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scifimagpie's review against another edition
5.0
This book is one of my most favorite, to the extent that I don't even talk about it to many people. It's a strange, eerie, weird tale about gender roles and the confining politics of abusive families; it is about loss and witchcraft and hidden things. If you want a mature young adult book that will haunt you, grab this.
lory_enterenchanted's review against another edition
This is one of those later DWJ books which has an interesting idea that isn't completely worked out in a satisfying way. The strange village run by awful Aunt Maria, with a gender war in the background, could have been a terrific setting, but it fizzled out in an over-hasty resolution with some loose ends that bothered me. I think it would have been more convincing that AM wanted Mig to be her successor, if she had tried to cultivate and win her over in the beginning, instead of ignoring and torturing her. The tension between two sides of a person who is publicly sweet and lovable and inwardly manipulative and abusive was not strongly enough portrayed, because it's obvious from the outset that AM is bad news. It would have been a much stronger story if Mig had been sucked in at the beginning and had to get herself free. The diary format could have reflected this, showing as it does everything from Mig's point of view - maybe the writing could have been a way for her to realize what was really going on, as in The Spellcoats. However, that is not the story that we have!
The repeated motif in DWJ books of a male figure who has been buried/asleep/separated into pieces and returns appears again here, also not as strikingly as in some other books. Makes me want to do a survey of this particular theme and write something about it.
The repeated motif in DWJ books of a male figure who has been buried/asleep/separated into pieces and returns appears again here, also not as strikingly as in some other books. Makes me want to do a survey of this particular theme and write something about it.
magdalenahai's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
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
Diana Wynne Jonesin kirjat onnistuvat aina olemaan yllättäviä ja turvallisen lohdullisia yhtä aikaa. Black Mariassa tykästyin hirveästi hahmoihin, jokainen keskeinen hahmo tuntui omanlaiseltaan ja tuovan oman osansa tarinan kulkuun. Susijahtikohtauksessa oli sellaista julmuutta, jota lapsilukija arvostaa, ja joka saa aikuiset kohottelemaan kulmiaan ja kysymään "Onko tämä nyt aivan sopivaa?" Se on oikein.
Ajan hammas on ihan hiukan nakertanut kirjaa kohtauksessa, jossa orpolapset huutokaupataan ja viimeisenä musta tyttö. Kuvaus on sinällään neutraali, mutta nykylapsille se, että yhden lapsista erikseen kerrotaan olevan musta (vs. muut), alleviivaa valitettavasti sitä, että kaikki muut hahmot ovat valkoisia. Tämä sitten luo harmillisesti ulkopuolisuutta. Monien hahmojen ulkonäköä ei juurikaan kirjassa kuvata, minkä takia lukijan olisi täysin mahdollista kuvitella heitä muiksi kuin valkoisiksi.
kathrynamonett's review against another edition
5.0
This is the first DWJ book that I've read written in the first person and it is fantastic. It's got just the right amount of everything. As always, DWJ manages to combine perfectly fantasy and real life drama, even if the part of the real life issues are a bit dated (the gender roles, mostly) while very rigid in DWJ's day are less so now.
Compared to Fire and Hemlock, Aunt Maria wraps up nicely in the end, but DWJ does tend to leave her endings a bit open, ambiguous, and not completely happy. This is one of the many things I like about her books, though I know a great many people would disagree.
This is not her best book, it's not Howl or Hemlock, but I still loved it.
Compared to Fire and Hemlock, Aunt Maria wraps up nicely in the end, but DWJ does tend to leave her endings a bit open, ambiguous, and not completely happy. This is one of the many things I like about her books, though I know a great many people would disagree.
This is not her best book, it's not Howl or Hemlock, but I still loved it.
quietjenn's review against another edition
3.0
It's not my favorite DWJ - I thought it started a bit slow and the actual magic at work could've been explained a little better. But I'll take average Diana Wynne Jones over a great deal of other stuff any day of the week.
bookstuff's review against another edition
3.0
This is a fun, funny read, and my 10 year old loved it. As usual, Diana Wynne Jones doesn't shy from tackling touchy themes, in this case the gender war, as well as walk-away dads and really nasty relatives.
wordnerdy's review against another edition
2.0
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2014/01/2014-book-18.html