Reviews

Tin by Pádraig Kenny

estellegsr's review against another edition

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5.0

C'était beaucoup trop bien ???? C'est un coup de cœur ????? Lisez ce livre svp ???????

liesljrowe's review against another edition

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3.0

A fun and heartwarming tale of what it means to be human. You can definitely see the Wizard of Oz inspiration here as a group of robots traipse off to find Britain's greatest engineer in a ploy to help their friend. There's some cool steampunk tech and it's hard not to become attached to the robots, who feel more human than mechanical (although, really, that's part of the point).

exocutionn's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

hadia_00's review against another edition

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3.0

*3.5 stars

espargobookdragon's review against another edition

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5.0

A pretty good read.
The cover made me think The Wizard of Oz. A quest for a tin man type character to locate his heart maybe.
This was so much more. I was reminded of the films Robots, IRobot and Astro Boy in some parts, but essentially this is a story all on its own.
It's about friendship, family. It's an adventure and there's mystery. A message about being all you can be.

jillcd's review against another edition

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3.0

It took awhile to get into the book, but once I did, it was had an interesting concept. The plot is Sci-fi ish, and I couldn’t quite tell where it was going. This will appeal to certain kids, specifically those that like Steampunk. Grades 4/5 and up.

hh78's review against another edition

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dark hopeful mysterious tense slow-paced

3.5

motherbooker's review against another edition

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4.0

From my review at motherbookerblog.com:

"When I first decided to read this book I expected it to be a twee little story about an orphaned boy and his little robot friends going on an adventure. What I actually got was something much deeper that goes into the finer details of what it means to be human. This feels like an incredibly grown-up book and it was an absolute joy to read. Writer Pádraig Kenny has not only come up with a fantastic concept for his story but he has fit it into a really well-built world. His whole new reality has its own, slightly recognisable, history and is full of luscious details. It is a steam punk wonderland that I wish I could have seen more of. He has also crammed it full of amazingly written characters who feel believably real despite the fact many of them are actually artificial. Each mechanical has their own distinct personality and add their own emotional slant to the narrative. It’s a pleasure getting to know these characters and it’s super difficult to not fall in love with each of them.

I admit that I wasn’t expecting a children’s book to have such a profound impact on me, a nearly 30-year-old woman, but there were moments when I was nearly in bits. The story delves deep into the heart of humanity and love and is not afraid to put its readers through the ringer. The narrative gets a little dark in places but is always so full of hope and love that it never becomes too much. It plays with the idea that science and advancement are great but that there is a massive responsibility to keep it under control for the good of humanity. Genius is all well and good but nobody should be trying to play God. It’s an incredibly mature and thoughtful book that I wish I’d read as a child. There are big ideas and big, gut-wrenching feelings inside these pages but there is also more than enough fun, laughter, and love to balance it out.

I was drawn to Tin thanks to its sensational premise and awesome cover (yes, I know you should never do it but what are you gonna do?). I stayed because of how well-crafted the story is. The pacing is brilliant and drives you forward. Not a single moment is wasted in unnecessary side-plots or over-the-top description. The plot never drags but it is slow enough to allow you to keep up with what is happening. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you interested and the dialogue is all very natural. This book really surprised me and I would definitely read as much as I could about these characters and this reality. If this experience has taught me nothing else it’s that maybe it’s time I start reading more children’s books and stop being so concerned with only reading “proper” literature? After all, Tin taught us all that “proper” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be anyway."

4rosiedozie's review against another edition

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5.0

Beautiful tale of friendship and humanity.

caittweddle's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0