The Boy Lost in the Maze

Starred review from December 4, 2023
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.

December 15, 2023
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)

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Starred review from January 1, 2024
Grades 9-12 *Starred 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.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

March 1, 2024
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. Baker

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from June 28, 2024

Gr 7 Up-Coelho takes on the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, an allegory for the human condition. In alternating chapters of verse, parallel stories in ancient Greece and modern London unfold, revealing two young men, Theseus and Theo, on exhausting and exhaustive journeys in pursuit of absent fathers. Theo, 17, an aspiring poet who has been raised by his mother in urban poverty, takes extra jobs to earn money for people-finder services by a scammer who leaves him empty-handed, until the man's attractive daughter steps in to aid Theo. Teacher Mr. Addo mentors Theo and supports his exploration of the retelling of the Minotaur myth, but blurs the line between teacher and father figure. This results in an outburst of rage so extreme that Theo blacks out and imagines himself as the minotaur facing Theseus and recognizes a brotherhood between the hero and monster; Theo sees himself as hero and anti-hero in his own story. Allusions appear throughout, like the handlebars of Theo's bike that resemble the horns of a bull, "a heroic symbol of all that is male." Coelho's verse alternates between freeform and rhyme, with use of alliteration, repetition, acrostic poetry, and other forms that are complex yet accessible. The inventive use of the "choose your own ending" device is playful and compelling. Rough pen-and-ink drawings illustrate the layered and intricate story, which is both character-driven and action-packed, intricate, hopeful, suspenseful, and thought-provoking. Characters are diverse (Theo is biracial), introspective, and authentic. VERDICT A stellar addition to all libraries serving teens, this will appeal to fans of Jason Reynolds's Long Way Down, David Elliott's Bull, and Jessie Burton's Medusa.-Rebecca Jung

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2024
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.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)