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milesjmoran's review against another edition
4.0
I do enjoy a good children's classic. I was apparently one of the few British children never to have read this, but I did really like it. I really appreciated the qualities Carrie had and her empathy towards others, which I feel is a very important lesson to teach children. A very sweet and pleasant read with some dark undertones I thoroughly enjoyed.
isabelmoncaster's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
bibliobethreads's review against another edition
4.0
Carrie's War was an absolute must for our Kid Lit challenge in 2016 as I was determined this was the year I was finally going to read it. What a surprise I got to find that I remembered certain parts of the book as I came across them - yes, I had already read it! Goodness knows when, but as I read it for the second time some sections felt very familiar and others very new. From the synopsis, you assume it's going to be another one of those "war books," involving children, similar to War Horse by Michael Morpurgo and The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne. In essence it is - it tells the story of Carrie and her little brother Nick and their new friend Albert Sandwich as they are all evacuated from London on the train to the countryside in Wales as it is presumed a safer place to be. To be honest, not a whole lot more is mentioned about the war so if you are hoping for gas masks, bombs dropping and horrific carnage, this is perhaps not the book for you.
Carrie's War is a compelling read in a completely different way. It focuses on how Carrie and Nick settle into their new home with the religious and very strict Mr Evans and his quiet, fearful sister (who they quickly become comfortable with and call Auntie Lou). Carrie and Nick find it very difficult to please Mr Evans who insists on rules and behaving with the utmost decorum and find refuge with their friend Albert's hosts who live in a magical place called Druid's Bottom. This is actually the home of Mr Evans sister Mrs Gotobed, whom funnily enough is bed-bound, very ill and expected to die soon. Hepzibah Green, her maid, looks after her, runs the household, looks after the animals on the farm and takes care of Mister Johnny, a young boy who is unlike anyone Carrie and Nick have ever met before and although he frightens them initially, they soon develop a strong bond.
Hepzibah and Auntie Lou are provided as motherly figures that Carrie and Nick lack being evacuees and away from their own family. Almost immediately, it becomes a real treat to visit Druid's Bottom to help out with the chores, eat amazing home-cooked food and hear Hepzibah's stories. One in particular involves a skull that has an ancient and terrifying history and is of utmost importance to the story when an adult Carrie returns with her own children and reminisces about her time in the country and a "terrible thing she did."
There are a lot of things in this novel to love. It was such an interesting reading experience for me as I remembered some things so clearly - like when the children first happen upon Mister Johnny while some things felt entirely new, like the children's relationship with Mr Evans which goes to a completely different level when his sister, Mrs Gotobed passes away. I think it's a brilliant story to read as an introduction to the Second World War and the variety and diversity of characters is very commendable and something I think children will enjoy. I especially loved Mister Johnny and his wonderful language all of his own (gobble, gobble) and although I felt a bit frustrated with Carrie at times, she emerged as a great heroine and role model. I'm already a big fan of Nina Bawden after her amazing book for adults The Ice House and I can't wait to read more of her work, kid-lit or otherwise!
For my full review, please see my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com
Carrie's War is a compelling read in a completely different way. It focuses on how Carrie and Nick settle into their new home with the religious and very strict Mr Evans and his quiet, fearful sister (who they quickly become comfortable with and call Auntie Lou). Carrie and Nick find it very difficult to please Mr Evans who insists on rules and behaving with the utmost decorum and find refuge with their friend Albert's hosts who live in a magical place called Druid's Bottom. This is actually the home of Mr Evans sister Mrs Gotobed, whom funnily enough is bed-bound, very ill and expected to die soon. Hepzibah Green, her maid, looks after her, runs the household, looks after the animals on the farm and takes care of Mister Johnny, a young boy who is unlike anyone Carrie and Nick have ever met before and although he frightens them initially, they soon develop a strong bond.
Hepzibah and Auntie Lou are provided as motherly figures that Carrie and Nick lack being evacuees and away from their own family. Almost immediately, it becomes a real treat to visit Druid's Bottom to help out with the chores, eat amazing home-cooked food and hear Hepzibah's stories. One in particular involves a skull that has an ancient and terrifying history and is of utmost importance to the story when an adult Carrie returns with her own children and reminisces about her time in the country and a "terrible thing she did."
