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rsales2's review
5.0
One of my favorite books I’ve read this year! It is beautiful and sweet. For me, it was also a complete palette cleanser. I love the representation-I have never read a book where the heroine has Down Syndrome. Agatha is now one of my favorite heroines.
Side note-I adore the cover of this book! Congrats to whoever designed that!
Side note-I adore the cover of this book! Congrats to whoever designed that!
brandypainter's review
4.0
This was one of those impulse library checkouts, and I have zero regrets. The pacing is just right. Elliott keeps the action moving at a strong clip, so there is never a chance to get bogged down in details, while at the same time building an interesting and complex world and characters. I adore that one of the main protagonists is a girl with Down's Syndrome, and the other has paralyzing anxiety attacks. Both of their voices and struggles were clearly conveyed, and Elliot does a really good job of switching between their points of view. I will definitely be reading the rest of the trilogy now!
labsandliterature's review
4.0
The Good Hawk by Joseph Elliott is a junior fiction novel set in a mythic Scotland and tells a heartwarming story of adventure, courage and friendship. Agatha and Jaime are two members of Clann-a-Tuath. Agatha is a special member of the clan and takes her job as a Hawk very importantly. Hawk’s patrol the sea-wall always on the look-out for danger from the sea and warring clans. Agatha was born with down syndrome and others in the clan don’t trust her to perform her duties. Jaime is an Angler who is afraid of the sea and hates being out on it. When their clan is attacked, Agatha and Jaime are forced into action to protect their people.
Elliott has created an exciting plot paired with compelling characters that make this novel impossible to put down. The twists and turns that follow left me on the edge of my seat. This novel is one of a kind with a unique adventure that leaves the reader captivated until the very last page.
ebralz's review
3.0
This was a solid debut and mostly enjoyable read. I definitely liked the setting and the u Kaye story. While I love that one of the POV being told is from a person who is disabled it’s just so hard to tell if it’s done well. Meaning I can’t nor do I want to say it is or isn’t bc I’m not in that persons shoes nor is the author so who really knows. I do feel that some of the vocabulary was an odd choice at times, especially when he choose to use contemporary language when other times he used old Gaelic or even made up language. But all in all fast paced and I liked the characters a lot.
rebecamarz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
thindbooks's review
4.0
*this book was given to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*
This was an enjoyable book. It’s two heroes in Scotland, Agatha who is a Hawk and is a whispers and then there is Jaime who is an Angler and is getting married to a girl he never met. When the clans get kidnapped, both Agatha and Jaime team up to find who took them. Usually I’m not a fan of historical fiction but I enjoyed this one. I liked the authors writing and how he wrote the story. The pacing was a little slow in the beginning but it picked up later on in the book. It was fun learning about different clans and also mixing in magic with it.
I liked the characters in this book but didn’t feel connected to them. There is Agatha who is 15 years old with Down syndrome. I liked Agatha because she is a brave character that would do anything to save her people. She developed a lot through the story and understood more about her whispering powers. There is Jaime who I also liked. I enjoyed reading his adventures and pov. He was more of a serious character but developed a lot through the book. I enjoyed both characters but didn’t feel connected to them like I usually do.
This was a enjoyable historical book. I think the author handled the information with Down syndrome right and didn’t hurt the representation. (Unless I missed something or read something wrong). There isn’t much romance in this book expect some people having crushes. I did have minor problems with this book but not a lot. I think this book is perfect for those who love fantasy historical fiction.
This was an enjoyable book. It’s two heroes in Scotland, Agatha who is a Hawk and is a whispers and then there is Jaime who is an Angler and is getting married to a girl he never met. When the clans get kidnapped, both Agatha and Jaime team up to find who took them. Usually I’m not a fan of historical fiction but I enjoyed this one. I liked the authors writing and how he wrote the story. The pacing was a little slow in the beginning but it picked up later on in the book. It was fun learning about different clans and also mixing in magic with it.
I liked the characters in this book but didn’t feel connected to them. There is Agatha who is 15 years old with Down syndrome. I liked Agatha because she is a brave character that would do anything to save her people. She developed a lot through the story and understood more about her whispering powers. There is Jaime who I also liked. I enjoyed reading his adventures and pov. He was more of a serious character but developed a lot through the book. I enjoyed both characters but didn’t feel connected to them like I usually do.
This was a enjoyable historical book. I think the author handled the information with Down syndrome right and didn’t hurt the representation. (Unless I missed something or read something wrong). There isn’t much romance in this book expect some people having crushes. I did have minor problems with this book but not a lot. I think this book is perfect for those who love fantasy historical fiction.
booksandlemonsquash's review against another edition
3.0
I nearly put this down early on because Agatha’s voice seemed over-some and Jamie wasn’t interesting enough. And while he grew on me a little, it was Agatha who drew me in - I feel I would have enjoyed the book more if it had solely been from her perspective. Her voice quickly grows on you, and loses the initial slightly over done part. I think that’s to set it up, and also to jump right into her actions, but it definitely didn’t work well for me.
However as the story progressed, I grew to really love Agatha, and also the story of their tribe. My favourite were the riders though, they were fab! I also quite liked the queen and how she ended up playing into the story, plus it allowed us to get that insight into the background of the situation.
I did find it enjoyable overall, but only notable for dealing with Agatha’s disability. I still may keep an eye out for book two cause it ends on a tiny cliffhanger.
However as the story progressed, I grew to really love Agatha, and also the story of their tribe. My favourite were the riders though, they were fab! I also quite liked the queen and how she ended up playing into the story, plus it allowed us to get that insight into the background of the situation.
I did find it enjoyable overall, but only notable for dealing with Agatha’s disability. I still may keep an eye out for book two cause it ends on a tiny cliffhanger.
nedge's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5