Review of “Friends and Rivals” by Tuula Pere

Score: 95/100 (9.5 out of 10)

Why are we always surprised when Tuula Pere produces another instant classic after another? Time and time again, Pere pleasantly surprises us with outside-the-box, captivating plots that go above and beyond the scope of most children's books.

Friends and Rivals is a truly extraordinary, complex, yet incredibly concise children's book about two brothers—former best-friends—who end up on separate sides of a conflict caused by a hunger and thirst for power (as well as unspoken misunderstandings).

As children in the book's opening, Prince Victor and Prince Otto were inseparable, often playing and day-dreaming together. They rode on hobby horses and swung wood waster swords, imagining being heroes and kings.

However, this joyous, cheerful, and bright tone is suddenly, abruptly, and jarringly shattered when we're reintroduced to the two brothers as adults. Prince Victor was apparently the winner in a bloody and violent struggle for the throne akin to a Shakesperean play. He sends the defeated and dejected Prince Otto, once the closest person to him, to the palace dungeons.

King Victor becomes a tyrant who uses guns and violence to get his way (which is implied but not shown) and neglects managing the production and storage of food, apparently leading to shortages that are revealed later in the story. Victor himself becomes a miserable and paranoid person who constantly lives in fear of the retribution and revenge he feels Otto will take upon him if he were to release him from prison.

In one of the book's most powerful scenes, the brothers are shown on different floors of the palace, and Victor ponders how his once-beloved brother—a person who made him happier than anyone else—is only a few floors beneath him.

Meanwhile, Otto becomes disheveled, unshaven, and malnourished in prison. The jail-keepers even forget his title and who he is. They forget to replenish his water and leave him with only two hard loaves of bread. At the turning point of the book, Otto meets a little boy who offers him water between the bars of his cell.

This little boy becomes a central character, likely representing the power of this newer generation to make a difference and to influence government and society when they are failing and falling.

The little boy bravely attempts to meet King Victor, the most feared man in the kingdom, and befriends him, welcoming him to play soccer with him and giving him someone to talk to. It is revealed that Victor wants to bury the hatchet with Otto, but can't let go of the past, his ego, or his fear.

The little boy finds a mysterious old man akin to Merlin who claims to have known Victor and Otto when they were children. He gives the little boy a candle-lit lamp that apparently has magical powers to draw people together. The little boy wakes Victor in the middle of the night and lures him to the dungeons to finally reunite with Otto. The two spend the night together, just talking and eventually forgiving each other. In the morning, the agree to rule the kingdom as partners. Notably, Victor's smile returns, indicating that the weight of his guilt has been lifted and that his brother's love and forgiveness has restored his spirit and zest for life.

This book does an incredible job in the confines of only 20-40 pages to tell an epic story akin to a Shakesperean play. It says a lot about young people to make a difference and how violence and conflict should be last resorts. Sometimes, it just takes people talking and coming to a compromise. Sometimes, it just takes people setting aside their differences in the interest of peace.

Check it out on Amazon!