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djahatimisor's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
julietem08's review against another edition
2.0
I read this book in 7th grade for an end-of-the-year project and it wasn't the worst book I've ever read for school. I think that the author had an idea with the plot but slowed it down too much. The book was only 180 pages long and the action didn't pick up until the book was almost done.
Age Rating: 11+
There is very very mild language and it doesn't seem like something anyone younger would enjoy reading.
Age Rating: 11+
There is very very mild language and it doesn't seem like something anyone younger would enjoy reading.
jtlars7's review against another edition
All of these hurricanes recently brought this book from childhood to mind. I'd forgotten most of it, and listening to it made my commute fly by.
madtattler's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
thepolybrary's review against another edition
3.0
~*Full review here on The Bent Bookworm!*~
I wasn’t at all sure what to expect going into this. I’d never heard of the book or the author despite it apparently being a “children’s classic” (??), but Gary Paulsen (didn’t we all read Hatchet?) wrote the introduction so I thought it surely couldn’t be too bad. I was super skeptical though, on reading the blurb…I mean, it’s clearly meant to be a demonstration of how we are all PEOPLE above whatever color our skin is, but I was concerned that a book written in 1969 might not be as socially aware as it was thought at the time of publication.
It was an entertaining enough little story, if a little slow at times. The style is a little dated, and I think modern kids might get bored (my husband said it was a slog for him), but an avid reader would breeze through it. I’m still a little on the fence as far as the representation. Timothy, the black man who saves Phillip from the sinking ship, is West Indian and repeatedly described as ugly – it does seem that most of his ugliness in Phillip’s eyes is due to his age, though whenever Philip has a disagreement with Timothy he blames it on Timothy’s race. At first he agrees with his mother’s statement on black people, “They are different and they live differently. That’s the way it must be.” Gradually however, he changes his mind as he actually gets to know Timothy and Timothy cares for him week after week. It was definitely predictable, but the addition of Stew Cat was sweet and I loved how he and Philip were such good buddies.
Timothy’s dialogue is ALL written in dialect, something that is not only (in my opinion) annoying to read but also tends to belittle the character speaking the lines. I understand it can and is sometimes only used as a device to help the reader imagine the way a character sounds – after all, there are a lot of different accents in the world – but it’s an older device and has fallen out of favor due to the frequent implication that the person is inferior in some way. Also, its use makes it more difficult for some of the intended audience to comprehend the dialogue.
The dialect issue was probably my biggest one with the book, since by the time the resolution comes Philip has entirely revamped his view of black people (and we hope, of anyone else different from him). I was also bothered by another aspect of Timothy’s story, but can’t really discuss it without spoilers, so….I’ll just leave it at that.
Overall, it was an okay book. I think there are much BETTER books on the market now, that would suit the purpose of helping privileged kids see outside of their world, but in 1969 this was probably pretty revolutionary.
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I wasn’t at all sure what to expect going into this. I’d never heard of the book or the author despite it apparently being a “children’s classic” (??), but Gary Paulsen (didn’t we all read Hatchet?) wrote the introduction so I thought it surely couldn’t be too bad. I was super skeptical though, on reading the blurb…I mean, it’s clearly meant to be a demonstration of how we are all PEOPLE above whatever color our skin is, but I was concerned that a book written in 1969 might not be as socially aware as it was thought at the time of publication.
It was an entertaining enough little story, if a little slow at times. The style is a little dated, and I think modern kids might get bored (my husband said it was a slog for him), but an avid reader would breeze through it. I’m still a little on the fence as far as the representation. Timothy, the black man who saves Phillip from the sinking ship, is West Indian and repeatedly described as ugly – it does seem that most of his ugliness in Phillip’s eyes is due to his age, though whenever Philip has a disagreement with Timothy he blames it on Timothy’s race. At first he agrees with his mother’s statement on black people, “They are different and they live differently. That’s the way it must be.” Gradually however, he changes his mind as he actually gets to know Timothy and Timothy cares for him week after week. It was definitely predictable, but the addition of Stew Cat was sweet and I loved how he and Philip were such good buddies.
Timothy’s dialogue is ALL written in dialect, something that is not only (in my opinion) annoying to read but also tends to belittle the character speaking the lines. I understand it can and is sometimes only used as a device to help the reader imagine the way a character sounds – after all, there are a lot of different accents in the world – but it’s an older device and has fallen out of favor due to the frequent implication that the person is inferior in some way. Also, its use makes it more difficult for some of the intended audience to comprehend the dialogue.
The dialect issue was probably my biggest one with the book, since by the time the resolution comes Philip has entirely revamped his view of black people (and we hope, of anyone else different from him). I was also bothered by another aspect of Timothy’s story, but can’t really discuss it without spoilers, so….I’ll just leave it at that.
Overall, it was an okay book. I think there are much BETTER books on the market now, that would suit the purpose of helping privileged kids see outside of their world, but in 1969 this was probably pretty revolutionary.
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palaktrivedi's review against another edition
2.0
At first, I thought that I was going to be incredibly disappointed by this book. It starts off bland, pretty racist and a little annoying. But as it continues on, I come to love Timothy and his dynamic with Phillip. I have a pretty big problem with the way Phillip (through the author) describes Timothy and calls him ugly all the time, but I’m glad Phillip continues to be humbled throughout the experience. I don't love the trope of "kind person of color changes white person's mind by being nice to them in the face of their blatant racism." After further research, I learned this is something known as the "Magical Negro" trope which is "a supporting stock character who comes to the aid of white protagonists in a film {or book}. Although I understand the idea and underlying theme of wanting Phillip to understand his ignorance, I feel there is a way to accomplish that without enforcing negative stereotypes or calling him ugly over and over and OVER again. The imagery and the author's ability to really pull me into the island and what Phillip thought and noticed was good; I hardly ever found myself skimming, which is pretty common for me. I remember really loving this book when I was a kid and I find myself really engaged with it once more and its definitely due to the way the author makes the reader care for Timothy. I remember sobbing when I was younger when I read that Timothy had died and even now, I shed a tear or two for his sacrifice. Timothy is definitely my favorite aspect of the book, as is Stew Cat, whose personality found little moments of spotlight. The end felt a little cliche, but its a pretty old book and having it end so perfectly and full circle was nice for once. If it weren't for nostalgia or Timothy, I think this book might sit at a 2 out of 5, but it evoked emotion in me and so I bumped it up a little more for that.