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risten's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Slavery, and Racism
Moderate: Grief, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Animal death, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Torture
Minor: Alcohol and Vomit
aglclark's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
wow. just wow. what an excellent book. a really good representation of what life was like for enslaved peoples and maroons, at a very approachable level for kids. I cried several times at the end ðŸ˜
I saw a few reviews that mentioned there were too many characters. I felt this at some points, but I think it was necessary for the author to be able to tell the entire story and showcase different aspects of slavery and maroon life.
Note: This was my 2023 book of the year. It made it into my Staff Picks, with the review: "Freewater won the Coretta Scott King Award AND the Newbery Medal this year, and it’s no wonder why. The book tells the story of several enslaved children - some who grew up in slavery, some who recently escaped slavery, and some who were born free and never experienced slavery. It tells a very realistic story of what life was like for many enslaved peoples and maroons (runaway slaves who often lived in swamps and forests near plantations) at a digestible level for kids, and manages to have a fun story with a hopeful ending while touching on a very serious topic. Freewater is my book of the year this year, and while it’s a kids book I think it’s a valuable read for both children and adults. I think it would be a great family road trip audiobook (which is how I listened to it), as it may be important for parents to be available to answer questions kids may have."
I saw a few reviews that mentioned there were too many characters. I felt this at some points, but I think it was necessary for the author to be able to tell the entire story and showcase different aspects of slavery and maroon life.
Note: This was my 2023 book of the year. It made it into my Staff Picks, with the review: "Freewater won the Coretta Scott King Award AND the Newbery Medal this year, and it’s no wonder why. The book tells the story of several enslaved children - some who grew up in slavery, some who recently escaped slavery, and some who were born free and never experienced slavery. It tells a very realistic story of what life was like for many enslaved peoples and maroons (runaway slaves who often lived in swamps and forests near plantations) at a digestible level for kids, and manages to have a fun story with a hopeful ending while touching on a very serious topic. Freewater is my book of the year this year, and while it’s a kids book I think it’s a valuable read for both children and adults. I think it would be a great family road trip audiobook (which is how I listened to it), as it may be important for parents to be available to answer questions kids may have."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery and Racism
Moderate: Racial slurs, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol and Gun violence
atamano's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Racism, Slavery, Fire/Fire injury, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, and Body shaming
Minor: Death of parent, Vomit, and Gun violence
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