The title and image on the cover of They Threw Us Away immediately activates the dark places that your imagination can wander. It inspires curiosity, thoughts of friendship, and an unknown hint of what could be malevolence or something more apocalyptic. We see four teddy bears, each with a distinct personality. One is protective, a pink one is dancing, one looks quite aloof, and one who’s a bit of a wildcard. On the back we see a quote from the first chapter of the book that ominously states, “Is anyone there? I think….I’m lost”. Forget any preconceptions you have about They Threw Us Away. This book could easily be more inspired by any number of characters, depending on what you identify with the most. However,in reality, it’s an original story that crackles like very few books you’ll read this year.
The scene from Toy Story 3 where they’re at the junkyard is obvious. However, as you start reading They Threw Us Away you’ll find threads to Atlas Shrugged, Animal Farm, Doctor Who, and more. It’s important to state that They Threw Us Away is not scary. This is a fabulous book for ages 10 and up that creates a sense of large-scale adventure, with a sense of dread. Running along-side these threads is a major storyline about friendship and teamwork.
The book works as perfectly as any upper elementary school book and older that we’ve read in the past two years. A huge reason for it being so on point for these ages is its chapter length. Some chapters are as short as four pages with the longest one being eight pages. This length is awesome for these ages (and others) because they’re quick to digest and also short enough to read more than one. They’re also created in a way that builds tension from one chapter to the next. They ask questions that will leave readers on the edge of those pages to find out what happens next.
Author Daniel Kraus also makes the back story behind the teddy bears believable. Sure they’re in a junkyard, but how did they come to be there? How did they escape their packaging? How are they able to move and talk without being seen by people? What are these teddy bears trying to accomplish?
The way that the story plays out is delicious and makes sense in a realistic way. It happens in our world and doubles as much as a cautionary tale about overconsumption as well as the adventure story that drives it. You’ll want to take your time and read every word so that the climax is worth every chapter. They Threw Us Away plays out so perfectly that it’ll run around in your head as you re-connect the dots, just to be certain that you understood all of the subtle character traits and plot twists.
The bears and their temporary outpost in the dump are written in words, but they’re so well written you’ll feel like you can smell the putrid combination of liquids. They’ll also evoke that dread that I mentioned, as well as the action, like when they’re on the run from various garbage dump animals. In our mind’s eye we all know they exist, but looking at them from the perspective of a one-foot-tall teddy bear is frightening. This is book number one from The Teddies Saga and you’ll be chomping at the teddy bit to read the sequel to They Threw Us Away.
They Threw Us Away is by Daniel Kraus and available on Henry Holt and Company, an imprint of Macmillan Publishing.
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