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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
Quite entertaining, though the end doesn’t quite live up to the intriguing beginnning - I would have hoped to hear more about the other children’s back stories. Still a sweet story about the meaning of family
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this book so much!! It was adorable and made me feel so many emotions :]]
At first I fully thought I knew what to expect. "It's just another story about an orphan looking for her family. What could be new?". But that couldn't be further from the truth. While, yes, some things were a bit more predictablesuch as her parents not actually being there (it was never going to be that easy) , the way it got to that point was a unique enough approach to keep me wanting more.
This also played out in my head somewhat like a marionette show or a shadow puppet show. I don't know why, but the sort of cozy artsy vibes mixed with the heavy themes of puppetry and storytelling probably made me feel like that.
Anyway, this book was fantastic, especially as a middle grade book which can usually end up straying away from covering heavier topics because "kIdS wOnT uNdErStAnD" (in plots which would otherwise greatly benefit from the emotional impact of darker themes), this book covered some heavier themes in ways that were still suitable for a middle grade audience. Ones that would make them feel for the characters while also not giving them nightmares.
At first I fully thought I knew what to expect. "It's just another story about an orphan looking for her family. What could be new?". But that couldn't be further from the truth. While, yes, some things were a bit more predictable
This also played out in my head somewhat like a marionette show or a shadow puppet show. I don't know why, but the sort of cozy artsy vibes mixed with the heavy themes of puppetry and storytelling probably made me feel like that.
Anyway, this book was fantastic, especially as a middle grade book which can usually end up straying away from covering heavier topics because "kIdS wOnT uNdErStAnD" (in plots which would otherwise greatly benefit from the emotional impact of darker themes), this book covered some heavier themes in ways that were still suitable for a middle grade audience. Ones that would make them feel for the characters while also not giving them nightmares.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
This was such a sweet story! I can't remember the last time I read a historical middle grade book and I don't think I've ever read anything set in the Netherlands that wasn't about WW2 before. Family is a tricky thing sometimes but I think that Milou summed up the definition well saying that it's those who you know you wouldn't be able to live without that make up your family. I loved how independent and intelligent the characters were and how they wouldn't stop until they found a life that gave them joy. I admit I wasn't sure they'd be able to pull off the theater show but I was wrong and should have realized by then not to underestimate them.
One thing that I didn't like was the spiritual/psychic element. I didn't really see the need for it and think that the story would have been just as good, if not better, had that been left out. I would recommend this book for a younger audience as parts of the plot I had a hard time finding believable but I thought that the ending was so, so good and it seemed like there could be room for a sequel! Overall, a great story about finding where you belong. Happy Reading :)
One thing that I didn't like was the spiritual/psychic element. I didn't really see the need for it and think that the story would have been just as good, if not better, had that been left out. I would recommend this book for a younger audience as parts of the plot I had a hard time finding believable but I thought that the ending was so, so good and it seemed like there could be room for a sequel! Overall, a great story about finding where you belong. Happy Reading :)
This was a really cute and fun read. I loved the kids, I love that they all had a special thing about them. I don’t love the title (Unadoptable just shouldn’t be a word— no one is unadoptable) but I do think the author did a good job portraying these kids as amazing and unique heroes of their own stories, no matter what the awful adults around them were doing. The end definitely had me turning pages super fast.
This was a total delight. What fun adventure! (Random side note: I was reading two books at once that had a lot of puppets. That was weird and unintentional)
[3,5]
It took me a while to finish the book. I regret that I read the audio book, because when I googled it just now, I saw that there are beautiful illustrations in the book. The characters in the book were well developed, the plot I found less interesting. The disadvantage of the audio book is that the Dutch language is used in the text, which makes it difficult to follow. I speak Dutch, but even I had trouble with this, because the person who recorded the audio book said the words with a strange English accent.
This is normally not a book I pick up, I don't have much interest in historical books, but this book was dark, funny and adventurous and managed to make me want to read on.
When I started this book, I had no idea of the drama involved. Halfway through the book I read some reviews. It became clear that people disagreed with the title of this book and the impact it could have on children in the care system. I understand that you have to be careful about things like that, but it's clear that most of the people who are upset about it have not read the book. As someone who has no connection with the adoption community, you might say that I am not qualified to comment on this argument. But Adoption UK clearly shares this opinion, as they have published a positive review of Hana Tooke's book...
It took me a while to finish the book. I regret that I read the audio book, because when I googled it just now, I saw that there are beautiful illustrations in the book. The characters in the book were well developed, the plot I found less interesting. The disadvantage of the audio book is that the Dutch language is used in the text, which makes it difficult to follow. I speak Dutch, but even I had trouble with this, because the person who recorded the audio book said the words with a strange English accent.
