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wordnerdy's review against another edition
3.0
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2019/02/2019-book-25.html
So this book is a bit of a rough read—it’s about a girl in a physically and emotionally abusive home, trying to protect her younger sister and herself, when a river to a magical place appears under her bed. There is some good stuff here about learning to trust, and I liked the relationship between the sisters, but I wanted a bit more from the ending. B+.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher, this book will be released in April.
So this book is a bit of a rough read—it’s about a girl in a physically and emotionally abusive home, trying to protect her younger sister and herself, when a river to a magical place appears under her bed. There is some good stuff here about learning to trust, and I liked the relationship between the sisters, but I wanted a bit more from the ending. B+.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher, this book will be released in April.
carlijn_engels's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
codellreads's review against another edition
2.0
MG/YA. Maybe I didn't like this book because of its genre. I thought the magical aspects of this book felt a little false/underdeveloped. I could see it confusing younger readers. Wilde explore anger as a complex emotion in young people, one that is often dismissed by adults as a quick temper to be controlled.This book also includes emotional and physical abuse.
fairymodmother's review against another edition
3.0
This was cute. 12 year old me would probably have loved it--it's like the "12 year old girl's story checklist": best friends, ponies, dreams, and magic. A couple decades later, I think it was strong but not perfect.
CONTENT WARNING:
Things to love:
-The sisters. I love books with caring, close sibling relationships and this one melted right into my heart.
-The world. I really, really loved how Wilde envisioned the dream world. A little ethereal, a little environmental PSA, very cute...it was just delightful.
-Discussing survivorship. I had some problems with this, but overall, as a way of explaining when things are bad to kids, I think this took a measured, understandable approach.
-The end. Again, a couple problems for me, but what I loved is that it came to rest without a happy ever ending. I respect that the author trusted the kids she's trying to reach to understand that sometimes good enough for now is good enough, and that's all we can really do. Hard to get right, without judgment, pathos, or cliche, and I think the author walked that line.
Things I didn't love:
It's really just one thing that wove its way into many parts; I don't think the author did a good job writing about an abuser. The insidiousness of abuse from a parent is how hard it is as a survivor to hang onto the narrative that the abuser is the bad one. I don't think the author really captured anything beyond an anger management issue with the abuser, which can definitely be an aspect of it, but I think we needed to go beyond that if we're going to teach kids about when to get help from another grown up. I think this needed more nuance not to seem like a bad trope, and to really capture how kids are actually dealing with this problem in our world right now.
I thought it was overall a nice story with good writing, lots of ideas that should appeal to the tween set, and a good look at the struggles of growing up feeling unsupported, angry, and traumatized.
CONTENT WARNING:
Spoiler
Domestic abuse, child abuse, gaslighting.Things to love:
-The sisters. I love books with caring, close sibling relationships and this one melted right into my heart.
-The world. I really, really loved how Wilde envisioned the dream world. A little ethereal, a little environmental PSA, very cute...it was just delightful.
-Discussing survivorship. I had some problems with this, but overall, as a way of explaining when things are bad to kids, I think this took a measured, understandable approach.
-The end. Again, a couple problems for me, but what I loved is that it came to rest without a happy ever ending. I respect that the author trusted the kids she's trying to reach to understand that sometimes good enough for now is good enough, and that's all we can really do. Hard to get right, without judgment, pathos, or cliche, and I think the author walked that line.
Things I didn't love:
It's really just one thing that wove its way into many parts; I don't think the author did a good job writing about an abuser. The insidiousness of abuse from a parent is how hard it is as a survivor to hang onto the narrative that the abuser is the bad one. I don't think the author really captured anything beyond an anger management issue with the abuser, which can definitely be an aspect of it, but I think we needed to go beyond that if we're going to teach kids about when to get help from another grown up. I think this needed more nuance not to seem like a bad trope, and to really capture how kids are actually dealing with this problem in our world right now.
I thought it was overall a nice story with good writing, lots of ideas that should appeal to the tween set, and a good look at the struggles of growing up feeling unsupported, angry, and traumatized.
nwhyte's review against another edition
3.0
https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3426012.html
Very dark portal fantasy about emotional abuse. Densely written, and I didn't really get into it.
Very dark portal fantasy about emotional abuse. Densely written, and I didn't really get into it.
lainecid's review against another edition
4.0
This book is quite a dark fairy tale. It’s got magic and nightmares, anger and family dynamics. I enjoyed the world the author built while also cringing at the weight on a child to save her family, it was a tough one but also a good book.
detailsandtales's review against another edition
4.0
This book is doing something so important, bringing the reader into the world of an abused child. It feels so claustrophobic for much of the time, in a way that really works. And the ending is just so satisfying. There are some parts in the middle that didn't quite hold my interest, but that may be because I'm an adult, so I'm not the target audience.
the_dragon_starback's review against another edition
3.0
3.5. This was . . . weird. I found it strange and, in a way, jarring. I think it is an excellent book, but I do not think it was the book for me.
pinkiefem's review against another edition
5.0
This was an excellent book. CW for child and domestic abuse, but even those bits were really well handled.