The boy lost in the maze / a story told in poems by Joseph Coelho ; illustrated by Kate Milner.

Title :

The boy lost in the maze

Author:

Format:

Books

Summary:

"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"--

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.

Language:

English

Audience:

12 and up.

ISBN - ISSN:

9781536236415

1536236411

Physical Description:

313 pages : illustrations ; 21 cm

General Note:

"First published by Otter-Barry Books (UK) 2022."

Contents:

The oracle -- Theo -- The minotaur's story -- Theseus in Troezen: the first labor -- Theo -- The minotaur's story: a toddler -- Theseus and Sinis on the Isthmus -- Theo at Sinis solutions -- The minotaur's story: a boy -- Theseus and the demon pig -- Theo and the Croydon sow -- The minotaur's story: a teen -- Theseus and Sciron in Megara -- Theseus and Sciron the lawyer -- The minotaur's story: becoming a man -- Theseus and Cercyon: the wrestler king in Eleusis -- Theo and the wrestler -- Theseus and Procrustes: the bed-stretcher on the plains of Eleusis -- Theo and the bed-stretcher -- Theseus and the labyrinth -- Theo -- Theseus in Greek mythology.

Subject:

Mythology -- Fiction.

Novels in verse -- Fiction.

Birthfathers -- Fiction.

Teenage boys -- Fiction.

Minotaur (Greek mythology) -- Fiction.

Birthfathers -- Juvenile fiction.

Coming of age -- Fiction.

Young adult fiction.

Mythological fiction.

Novels in verse.

Bildungsromans.

Minotaur (Greek mythological character) -- Fiction.

Theseus, King of Athens -- Fiction.

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The boy lost in the maze / a story told in poems by Joseph Coelho ; illustrated by Kate Milner.

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Library	Audience	Home Location	Material Type	Shelf Number	Status
Searching... Bracewell	Teen/Young Adult	Fiction	Teen Book	COELH	Searching... Unknown
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Summary

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.

Author Notes

Joseph Coelho , an award-winning poet, playwright, and author of picture books and nonfiction, was selected as the UK Children's Laureate in 2022. His books include Werewolf Club Rules ; Overheard in a Tower Block ; The Girl Who Became a Tree: A Story Told in Poems , which was short-listed for a Carnegie Medal; and Ten-Word Tiny Tales. He has also written picture books such as Luna Loves Library Day and If All the World Were. Joseph Coelho works regularly as a performance poet, and his plays for young people have been performed by various British theater groups. A staunch ambassador for libraries and for diverse and inclusive new voices in poetry, Joseph Coelho lives in Kent, England.

Kate Milner is the author-illustrator of the award-winning My Name Is Not Refugee and It's a No-Money Day , which was short-listed for the Kate Greenaway Medal. She is also the illustrator of Joseph Coelho's Overheard in a Tower Block and The Girl Who Became a Tree: A Story Told in Poems . Her illustrations and prints have been shown in London galleries and national touring exhibitions. A former librarian, she lives in Bedfordshire, England.

Reviews (4)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Previous collaborators Coelho and Milner (The Girl Who Became a Tree) offer a vulnerable, nuanced look at masculinity via a teenager's search for his father paralleled with the Greek myth of Theseus. Seventeen-year-old Theo Andino's father is absent, and Theo has never felt the loss more than now, when he's figuring out who and how to be: "Manhood's become a rock/ I cannot lift alone." When Theo discovers he has a different biological father, he seeks him out despite having nothing more than the man's name. Theo's only solace is Mr. Addo's English class, where he works on an assignment retelling the myth of Theseus, a man who battles monsters while searching for his own father, through poetry. Alternating between Theo's personal inquiry and excerpts of his assignment, Theo's and Theseus's labors reflect each other and begin to intertwine. By utilizing complex verse that demonstrates a clear love of poetic experimentation, Coelho presents an insightful, multidimensional interpretation of a millennia-old myth. Milner's pencil figure drawings and glyphic illustrations are interspersed throughout, portraying Theseus as a contemporary superhero. Theo is Black and multiracial and supporting characters are ethnically diverse. Ages 12--up. Agent: Caroline Sheldon, Caroline Sheldon Literary. (Mar.)

Horn Book Review

Coelho, the U.K.'s current Children's Laureate, here interweaves two narratives -- one a riff on the classical story of Theseus; the other of Theo, a contemporary biracial teen seeking his Black father. They are "two boys searching a maze of manhood," as an introductory poem by "the Oracle" proclaims. In first-person, present-tense verse -- free verse as well as rondels, sestinas, pantoums, and other tightly structured poetic forms -- the story focuses on Theo's visceral desire to know the father who long ago abandoned him and his mother. At the same time, for coursework, he pursues the project of telling Theseus's story in a series of poems. Theseus's labors as he travels to meet his father become the structure by which Theo envisions and interprets progress and setbacks, liars and swindlers, in his own quest. He has his own take on the tricksters and monsters Theseus slaughters, offering compassionate, complex readings that explore and contest ideas of masculinity and the monstrous. Coelho's verse is expressive and arresting: his description of washing a contemporary Sciron's feet is enough to curl your toenails. His mingling of contemporary urban features with the fantastic grotesqueries of the classical story creates a surreality that suits adolescent passions. Milner's pen-and-ink illustrations throughout combine the statuesque, hieroglyphic, and superheroic in a parallel expression of the mythic nature of teen quests. An appended note gives background on the story of Theseus. Deirdre F. BakerMarch/April 2024 p.84 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

Poet Coelho has reimagined the Theseus myth using both formal and free verse. The conceit is that the story of Theseus is being written by a contemporary London schoolboy of mixed race, named Theo, as an assignment for his English coursework. There are numerous similarities between 16-year-old Theseus' and 17-year-old Theo's unfolding stories: both are searching for missing fathers and the meanings of manhood. The poems addressing these themes alternate between Theo's perspective and that of Theseus, who is on a journey to Athens to find his father, the king, and along the way, besting the "murderers and cheats; thieves and monsters" that populate the road. Speaking of monsters: Theo gives readers the Minotaur's backstory, making him not a monster but a sympathetic character. In structure, Theo's challenges usually follow and echo those of Theseus: the story of Theseus and the bandit Procrustes is followed by Theo having to sleep in a too-small bed. Despite numerous challenges and disappointments, Theo persists, as does Theseus. While the mood is often bleak and the tone sometimes saturnine, the language is beautifully wrought. A nervous Theo is "a boy of fidgets"; "leaves listen to morning dew"; rain is "white satin"; a man listens "like mountains listen to snow"; and more. Besides being gorgeously realized, the story gets high marks for originality, which is high praise, indeed.

Kirkus Review

A 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) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Excerpts

PROLOGUE 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.