Vango

Starred review from October 20, 2014
Young Vango Romano longs to become a priest, despite his interest in Ethel, a girl he can't seem to forget. With the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party looming as a backdrop on Vango's ordination day in April 1934, he's accused of murder. Vango escapes the police by scaling the walls of Notre Dame like a spider and racing across the rooftops of Paris (and eventually the world) as multiple parties give chase and war erupts. Vango's past is murkyâhe washed up on the shores of a remote Italian isle with his nurse, a woman desperate to hide his originsâyet Vango's identity might hold the answer to why so many people want to find him. In this exceptional, sprawling novel, French author de Fombelle (Toby Alone) builds a layered tale around his mysterious protagonist, one full of humor and memorable characters. Part fantasy, part adventure, part historical novel, the story of Vango's flight across Europe and the smart young women that populate his life will be sure to thrill fans of Kenneth Oppel and win de Fombelle many enthusiasts of his own. Ages 12–up.

Starred review from July 1, 2014

Gr 7 Up-A thrilling historical adventure set in the mid-1930s, this novel opens with a dramatic scene in front of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris where 19-year-old Vango is about to become a priest. Just before he is ordained, he is falsely accused of a murder. After scaling the Cathedral, the teen's exploits unfold across rooftops, on land and sea, and even by the Graf Zeppelin airship. Vango's journey takes him from the Sicilian Islands, where he was raised by a nanny under mysterious circumstances, to Germany where Nazi power is on the rise. He remains just one step ahead of a determined-and somewhat comedic-police superintendent and several other characters whose obsession with capturing Vango leads to more questions than answers. Among the historical figures who make appearances are Hugo Eckener, commander of the Graf Zeppelin, Stalin, and the composer Sergei Prokofiev. Just as memorable are minor characters such as Giuseppina Trossi, a woman who lives on the isolated island where Vango was born and supplies important information about his past; a beautiful Scottish heiress, a priest who lives in an "invisible monastery," and a girl called "The Cat" who, like Vango, is comfortable spending the nights on Paris rooftops. With numerous characters and a winding and often complicated story, this breathtaking tale is guaranteed to keep teens on the edge of their seats, and will appeal to confident readers who enjoy intricately plotted tales.-Shelley Sommer, Inly School, Scituate, MA

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 15, 2014
Minutes from joining the priesthood in 1934, Vango, who was found washed ashore on a tiny Italian island as a toddler, must suddenly avoid both arrest and a simultaneous assassination attempt. Establishing his innocence while on the run across Europe requires untangling his mysterious past. The story's got all the classic elements of swashbuckling adventure tales like The Count of Monte Cristo-except pistols replace swords, and the villains include men who would become leaders of the Axis powers. Flashbacks to Vango's childhood demonstrate that his heroism is innate-such as when, at 10, he drops from a cliff into a sinking boat to save a neighbor. But fate doesn't always reward valor, and de Fombelle notes that by saving his neighbor, the youngster "was embarking on a stormy life ahead." But Vango's gentleness and caring earn him loyalty (and potentially romance) from those who help him along his journey. These characters, like Vango, are inherently brave but also shaped by tragedy. Their courage is tested by war and their frustrating inability to counteract the growing power of the Nazi regime. Tension escalates when readers begin to suspect that Vango's story is more closely interwoven with the conflicts of World War II than either he or his supporters realize.Beautiful writing, intricate plotting, and breathless reveals-plus several plucky female leads-make this a must-read. (Historical fiction. 12 & up)

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Starred review from October 1, 2014
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Moments before his ordination as a priest, in the shadow of Paris' Notre Dame, Vango, a 19-year-old boy who is falsely accused of murder, must flee the police. So begins a glorious adventure story that will take Vango and his pursuersnot only the police but also dark forces from Joseph Stalin's Russiaacross Europe by foot, train, and even the celebrated airship Graf Zeppelin. Why the Russians are after him is a mystery, but, then, Vango's whole life is a mystery. Washed ashore on a tiny island with his nurse when he was only two or three, the boy doesn't know who his parents were, where he came from, or why he is being pursued. But the devil himself seems to be after him. One hairbreadth escape after another marks his uneasy progress. A mysterious young woman named the Cat, a sequestered monastery, a Scottish heiress, a notorious arms dealer, and a French police superintendent all become inextricably entwined in Vango's life. French author de Fombelle has written a brilliant, wonderfully exciting story of flight and pursuit, filled with colorful characters and head-scratching mystery. As the novel proceeds, the suspense is ratcheted up to breathtaking levels as the boy remains only one step ahead of his relentless pursuers. This reminds even the most jaded readers of the abiding pleasures of a compelling, page-turning story. The only drawback: a frustratingly inconclusive ending that demands a sequel. Readers can only hope one will be forthcoming.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

September 1, 2014
The hero of this fast-paced adventure tale is as elusive and capable as a superhero, as personable and obscure, a figure made wholly of romance, mystery, and action. When we first meet Vango in the mid-1930s, he's lying face-down in front of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, about to be ordained a priest. Within moments, police pursue him, a killer shoots at him, and he scales the front of Notre-Dame and flees like a bird. In effect, de Fombelle's novel is one long chase scene, interspersed with flashbacks to orphan Vango's idyllic childhood in Italy's Aeolian Islands and to the political pasts of those who pursue him--out of friendship or enmity. World War I, the Russian Revolution, and the rise of fascism all come into play as de Fombelle flits from scene to scene, character to character, drawing in a buffoonish police superintendent, a zeppelin commander, a clever Scots heiress, and Joseph Stalin himself--along with pirates, political activists, arms dealers, and a population of monks in a hidden monastery. Who is Vango? The question drives the story, and although de Fombelle provides some answers, he leaves readers many questions with which to await the sequel. Unusual and captivating. deirdre f. baker

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2015
We first meet Vango in the mid-1930s, lying face-down in front of Notre-Dame Cathedral. Within moments, police pursue him, a killer shoots at him, and he flees like a bird. In effect, de Fombelle's novel is one long chase scene, interspersed with flashbacks to Vango's childhood. WWI, the Russian Revolution, and the rise of fascism all come into play in this unusual and captivating book from France.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)