Odd. Just odd. ( )

Everything old is new again. Here Elves are treacherous, amoral, and stunningly beautiful with powers humans can only dream of. A refreshing take on elves after too many cloyingly sweet fairy stories. Cold Tom, an adolescent elf, runs into the dreaded demon (aka human) town to escape death at the hands of his elven parents. In our time, of course, no one believes in the fae. And Cold Tom as narrator gives a wonderfully interesting insight into how his elven mind views all things human. A quick and fascinating read for all ages... ( )

A very sweet, sometimes confusing story about the bonds any strong emotion can create, Cold Tom is a quick, interesting read that will keep you on your toes. I'm not going to say too much about the plot, because one of the things about this book which I wholeheartedly delighted in was trying to figure out just what Tom was. It isn't hard to figure out--nor to discover what the demons are--but it is captivating nonetheless. A good story about how not wanting to belong can draw you in even closer, and how hatred can bind you to a person just as muc as love. Read it if you have a minute. Sally Prue does not play around! ( )

I picked this book up about a month ago in a bargain bin at Barnes and Nobles. They were charging a dollar for it. I read the inside cover and decided, what the hell, its only a buck.. The cover art for the hardbound book was worth a dollar by itself. it was glossy and reflective. if i were a raven, i would rip it apart and love on it for its shininess.

[...:]

Tom cannot hunt, he is too clumsy. he cannot creep quietly through the forest as the others. He very nearly outs the whole village to the “Demons” or as we refer to ourselves, humans. Demons have plagued the villages existence for long enough that no one can truly remember a time where they were not around, but they do remember when they were much further away. Not as far away as the stars, mind you, but far enough away to be comfortable.

Tom has not always been clumsy loud and confused. infact, as his hearing and eyesight worsen, everything else seems to go to pot as well. he seems to be falling apart.

Through circumstances i will not get into here, Tom has to leave his tribe. The only place for him to go is into the world of the demons.

All in all, i was pleased with this book. the publisher rates this as a book for 12 year olds, but i was really into it. there is a simple philosophy that acts as an undercurrent to this book, one that any age group can identify with.

From Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield’s (character) last lines amount sums it all up:

“Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.”

Human nature is so simple. The connections you make with others do nothing but strengthen your inability to be a hermit. simple communication can destroy one’s ability to stay separate, clean, and clear of others.

you see a similar clarity in many books, but recently it was most visually evident in Cold Tom, visual being the word to carry forward.

Tom, being an elf, can actually see the vines and organic elements that bind families friends and humanity together. the more he interacts with humans, the stronger their binds to him become. they are both suffocating and comforting. as with all of us, it is a juggling act to determine which is more important, the suffocation or the safety of relationships and society.

Though Tom himself is not human, he shares many charcteristics with us. the degrees of seperation are muted and flimsy, in many places completely invisible. this book teaches tolerance with out preaching. it shows good faith, with out reason for faith to exist. it suggests lessons, but not in an overt lecturing manner as many early teen books have been known to do.
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I would give this book a 4 and a half because it is exciting in most of the story, especially when Tom is found by a human after turning invisible. This book lost half a point because after Tom is discovered the excitement dies down. ( )