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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
You will fall in love with Lotta, Sem, Fenna, Egg and Milou. You will hold your breath at each and everyone of their (mis)adventures.
You have to read this incredible story.
You have to read this incredible story.
A huge thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!
2.5/5
If you've seen my RTC post, you'd know this was rated 3.5/5 at first, rounded up to 4 because GR still doesn't allow us half stars. Pretty soon after I'd already decided to round it down to 3. And a bit later still, while I was writing out this review in my head, I realized there really isn't a lot I liked about this book, and a lot that I didn't, so the rating went down further. I rounded it down to show the issues. 3 stars isn't a good rating for me, personally, but for a lot it's still okay. So it's rounded down to 2.
First things first.
I was so excited about this book and fully expected to love it. I was ready to support my fellow Dutch folk and rec this to everyone.
And yet here I am.
I struggled with this book from the minute I started it. I just couldn't connect to it or the characters. And that is really the least of its problems. For starters this is yet another book where orphans are living in a terror orphanage; being treated like vermin and worked to the bone. The line up at the start where the orphans are being judged like chattle reminded me of Tracy Beaker, as I think they did line ups too. The adopters acting like they were choosing a toy or puppy was gross, being led by the matron, and it really pissed me off. On top of that, it is implied -very strongly, it's almost said straight out!- that if you are anything but 'normal' you are 'unadoptable'.
Asian boy? Nope. Girl with 12 fingers who is a brilliant with science? Nope. Boy with ears that stick out? Nope. A mute girl? Nope. A girl with black hair and black eyes? Nope.
Why would you want kids to read that? The comments the adopters have about these children make it more than clear, and there is no note in the book anywhere to reassure children that it is never their own fault if they're not yet adopted. That this book is set in the 19th century and that sadly people were different then- not that that makes it okay. Because it doesn't. Both the matron of the orphanage, the adopters, and even the Kinderbureau, treat and talk about these children as if they are objects, which in inexcusable in any time or situation ever.
I later found out that the term 'unadoptable' is an absolute no go and incredibly offensive, meaning the title is already hurtful to a lot of children. Just look at the comments, look it up on twitter- there are plenty of stories there from people who are either adopters or adopted, and who can explain it much better than I ever could.
Now you could argue that this isn't the point of the story. You'd be right, too, because it isn't. The point is to show found family, and perseverance. And that part is heartwarming, and the ending is lovely, which is the reason why initially my rating was higher.
The characters themselves are just not great either. Milou, a storyteller, is focused on one thing and one thing only: finding her family. She is so one track minded that even when Egg wants answers about his own heritage, she waves him off because her quest is more important. It takes a kidnapping to get her to shift her priorities. I know they're children, but if you want to sell the found family and loving each other, you can't have such a selfish character; especially not when she's the POV of the story.
The other kids are nothing more than their skills and 'otherness', like Fenna's muteness and Egg's being Asian. They are there to lift up Milou, and their skills are needed for the story. They are nothing without them, without Milou, and it makes me question why they are so close and would risk so much for each other.
The setting is lovely, and that is saying something because I loathe Amsterdam. I guess there is just something about the 19th century and winter that makes things feel more magical.
All the Dutch phrases and words are great, even if some seem off in the context; kindjes, most of all- not to mention Egg, whose name is Egbert... and let me tell you that Egbert pronounced the way it should be, has no egg sound in there anywhere. I mean seriously, Bert would have made more sense. These things make me suspect that Tooke has been pretty out of practice with the Dutch language and its pronunciation. This does however mean that for anyone who speaks Dutch, the audiobook is something to be avoided. I love Gemma Whelan and this is nothing against her, but I will never understand why it's apparently impossible to teach narrators the foreign words they are supposed to read. So yeah, might want to avoid the audio!
This review has become very long and frankly, I'm too tired to go back to read through it all and make it more coherent, as I'm sure it could be. Just, know what you're picking up, and know what you'd be reccing to kids.
Tooke has turned her Twitter account private after people started telling her the problems with this book, and no comment has been made by her or any of the publishing team, which I feel is very telling in and of itself. I'm disappointed.
2.5/5
If you've seen my RTC post, you'd know this was rated 3.5/5 at first, rounded up to 4 because GR still doesn't allow us half stars. Pretty soon after I'd already decided to round it down to 3. And a bit later still, while I was writing out this review in my head, I realized there really isn't a lot I liked about this book, and a lot that I didn't, so the rating went down further. I rounded it down to show the issues. 3 stars isn't a good rating for me, personally, but for a lot it's still okay. So it's rounded down to 2.
First things first.
I was so excited about this book and fully expected to love it. I was ready to support my fellow Dutch folk and rec this to everyone.
And yet here I am.
I struggled with this book from the minute I started it. I just couldn't connect to it or the characters. And that is really the least of its problems. For starters this is yet another book where orphans are living in a terror orphanage; being treated like vermin and worked to the bone. The line up at the start where the orphans are being judged like chattle reminded me of Tracy Beaker, as I think they did line ups too. The adopters acting like they were choosing a toy or puppy was gross, being led by the matron, and it really pissed me off. On top of that, it is implied -very strongly, it's almost said straight out!- that if you are anything but 'normal' you are 'unadoptable'.
Asian boy? Nope. Girl with 12 fingers who is a brilliant with science? Nope. Boy with ears that stick out? Nope. A mute girl? Nope. A girl with black hair and black eyes? Nope.
Why would you want kids to read that? The comments the adopters have about these children make it more than clear, and there is no note in the book anywhere to reassure children that it is never their own fault if they're not yet adopted. That this book is set in the 19th century and that sadly people were different then- not that that makes it okay. Because it doesn't. Both the matron of the orphanage, the adopters, and even the Kinderbureau, treat and talk about these children as if they are objects, which in inexcusable in any time or situation ever.