This is normally not a book I pick up, I don't have much interest in historical books, but this book was dark, funny and adventurous and managed to make me want to read on.
When I started this book, I had no idea of the drama involved. Halfway through the book I read some reviews. It became clear that people disagreed with the title of this book and the impact it could have on children in the care system. I understand that you have to be careful about things like that, but it's clear that most of the people who are upset about it have not read the book. As someone who has no connection with the adoption community, you might say that I am not qualified to comment on this argument. But Adoption UK clearly shares this opinion, as they have published a positive review of Hana Tooke's book...
I really enjoyed this! But I feel that it took me a long time to read for whatever reason.
Really lovely characters and a great storyline - I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
Really lovely characters and a great storyline - I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
Five out of five stars! This book is wonderful-- a mixture of cozy, adventurous, and full of mystery. The way that clues are formed together and connected is perfect! Because you don't expect it, but it MAKES SENSE. It's beautiful, perfect!
All of these characters are relatable, yet unique, and you can tell that they love each other dearly, and appreciate each other so much. They value each other's differences, and in a way, they do remind me of the Baudelaires, from a series of Unfortunate events, but at the same time, they're also completely different. You can see how they've been affected by their time at the orphanage and their upbringing. With the Bauldelaries, what makes them them is that they each love their parents, and that they USED to be normal, but now, they're orphans, and they're goal is to find out what happened to said parents and get BACK to normal. Whereas with the unadoptables, they have never had parental love, and what brings them together is that they're each different, "unadoptable", but they love each other for said differences. They risk everything for each other, from the wrath of evil orphan heads, to death. And that's what's really interesting about them, is that these children have never known the love of a family, but they've managed to carve out one anyway. I love that about this book.
Anyway, enough of the family talk, let's talk about the writing-- I loved it! The way Tooke writes about the Netherlands makes me feel like I'M THERE. Wintery landscapes and crowded cities are transformed into fairytale like illustrations, just using words! It makes me feel like anything is possible, just like how a child would feel. It's not only the descriptions, but also the way she writes her characters, each are believable, and I feel well developed. Each child grows in this story, especially the main character, Milou, who I love the most. She is so imaginative, smart, and creative.
I love how each of these children have a talent.
Egg is good at art. Fenna is good with animals and baking. Lotta is good at mechanics and engineering. Sem is the logical one of the group. Milou is the story teller, the dreamer.
And while they each have a talent, they each have a personality that is something besides said talent. Egg is shy, and self-conscious, and a bit anxious, but he loves not only drawing, but mapmaking. Fenna is very quiet and timid, but throughout the book, she grows into a fierce fighter, Lotta is skeptical, similar to Sem, but has big ambitions. Sem can be clumsy, but he's got a head on his shoulders. Milou is smart, determined, but also prone to daydreaming, and being stubborn.
Just-- I love it all so, so much! Each of these characters feel unique, and thought out, and feel like real children I could meet! I'd adopt them all, to be honest!
This, for me at least, is the perfect found family book, and just the way these kids fight for each other is amazing. I also love how they're clever, but still a bit naïve, as children are, but they're also strong, in a way that a lot of kids aren't. This book, even though it isn't fantasy, is in, it's own way, full of magic, and I honestly cannot only wait to read it again, but to also see what Tooke has in store.
If you're looking for the perfect book for winter, or anytime of the year, where you want to get cozy, this book is it. From dazzling descriptions of snow and ice, to menacing stories of villains, to clever inventions and clever children trying to find their place in the world, this book is utterly, and wonderfully perfect. I can't wait to reread it!
Something to add here-- I read some of the reviews for this book, some of them have said that it's racist, full of ableism, and is very disrespectful of people in the system, or people who have been in the system. While I can agree to the latter criticism of the book (to a certain extent), I will say that as someone who isn't white (I'm a latina) I felt that the racism in this book is realistic. It takes place in the 1890s. A lot of People of color, and specifically Asians, were discriminated against during this time. (And also, when people are racist against Egg, the orphans hate it, and openly condemn that, but I will say that the book could've taken time to discuss how Egg is affected by what he goes through, and how being racist is in no way okay.) So, to me at least, that's realistic, and I would also like to argue, that we SHOULD take into consideration about how those who were disabled were treated during the time period of this book as well.
That's just my opinion though, and I do understand why a lot of people who were in the system were (or are) mad at this book. You have every right to feel the way you do.
