, he cannot believe that just because something has no use that it is all bad.

Because Medford has a secret. He doesn't just carve bowls and spoons. He also carves images of birds, faces, and even squirrels that look like they are just curled up and sleeping.

His carvings are beautiful, but they are also dangerous. And not just to him.

They are Unnameable.

Medford even starts to think that they should be destroyed completely... until the Goatman shows up.

And then the real trouble starts.

Note: This book contains words and phrases that can sometimes be a bit confusing. It's worth the read if you can work out the vocabulary in your head.

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