I later found out that the term 'unadoptable' is an absolute no go and incredibly offensive, meaning the title is already hurtful to a lot of children. Just look at the comments, look it up on twitter- there are plenty of stories there from people who are either adopters or adopted, and who can explain it much better than I ever could.
Now you could argue that this isn't the point of the story. You'd be right, too, because it isn't. The point is to show found family, and perseverance. And that part is heartwarming, and the ending is lovely, which is the reason why initially my rating was higher.
The characters themselves are just not great either. Milou, a storyteller, is focused on one thing and one thing only: finding her family. She is so one track minded that even when Egg wants answers about his own heritage, she waves him off because her quest is more important. It takes a kidnapping to get her to shift her priorities. I know they're children, but if you want to sell the found family and loving each other, you can't have such a selfish character; especially not when she's the POV of the story.
The other kids are nothing more than their skills and 'otherness', like Fenna's muteness and Egg's being Asian. They are there to lift up Milou, and their skills are needed for the story. They are nothing without them, without Milou, and it makes me question why they are so close and would risk so much for each other.
The setting is lovely, and that is saying something because I loathe Amsterdam. I guess there is just something about the 19th century and winter that makes things feel more magical.
All the Dutch phrases and words are great, even if some seem off in the context; kindjes, most of all- not to mention Egg, whose name is Egbert... and let me tell you that Egbert pronounced the way it should be, has no egg sound in there anywhere. I mean seriously, Bert would have made more sense. These things make me suspect that Tooke has been pretty out of practice with the Dutch language and its pronunciation. This does however mean that for anyone who speaks Dutch, the audiobook is something to be avoided. I love Gemma Whelan and this is nothing against her, but I will never understand why it's apparently impossible to teach narrators the foreign words they are supposed to read. So yeah, might want to avoid the audio!
This review has become very long and frankly, I'm too tired to go back to read through it all and make it more coherent, as I'm sure it could be. Just, know what you're picking up, and know what you'd be reccing to kids.
Tooke has turned her Twitter account private after people started telling her the problems with this book, and no comment has been made by her or any of the publishing team, which I feel is very telling in and of itself. I'm disappointed.
Writing this as an adult I have to give this book credit. The storyline was fresh the themes are well thought out and valuable for the 8-13 age range and the ending was satisfying. I found some of the events a little unlikely but given the need to keep the tale thrilling for the age group it’s actually aimed at this is no big criticism. It also managed to keep my attention at a time when I have to push myself to read and didn’t come across as a ‘young person’ read as some aimed at the young adult age range might: it’s not presented in a simplistic style. I was able to guess some of the plot turns quite early on in the book but that is possibly due to my long years of reading and adult reasoning and I didn’t put the whole thing together. An eminently enjoyable read, one which I might well read again. If you have young readers who might enjoy the antics of five orphans trying to find freedom from a hard existence at a Dutch orphanage in the late 1800’s this story is well worth considering.
When a sinister merchant tries to purchase them to work on his ship, five unadoptable orphans in Amsterdam set out in search of freedom and family. With superb villains, plenty of mystery and a lot of heart, The Unadoptables is a story everyone will love. Here are three reasons I adored it:
1. The stakes in this story kept getting higher and higher. Every time the orphans looked like they were safe, something else would happen to threaten their happiness. This story kept me up - I couldn't go to sleep until I reached the end.
2. The mystery element kept me on the edge of my seat. When I wasn't reading The Unadoptables, I was thinking about it and trying to work out what the orphans would do next. I came up with so many theories about Milou's family that I could have started by own Book of Theories! The mystery surrounding Milou added to the dark, uneasy atmosphere in The Unadoptables, giving it a brilliant Gothic flare.
3. Milou, Sem, Lotta, Egg and Fenna were so special. They were all well developed and had their own unique stories and personalities. I cared about all of them and desperately wanted them to be happy. Each had their own dreams which wove into the central plot and all five grew over the course of the story.
This creepy MG has a little bit of everything; from found-families, to puppets shows and fortune tellers. It's one of the best books I have read this year.
1. The stakes in this story kept getting higher and higher. Every time the orphans looked like they were safe, something else would happen to threaten their happiness. This story kept me up - I couldn't go to sleep until I reached the end.
2. The mystery element kept me on the edge of my seat. When I wasn't reading The Unadoptables, I was thinking about it and trying to work out what the orphans would do next. I came up with so many theories about Milou's family that I could have started by own Book of Theories! The mystery surrounding Milou added to the dark, uneasy atmosphere in The Unadoptables, giving it a brilliant Gothic flare.
3. Milou, Sem, Lotta, Egg and Fenna were so special. They were all well developed and had their own unique stories and personalities. I cared about all of them and desperately wanted them to be happy. Each had their own dreams which wove into the central plot and all five grew over the course of the story.
This creepy MG has a little bit of everything; from found-families, to puppets shows and fortune tellers. It's one of the best books I have read this year.
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
2.5
I just think I wasn't the intended audience at this point
I just think I wasn't the intended audience at this point
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
fast-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
Thank you Netgalley for this amazing ARC
My Dutch heart warmed while reading this book. I loved each and every one of the characters so much and reading it really just made me smile and made me happy. I honestly love this book.
My Dutch heart warmed while reading this book. I loved each and every one of the characters so much and reading it really just made me smile and made me happy. I honestly love this book.
While the writing wasn't bad, I recommend reading some reviews on this one before recommending it to kiddos. I found this review helpful in presenting both perspectives.
CW: ableism and racism
CW: ableism and racism