And I also want to say that my love for this book may be a bit biased, because of the circumstances I grew up in as a child, where I had an emotionally unstable, and very abusive, childhood, so the situation that these children went through, and how they were able to carve out their own piece of the world, was very cathartic to me, and I loved how they found a family in each other. I just wanted to point that out, and say once more, to all those who were affected by this book, you are very much entitled to your feelings, and have every right to feel the way you do. I also feel that we, as readers, should listen to the people who may have been hurt by this book, and are specifically from the groups affected, Asian readers, adoptee readers, and disabled readers.
All of these characters are relatable, yet unique, and you can tell that they love each other dearly, and appreciate each other so much. They value each other's differences, and in a way, they do remind me of the Baudelaires, from a series of Unfortunate events, but at the same time, they're also completely different. You can see how they've been affected by their time at the orphanage and their upbringing. With the Bauldelaries, what makes them them is that they each love their parents, and that they USED to be normal, but now, they're orphans, and they're goal is to find out what happened to said parents and get BACK to normal. Whereas with the unadoptables, they have never had parental love, and what brings them together is that they're each different, "unadoptable", but they love each other for said differences. They risk everything for each other, from the wrath of evil orphan heads, to death. And that's what's really interesting about them, is that these children have never known the love of a family, but they've managed to carve out one anyway. I love that about this book.
Anyway, enough of the family talk, let's talk about the writing-- I loved it! The way Tooke writes about the Netherlands makes me feel like I'M THERE. Wintery landscapes and crowded cities are transformed into fairytale like illustrations, just using words! It makes me feel like anything is possible, just like how a child would feel. It's not only the descriptions, but also the way she writes her characters, each are believable, and I feel well developed. Each child grows in this story, especially the main character, Milou, who I love the most. She is so imaginative, smart, and creative.
I love how each of these children have a talent.
Egg is good at art. Fenna is good with animals and baking. Lotta is good at mechanics and engineering. Sem is the logical one of the group. Milou is the story teller, the dreamer.
And while they each have a talent, they each have a personality that is something besides said talent. Egg is shy, and self-conscious, and a bit anxious, but he loves not only drawing, but mapmaking. Fenna is very quiet and timid, but throughout the book, she grows into a fierce fighter, Lotta is skeptical, similar to Sem, but has big ambitions. Sem can be clumsy, but he's got a head on his shoulders. Milou is smart, determined, but also prone to daydreaming, and being stubborn.
Just-- I love it all so, so much! Each of these characters feel unique, and thought out, and feel like real children I could meet! I'd adopt them all, to be honest!
This, for me at least, is the perfect found family book, and just the way these kids fight for each other is amazing. I also love how they're clever, but still a bit naïve, as children are, but they're also strong, in a way that a lot of kids aren't. This book, even though it isn't fantasy, is in, it's own way, full of magic, and I honestly cannot only wait to read it again, but to also see what Tooke has in store.
If you're looking for the perfect book for winter, or anytime of the year, where you want to get cozy, this book is it. From dazzling descriptions of snow and ice, to menacing stories of villains, to clever inventions and clever children trying to find their place in the world, this book is utterly, and wonderfully perfect. I can't wait to reread it!
Something to add here-- I read some of the reviews for this book, some of them have said that it's racist, full of ableism, and is very disrespectful of people in the system, or people who have been in the system. While I can agree to the latter criticism of the book (to a certain extent), I will say that as someone who isn't white (I'm a latina) I felt that the racism in this book is realistic. It takes place in the 1890s. A lot of People of color, and specifically Asians, were discriminated against during this time. (And also, when people are racist against Egg, the orphans hate it, and openly condemn that, but I will say that the book could've taken time to discuss how Egg is affected by what he goes through, and how being racist is in no way okay.) So, to me at least, that's realistic, and I would also like to argue, that we SHOULD take into consideration about how those who were disabled were treated during the time period of this book as well.
That's just my opinion though, and I do understand why a lot of people who were in the system were (or are) mad at this book. You have every right to feel the way you do.
And I also want to say that my love for this book may be a bit biased, because of the circumstances I grew up in as a child, where I had an emotionally unstable, and very abusive, childhood, so the situation that these children went through, and how they were able to carve out their own piece of the world, was very cathartic to me, and I loved how they found a family in each other. I just wanted to point that out, and say once more, to all those who were affected by this book, you are very much entitled to your feelings, and have every right to feel the way you do. I also feel that we, as readers, should listen to the people who may have been hurt by this book, and are specifically from the groups affected, Asian readers, adoptee readers, and disabled readers.