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thelibrarylady42's review against another edition
5.0
When I first picked up this book I thought it was a very strange layout. Students love free verse novels but I was concerned that this layout would be difficult for them to follow. But once I started reading the book I realized that your eye just follows the lines automatically and the little hidden messages in each poem only added to your understanding of the story. So often we say when you listen to someone you have to hear what is not being said as well as what is and that is exactly what is going on here.
shelbynuck's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
the_enobee's review against another edition
3.0
Diamond Willow is told through a series of narrative poems interspersed with prose chapters. The poems are from the viewpoint of the protagonist, and the prose chapters are from he perspective of other characters.
The poems are in the shape of a diamond, with words in bold in the center that form additional sentences. This is to mimic the look of diamond willow wood, which is a pretty cool idea.
However, I have a hard time with using format to try and add meaning to words. Would the bold words have made better titles for each poem? Was any of the narrative improved by the format? Not for me, and the centered justification was a bit much to take.
That being said, this is a shorter book, and I can see some in the target audience (3-5 grades) really enjoying this aspect.
Onto the narrative itself, the story is excellent and well-paced and will really get readers thinking about family, friends, and what makes life so special. Highly recommended to any interested in native Alaskan culture, animals, nature, or just looking for a good story about a 12-13 year-old finding her place.
The poems are in the shape of a diamond, with words in bold in the center that form additional sentences. This is to mimic the look of diamond willow wood, which is a pretty cool idea.
However, I have a hard time with using format to try and add meaning to words. Would the bold words have made better titles for each poem? Was any of the narrative improved by the format? Not for me, and the centered justification was a bit much to take.
That being said, this is a shorter book, and I can see some in the target audience (3-5 grades) really enjoying this aspect.
Onto the narrative itself, the story is excellent and well-paced and will really get readers thinking about family, friends, and what makes life so special. Highly recommended to any interested in native Alaskan culture, animals, nature, or just looking for a good story about a 12-13 year-old finding her place.
kristenremenar's review against another edition
5.0
Love the diamond-shaped poems and the bolded words that create their own poems within. The adventure/survival story with a girl as the main character is good to see, too.
andeez's review against another edition
5.0
Why did it take me years to read this book? It's my only regret. Now that I have, its become a part of me.
This novel in verse follows the story of Alaska Native, Athabascan, Willow. She is 12, tries to not stand out in a crowd, but deems herself independent enough to mush the 12 miles from her house to her grandparents house.
There is tragedy, mythology, friendship, love, and so much more. I'm a fan of libraries and don't often recommend books to own - but this is one of them. I could read it again and again.
This novel in verse follows the story of Alaska Native, Athabascan, Willow. She is 12, tries to not stand out in a crowd, but deems herself independent enough to mush the 12 miles from her house to her grandparents house.
There is tragedy, mythology, friendship, love, and so much more. I'm a fan of libraries and don't often recommend books to own - but this is one of them. I could read it again and again.
readwithpassion's review
4.0
A beautiful story of a 12-year-old girl who wants independence. I was a bit thrown off by the bold in the text as it distracted me from the reading of the story, but I still enjoyed it very much. The diamond-shaped text reflected the culture, and I liked how the animals around Willow were reincarnations of relatives watching her. It is a great story that I would recommend for kids aged 10-14.
heathersbike's review against another edition
5.0
I did not enjoy reading in shapes although I liked the hidden messages. But I *loved* the story.
msjaquiss's review against another edition
4.0
This was an excellent piece of juvenile literature. I loved the setting, the story, the style and the hidden messages.
apetruce's review against another edition
3.0
My daughter won an autographed copy of this book as a reward for writing a great story. She got to meet the author and we were all impressed with her talk. Knowing that it is written in prose style, I wasn't thinking we'd like it much, but figured we should at least give it a try. It's a really neat story -- very good cultural references and a strong, lead female who isn't pretty and popular. The writing is in a poetic diamond shape with secret messages hidden throughout. It's a lot of story for the tight format. Nice read for my third grader and the fifth-grade boy enjoyed it too.