- Mass Market Paperback: 166 pages
- Publisher: Harper Trophy Canada (Jan 15 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0006391699
- ISBN-13: 978-0006391692
- Product Dimensions: 17.8 x 11.9 x 1.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 136 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #132,477 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
In Tribes, Arthur Slade's engaging young adult novel, 12th-grader Percival Montmount Jr. has decided to dedicate his life to studying anthropology like his father, who died from a tsetse bite while working in the Congo. Living in Saskatoon with his mother, Percy attends Groverly High, where he spends his days observing and recording the actions of everyone around him. His only real friend, Elissa, helps with his anthropological studies.
Percy writes constantly in his field journal as he classifies everyone at his school into tribes--the logo tribe, the lipstick tribe, the hockey tribe--based on their everyday rituals. But what started as a simple hobby becomes an obsession, and Elissa begins to worry. Percy sees everything from an anthropological point of view, which causes him to begin losing touch with reality and his emotions. He has shut everyone out, including Elissa and his mother, and has repressed certain painful memories. Eventually, Elissa starts to avoid him, and after a shocking personal discovery, Percy realizes that he must begin to live in the real world. Slade writes with real verve and energy--as in this description of a football player beating on Percy: "The color of his large gray eyes resembled that of an atomic mushroom cloud"--making Tribes a thought-provoking yet fast-paced read. (Ages 13 and older) --Mark Frutkin --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
Slade's (Dust) dense novel inventively uses an anthropological lens to view high school life. Narrator 17-year-old Percy explains in a prologue that his anthropologist father died in the Congo three years earlier, after being bitten by a tsetse fly. The teen then reveals that on the night his father died, "Dad materialized at my bedside, extended a ghost arm, and opened his fingers to reveal a pair of glowing spirit eyes... and inserted the magical orbs into my sockets." Percy thereafter refers to fellow humans as "hominids" and frequently relies on amusing anthropological jargon that occasionally grows grating. Yet the narrative effectively conveys why Percy is shunned by fellow students. His most astute observations come at the expense of his peers: "Numerous tribes exist in friction at our school. The Logo Tribe exhibits name brands wherever and whenever possible.... The Lipstick/Hairspray Tribe performs elaborate appearance alterations to attract mates." He describes himself and his sole friend, Elissa as a "cohesive group of two" who are "quasi-omniscient Observers." Other highlights include a mystical parallel with the Ndebele tribe, where his father was working at the time of Percy's birth, and the tribe's ritual marking a boy's entry into manhood. Despite the hero's awkward anthopologic-speak ("No one ever knows what I'm talking about. What it means. No one!"), readers who admire the fellow's spirit may well enjoy this unusual treatise on high school culture; a concluding twist brings this tale down to earth. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Any Highschool in any time. Great insight.,
By
This review is from: Tribes (Mass Market Paperback)
Arthur Slade is one of my favorite children's/teen authors. His books are imaginative, unique and always a great read. I read my first Slade book when Dust won the Governor General's Literary Award back in 2001. I loved it so much I picked up this one, and was not disappointed.This is the story of Percy Montmount Jr. and his friend Elissa who are in their final year of high school. Percy, whose father was an anthropologist, examines the social environment of high school through the eyes and methods of an anthropologist. The names of the tribes, and the social commentary associated with them, is hilarious. Some of the tribes are: The Busybody Tribe The Logo Tribe - exists to only wear name brands. The Digerati Tribe - Worships bytes and silicon Chips. The Lipstick/Hairspray Tribe The Gee-The-Seventies-Were-Great-Even-Though-I Wasn't-Born-Yet Tribe The Hockey Tribe - Subdivided into Canadians, Oilers, Rangers and 32 sub clans. The Jesus Freaks The Madonna Tribe (But in decline and near extinct) Join Percy and Elissa as they navigate their senior year, and as Percy must come to grips with his own anthropological reality. This is a great fun and very enjoyable read.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.6 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews) 9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Admit it: It's a clever idea,
By Brent Hartinger - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
The son of an anthropologist does a "study" of the various tribes (cliques) of his high school? But what makes the book work (as always) is the believable characters and, yes, the heart. A great read.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Any Highschool any time. Great Insight.,
By Steven R. McEvoy "MCWPP" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Tribes (Mass Market Paperback)
Arthur Slade is one of my favorite children's/teen authors. His books are imaginative, unique and always a great read. I read my first Slade book when Dust won the Governor General's Literary Award back in 2001. I loved it so much I picked up this one, and was not disappointed.This is the story of Percy Montmount Jr. and his friend Elissa who are in their final year of high school. Percy, whose father was an anthropologist, examines the social environment of high school through the eyes and methods of an anthropologist. The names of the tribes, and the social commentary associated with them, is hilarious. Some of the tribes are: The Busybody Tribe The Logo Tribe - exists to only wear name brands. The Digerati Tribe - Worships bytes and silicon Chips. The Lipstick/Hairspray Tribe The Gee-The-Seventies-Were-Great-Even-Though-I Wasn't-Born-Yet Tribe The Hockey Tribe - Subdivided into Canadians, Oilers, Rangers and 32 sub clans. The Jesus Freaks The Madonna Tribe (But in decline and near extinct) Join Percy and Elissa as they navigate their senior year, and as Percy must come to grips with his own anthropological reality. This is a great fun and very enjoyable read. 8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Totally unique and great!,
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Tribes (Hardcover)
Tribes is unlike any novel I've ever read. Percy's way of scientifically classifying his classmates is funny, yet serious at the same time. I think anyone who has ever pondered the universe or the meaning of life will find Percy's thoughts and the other characters' points of view intriguing. Arthur Slade creates a brilliant blend of light and thought-provoking sections. The twists and turns of the plot are excellent too. I would recommend this book to all teens who like reading.
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