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micksland's review against another edition
3.0
3 stars
Read for my 2019 Book Bingo Challenge: Read a Middle Grade or YA book that you’ve never read before
This book was kitschy and fun, but had more than a few flaws. I probably would have loved it when I was ten, so I don’t want to judge too harshly; after all, its target audience probably enjoys it immensely. However, there were certain elements that kept me from enjoying it fully.
Pros: It presented a nuanced view of African culture. Resthaven was a well-developed location and showed the flaws of rejecting technology and modernity in a sensitive way. It’s nice to see an African setting in children’s lit, which in my experience is dominated by American and European settings. The story was fun and there were some genuinely funny passages.
Cons: The plot was generic, and the characters were forgettable. The worldbuilding was very shallow. It’s set in 22nd century Zimbabwe, but there is no explanation for the spirits and superpowers that drive the plot. If a fantasy series is going to be set in the real world, I think that the onus falls on the author to explain the presence of any magical elements in a satisfying way. Here, there was only the barest attempt at a hand-waving explanation.
Overall, it was fun, and I might recommend it to a younger child. But I’m not sure it really deserves to be as famous as it is.
Read for my 2019 Book Bingo Challenge: Read a Middle Grade or YA book that you’ve never read before
This book was kitschy and fun, but had more than a few flaws. I probably would have loved it when I was ten, so I don’t want to judge too harshly; after all, its target audience probably enjoys it immensely. However, there were certain elements that kept me from enjoying it fully.
Pros: It presented a nuanced view of African culture. Resthaven was a well-developed location and showed the flaws of rejecting technology and modernity in a sensitive way. It’s nice to see an African setting in children’s lit, which in my experience is dominated by American and European settings. The story was fun and there were some genuinely funny passages.
Cons: The plot was generic, and the characters were forgettable. The worldbuilding was very shallow. It’s set in 22nd century Zimbabwe, but there is no explanation for the spirits and superpowers that drive the plot. If a fantasy series is going to be set in the real world, I think that the onus falls on the author to explain the presence of any magical elements in a satisfying way. Here, there was only the barest attempt at a hand-waving explanation.
Overall, it was fun, and I might recommend it to a younger child. But I’m not sure it really deserves to be as famous as it is.
saidahgilbert's review against another edition
5.0
This is the second time I'm reading this book. It is an amazing story. Adventurous and educative at the same time.
P.S. This edition had a lot of typos. (Orion)
P.S. This edition had a lot of typos. (Orion)
booksnorkel's review against another edition
5.0
Wonderful and lovely this is the book that made me fall in love with Nancy Farmer. I honestly think that her ability to immerse you in a culture is unique and stunning.
Set in a futuristic Zimbabwe three children whose overly protective father has kept them locked up in their estate so when they finally hatch a plan to have an adventure to the city zoo they are kidnapped.
Winding up in several locations the children realize what binds people together, what it means to be part of something greater than themselves, and strength.
I love learning about the Zimbabwe culture and Nancy Farmer weaves that together with a futuristic setting that somehow emphasizes the traditions and spirituality of Zimbabwe.
Beautiful and fun this is a book for 4th graders on up who aren't afraid of books about different cultures.
Set in a futuristic Zimbabwe three children whose overly protective father has kept them locked up in their estate so when they finally hatch a plan to have an adventure to the city zoo they are kidnapped.
Winding up in several locations the children realize what binds people together, what it means to be part of something greater than themselves, and strength.
I love learning about the Zimbabwe culture and Nancy Farmer weaves that together with a futuristic setting that somehow emphasizes the traditions and spirituality of Zimbabwe.
Beautiful and fun this is a book for 4th graders on up who aren't afraid of books about different cultures.
haley_j_casey's review against another edition
4.0
This is such a strange and awesome book. A Zimbabwean sci-fi tale about three resourceful, adventure-seeking kids, mutated detectives, African spirits and folklore, family relations, ancient civilizations, and even with all of that the tale still manages to get to the heart of humanity. It shows the good and the bad in people, how different people react when faced with their true morals, how characters change, and it treats everyone involved in the story as equally important: children, adults, men, women, the physically altered and the mentally disabled.
I just really like the way things come together, and the thought that feels like it was put into every scene. What a gem.
I just really like the way things come together, and the thought that feels like it was put into every scene. What a gem.
vlherrou's review against another edition
5.0
Dystopic scifi is one of my favorite genres. Farmer is an excellent YA/scifi author. In this book she proves she's a great straight-up SciFi author as well. I'd say this is a must-read for anyone into science fiction, or anyone who just plain likes to read.
shonaningyo's review against another edition
4.0
Truth be told, this was an assignment for school to read, and when I read the first page, I was bored out of my mind.
Despite that, I read on, and though the beginning chapters are stale, it seems for the best, because Nancy Farmer's style seems to be that you slowly lure the reader in, word by word, sentence by sentence, until they find themselves turning page after page, trying to find what happens next in the story.
This book is a very well-mixed balance of sci-fi, African folklore and traditions with italicized foreign words (complete with a glossary in the back) , laugh-out-loud comedy, and adventure.
The middle got a little stale, and the ending seemed rushed, but the characters are unforgettable, and I find myself checking the book out over and over again just to read it again and again.
The main characters, Tendai, Rita, and Kuda, are round and dynamic, with a crowd of supporting characters carrying the banner, so to say, and bringing a smile to one's face and flesh out the story with quirks and humanity.
I sincerely recommend this book to anyone who likes a story about preteen children on an adventure with many life lessons and growing to be acquired along the way.
Despite that, I read on, and though the beginning chapters are stale, it seems for the best, because Nancy Farmer's style seems to be that you slowly lure the reader in, word by word, sentence by sentence, until they find themselves turning page after page, trying to find what happens next in the story.
This book is a very well-mixed balance of sci-fi, African folklore and traditions with italicized foreign words (complete with a glossary in the back) , laugh-out-loud comedy, and adventure.
The middle got a little stale, and the ending seemed rushed, but the characters are unforgettable, and I find myself checking the book out over and over again just to read it again and again.
The main characters, Tendai, Rita, and Kuda, are round and dynamic, with a crowd of supporting characters carrying the banner, so to say, and bringing a smile to one's face and flesh out the story with quirks and humanity.
I sincerely recommend this book to anyone who likes a story about preteen children on an adventure with many life lessons and growing to be acquired along the way.
crikhopit's review against another edition
2.0
Re-read this after 15 years. Wasn't as great as an adult, but I still enjoyed the sci-fi-ness of this book.
gbaty's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
mslaureeslibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25