Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
I thoroughly enjoyable adventure which has at its heart, is a story of how a folktale or myth embedded within its landscape can bring a rather beautiful sense of peace and acceptance to an unexplainable loss. To go further would be to spoil the story but Gwyn's story here, of how he inherits the magical powers of his ancestors and uses them to try and bring back his sister who went missing on the mountains year before is well done. Although I felt it rushed a little at the end, there is enough nodding here to the structure of fairy and folk tales which is to be admired. I found the relationship between Gwyn and his parents, who both grieve for the loss of their daughter in very different ways, powerful and ripe for discussion. I thought of the book as much like Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising books but for slightly younger readers. This would make for an excellent read aloud.
6/10
It was okay but not for me. Glad I read it after owning it for over 5 years :D
It was okay but not for me. Glad I read it after owning it for over 5 years :D
Well, I loved this. A classic children's book from the 1980s that weaves a young boy's difficult relationship with his father with Welsh mythology.
Gwyn's grandmother is convinced he's a magician and as Gwyn explores his magical heritage on his remote mountainside farm, he discovers the truth about his sister's disappearance years earlier.
I watched the TV adaptation a few years ago as I had vague memories of seeing it in the 80s. I'd been meaning to read the book since then. I didn't realise it was the start of a trilogy, though this book can definitely stand alone.
Gwyn's grandmother is convinced he's a magician and as Gwyn explores his magical heritage on his remote mountainside farm, he discovers the truth about his sister's disappearance years earlier.
I watched the TV adaptation a few years ago as I had vague memories of seeing it in the 80s. I'd been meaning to read the book since then. I didn't realise it was the start of a trilogy, though this book can definitely stand alone.
A definite solid 3 and a half stars, found it incredibly moving by the end. The Snow Spider was published in 1986, and definitely something I would have liked to have read as a child, or watched on television as part of Jackanory.
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Gwyn Griffiths is one of two children. His sister Bethan disappeared one night when Gwyn asked her to help get one of the ewes that got away from their farm. She disappeared on a hill, and his parents blame him for her disappearance.
His grandmother, who is to be called Nain, brings him a piece of seaweed, a yellow scarf, a tin whistle, a twisted metal brooch, and a broken horse. all of these gifts are intended to help him discover whether or not he is a magician.
It's a very slow paced story, and different from Nimmo's Charlie Bone Series. I did, however, notice a similarity with the first CB book: "Midnight For Charlie Bone." In this story, his grandmother 'Nain' wants to see if he has special abilities. In the CB series, the Yewbeam aunts come over and trick him into revealing that he has abilities by having him look at a picture; he can see what was happening when a picture was taken simply by looking at it.
Gwyn's parents are not the best. His father is emotionally abusive at times, while his mother is not much better. At times, she basically harasses him with questions. She seemed to love him at the start of the book for his birthday, but then seems less than impressed by his existence and presence thereafter. I'm not sure if that's what Nimmo intended, but that's how they came off the page to me.
Sometimes, Nain came off as perhaps having dementia even though she had a key role in this story. Unfortunately, some of the characters seemed a bit 2D, and sometimes even 1D (if that makes sense). Decent beginning to a story, but I enjoyed Midnight For Charlie Bone a lot more.
His grandmother, who is to be called Nain, brings him a piece of seaweed, a yellow scarf, a tin whistle, a twisted metal brooch, and a broken horse. all of these gifts are intended to help him discover whether or not he is a magician.
It's a very slow paced story, and different from Nimmo's Charlie Bone Series. I did, however, notice a similarity with the first CB book: "Midnight For Charlie Bone." In this story, his grandmother 'Nain' wants to see if he has special abilities. In the CB series, the Yewbeam aunts come over and trick him into revealing that he has abilities by having him look at a picture; he can see what was happening when a picture was taken simply by looking at it.
Gwyn's parents are not the best. His father is emotionally abusive at times, while his mother is not much better. At times, she basically harasses him with questions. She seemed to love him at the start of the book for his birthday, but then seems less than impressed by his existence and presence thereafter. I'm not sure if that's what Nimmo intended, but that's how they came off the page to me.
Sometimes, Nain came off as perhaps having dementia even though she had a key role in this story. Unfortunately, some of the characters seemed a bit 2D, and sometimes even 1D (if that makes sense). Decent beginning to a story, but I enjoyed Midnight For Charlie Bone a lot more.
I listened to this one and the accents were wonderful! The plot was a bit dark for 5th graders I think but it was a very good story.
This one was okay... it's a solid start of the series and the story is interesting and different enough. I also like that it's about lore and legends... but it just isn't for me. I am not sure if it's just a weird translation but I had a hard time enjoying the book and story. It's a short book so a quick read and I will probably read the other two in the trilogy because they are also quick reads but I hope that they are better than this one.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes