《学校图书馆杂志》(School Library Journal)书评
Gr 3-6 Patricia C. Wrede's faithful novelization of the highly anticipated 2002 movie soars thanks to Jonathan Davis's fine narration. Wrede does a commendable job telling George Lucas's intricate, rather meandering story, which is a mix of political intrigue, starry-eyed romance, and full throttle action. Clever sound effects and snippets of John Williams's celebrated movie score enhance the production. The novel literally begins with a bang as Senator Padme Amidala survives an attempt on her life, an explosion that kills her decoy and friend, Corde. Who is trying to kill the highly political Padme? Is the attempt related to the separatists who wish to break away from the Republic? Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi and his young, arrogant student Anakin Skywalker are called in to protect her and to figure out the mystery. A forbidden romance develops between Padme and Anakin, and Wrede does an excellent job conveying their confusion and frustration. These scenes work better in the novelization than they do onscreen because Wrede embraces the opportunity to explain what goes on in their heads. Onscreen the love story seems drippy and cliched; Wrede turns it into something more, and Davis reads their lines with sensitivity and care. What works even better are the scenes with Obi-Wan searching for a planet erased from the archives, and encountering a clone army there. The action sequences with the heroes facing monsters in a coliseum, and with Yoda squaring off against the evil Count Dooku are fast-paced fun. A skilled mimic, Davis sounds a lot like the gravelly voiced Yoda, the gentle Obi-Wan, and a multitude of intergalactic creatures from the movie, and yet he makes the characters his own. Although George Lucas's story isn't perfect (the political conversations), Wrede and Davis manage to give young audiences a fun ride, while giving the mechanical story some heart.--Brian E. Wilson, Evanston Public Library, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.