Wow! All I can say after the thrilling ride just taken in book five of The Misewa Saga: The Sleeping Giant by David A. Robertson is WOW!

In book five, readers are back with Arik, Eli, Emily, Mahihkan in The North Country about to embark on their most dangerous and deadly journey yet, to rescue the pisiskowak of Ministik and reunite the community. The rescuers find surprising allies as well as new enemies on their journey to The Sleeping Giant where their mission will come to a head. All this while Eli is just beginning to learn the extent of his powers and coming to terms with what it means to come from the Sky World.

Once again, David A. Robertson sends readers on a thrilling journey and leaves us hanging with a cliffhanger at the end! Clever, to keep us always coming back for more, however, in this book readers really do get the sense that this series is coming to an end. We can start to feel the beginnings and the foreshadowing of how things will wrap up in the final instalment of the series in the upcoming book six. 

However, back to book five, where community is the big takeaway from this story. I love how community is the emphasis in this part of the journey through Misewa because its a universal theme. Anywhere you go, community is incredibly important and over the last several years we have been lacking in community. I love that this story is a fantastic reminder about the importance of surrounding ourselves with beings who will make us better. Throughout the whole book, there is a gathering of community and bringing members back into community who may have left. There is a reminder about forgiveness and making amends that is equally important for young readers to remember.

This book is also non stop action. I read it in 24 hours because I just couldn’t put it down. Just when you think the characters have escaped one fate and can rest, another obstacle is thrown in their way. This story is not an easy story, this journey is difficult and fitting for the penultimate book in the series. Readers will be clamouring for the final instalment as I am.

Once again, David A. Robertson transports us and thrills us and allows readers a little bit of time to escape into another world and take an adventure. At the beginning he says “Books are portals” and I can’t think of a truer statement, especially for this story.