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letter ::

Hello,

Here’s a book review of my novel from Foreword Reviews magazine — known for its editorial looks at new literature. This review explores themes from Danielle, so you can preview the setting, characters, and adventure.

The story has something for everybody — I wrote it for all ages. I hope the it will educate, entertain, enlighten — and delight you.

Danielle World :: visit

— Ray Kurzweil

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label ::

publication: Foreword Reviews
genre: youth fiction
story: Danielle is a coming-of-age novel.
date: June 2019

read :: story

https://www.forewordreviews.com/reviews/Danielle

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publication: Foreword Reviews
web: home
banner: text

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An introduction.

The book — Danielle: Chronicles of a Superheroine — is a coming-of-age novel that’s also a call-to-action. In inventor + futurist Ray Kurzweil’s youth epic, capable children have the freedom to innovate solutions to real world problems.

An American aid worker adopts Claire, a 6 year-old Haitian girl who’s left orphaned after an earthquake devastates her island. Her baby sister, Danielle, is born 2 years later. At first, she seems verbally + physically delayed. But she surprises her family when as a toddler — with conversation and abstract thinking skills.

The girls’ father is inspired to start the Stern School. Which was inspired by the real-life 19th century, progressive Stern Schule — founded by Ray Kurzweil’s great-grandmother. The school fosters the children’s remarkable skills — with a non-traditional, inter-disciplinary curriculum. And lessons that can be applied in the field.

Danielle’s ideas evolve into policies that solve global economic, health, and political crises — turning her into an activist and rising star.

The book follows a structure like the scientific method. Chapters are organized as year-by-year episodes from Danielle’s youth. The chapters are longer in her tween years, when life’s problems become more complex.
Each chapter explores a pressing global issue that Danielle worries about. Supervised by Claire, she devises hypothetical solutions to field-test and modify when conflicts arise. She has ups + downs with success.

The story’s pace is even. The dialogue keeps it moving forward between action scenes.

Though it’s written in a way that’s accessible to young adults, the book’s science concepts in physics, math, and economics are difficult to follow. The most challenging moments are in later chapters.

Divided into two parts, the book’s first half reads like standard fiction. The second half is a companion to the first. With suggestions for becoming a super-hero and taking action.

Ray’s daughter Amy Kurzweil is a graphic novelist. Her illustrations help break the story into digestible chunks.

Danielle + Claire are personifications of Kurzweil’s economic, political, and scientific background. Claire’s story runs second to the accomplishments of her sister. Her role is supporting: she’s Danielle’s care-taker, conscience, and adviser.

Danielle is compulsive + precocious — so it’s Claire’s voice that grounds the story. Their Stern School classmates are context for the sisters’ adventures.

Danielle + Claire’s alternative view of history can’t help but end on a high note — given Danielle’s “super-hero” talents, and her ebullient optimism.

The final take-away is there’s no harm in trying something new. It can help solve important problems. The story encourages teen inventiveness. Danielle is a coming-of-age novel that’s also a call-to-action.

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