There are a lot of things in this novel to love. It was such an interesting reading experience for me as I remembered some things so clearly - like when the children first happen upon Mister Johnny while some things felt entirely new, like the children's relationship with Mr Evans which goes to a completely different level when his sister, Mrs Gotobed passes away. I think it's a brilliant story to read as an introduction to the Second World War and the variety and diversity of characters is very commendable and something I think children will enjoy. I especially loved Mister Johnny and his wonderful language all of his own (gobble, gobble) and although I felt a bit frustrated with Carrie at times, she emerged as a great heroine and role model. I'm already a big fan of Nina Bawden after her amazing book for adults The Ice House and I can't wait to read more of her work, kid-lit or otherwise!
For my full review, please see my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com
flick_reads's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
woolfardis's review against another edition
4.0
As soon as I finished Carrie's War I instantly felt a little silly for enjoying it. I'm not entirely sure why, but it is a pure and simple tale that would take a lot of overthinking and analysis to not enjoy.
We follow Carrie and Nick, two children of London who are evacuated with little labels like parcels to a small mining village in Wales, away from the bombings and the terrors of the war. Immediately they are thrown from the comfort of a family life to a strangers house, where the war might be miles away but they are still living their own kind of war.
I was reminded a little of Swallows and Amazons, for both the innocence of the world and the simplicity of the story telling. We are living in a child's world and seeing it through their eyes, and they are not selfish and boring and self-righteous like a lot of YA protagonists seem to be, but are from a different kind when childhood meant childhood and growing up was done a little bit slower.
Much like Swallows and Amazons (and probably a lot of other books from that time), the plot and writing style are simple yet extremely effective. It is written well as the text flows seamlessly and we follow the lives of these children, not a story. It won't challenge your opinions or make you think too much, but it is a joy to read. Carrie and her brother Nick are wonderful little characters, as are all the other people that create the atmosphere of this book.
The nicest thing of this novel is how we see the world through Carrie's eyes, and the way she must navigate her life away from her parents. Although she is being looked after by two very respectable (if not a little meek or stern) adults, she still must live almost by her own wits. She must think her own thoughts and work things out for herself, which is conveyed very well throughout the story. We also see Carrie being very much an imperfect protagonist: she gets things wrong, and often lets her feelings get in the way of logic, or sees things through a child's eyes rather than the way they should be seen.
I can't say for certain why I felt a little foolish for enjoying this book so much. It was a simple read, but an enjoyable one. Perhaps because I feel there are other books that have greater literary merit that I've never quite been convinced to like. Perhaps because it is a children's tale, but then some of my favourites were written for children but are enjoyed more by adults. Perhaps there is no reason, and it was just a small, little spark of a feeling that passed quickly but felt larger because I was then going to share my feelings with the world. Enjoying a book is one thing, but telling other people about that enjoyment is another, and takes a certain kind of bravery.
We follow Carrie and Nick, two children of London who are evacuated with little labels like parcels to a small mining village in Wales, away from the bombings and the terrors of the war. Immediately they are thrown from the comfort of a family life to a strangers house, where the war might be miles away but they are still living their own kind of war.
I was reminded a little of Swallows and Amazons, for both the innocence of the world and the simplicity of the story telling. We are living in a child's world and seeing it through their eyes, and they are not selfish and boring and self-righteous like a lot of YA protagonists seem to be, but are from a different kind when childhood meant childhood and growing up was done a little bit slower.
Much like Swallows and Amazons (and probably a lot of other books from that time), the plot and writing style are simple yet extremely effective. It is written well as the text flows seamlessly and we follow the lives of these children, not a story. It won't challenge your opinions or make you think too much, but it is a joy to read. Carrie and her brother Nick are wonderful little characters, as are all the other people that create the atmosphere of this book.
The nicest thing of this novel is how we see the world through Carrie's eyes, and the way she must navigate her life away from her parents. Although she is being looked after by two very respectable (if not a little meek or stern) adults, she still must live almost by her own wits. She must think her own thoughts and work things out for herself, which is conveyed very well throughout the story. We also see Carrie being very much an imperfect protagonist: she gets things wrong, and often lets her feelings get in the way of logic, or sees things through a child's eyes rather than the way they should be seen.
I can't say for certain why I felt a little foolish for enjoying this book so much. It was a simple read, but an enjoyable one. Perhaps because I feel there are other books that have greater literary merit that I've never quite been convinced to like. Perhaps because it is a children's tale, but then some of my favourites were written for children but are enjoyed more by adults. Perhaps there is no reason, and it was just a small, little spark of a feeling that passed quickly but felt larger because I was then going to share my feelings with the world. Enjoying a book is one thing, but telling other people about that enjoyment is another, and takes a certain kind of bravery.
klaf83's review against another edition
3.0
Didn't enjoy as much as I might have done because I didn't like Carrie, as a child or as an adult.
wild_mustang's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.0