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readmoreyall's review against another edition
4.0
I had to skim a few paragraphs because honestly some of the descriptions are terrifying! I know this is “middle grades” but that doesn’t mean it can’t be scary! Ok I may be a wimp but this is a lovely book. Kids are strong. We should remember that.
theangrystackrat's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
On an island, near a forest Corrine lives with her father and grows oranges. One night after All Hallows Eve a jumbie follows Corrine home and sets a journey in motion. This was well paced, fun, and easy to listen to. I loved the characters and how the author wove folk tales from her culture into a modern retelling. Great for middle grade readers.
awahle's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
fast-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? No
4.0
sarahhopereads's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
furinbaum's review against another edition
5.0
It was such a treat to read about the mythology of the Caribbean. I found myself becoming very fond of the group of friends and even feeling some sort of empathy for the villain, Severine. It is not just an important multicultural work, but a wonderful novel for critical thinking about justice and fairness through children's eyes.
motheroffairies's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
lezreadalot's review against another edition
3.0
“This time, I didn’t trouble trouble. Trouble came troubling me. And I intend to do something about it.”
This one joins the ranks of books that didn't quite work for me, but that I'd still readily recommend to people interested in these genres.
Although, I mean, it's not that it didn't work for me. A lot of things about this certainly seem as if it's catered to me. It's a children's/middle-grade fantasy/folklore book that draws onCaribbean history and mythology. When I saw that the author is a fellow Trini, I was beyond excited to read this. It's a story about a young girl, Corinne, who with the help of some friends finds herself facing up against an ancient, malevolent jumbie, bent on revenge for something that Corinne doesn't quite understand.
My biggest and main disappointment with this book is how it was written. In complete, standard English. It's set on an unnamed island that's very clearly supposed to be in the Caribbean, and I recognised Trinidadian fruits and customs and sayings on every other page, but there was pretty much no dialect or slang. And the thing is, this isn't a critique of the book. The author is writing for an international audience, and for a younger age group. I definitely don't think that either of those things is exactly a barrier to writing with dialect, but I understand that even if the author had wanted to do it, a publisher/editor might have thought differently. But I'm still hugely disappointed, because it made everything about that story and the setting seem washed out and sterile to me. Two orphan bush boys talking with near perfect grammar and syntax? I couldn't get behind it.
Again! This is not a critique; it's simply something that made me enjoy the story a little less than I might have. I'm someone who adores reading dialect in books, and I thought I would get it here, and I didn't, and I was sad. And I mean, that's fine. I'm also just not the audience for this. There are some children's/middle grade books that can be enjoyed by both children and adults, and some that are written purely for children, and I think this sits squarely in the latter category. And that's okay.
This is a really creative and inventive book that draws on the stories and legends that I grew up hearing, and I really appreciate that. As Baptiste says in this clip, she's taking something that's been largely oral tradition, and trying to write it for a larger audience (including people in the Caribbean, and the Caribbean diaspora). And that's important.
If you like middle grade fantasy, and learning about different types of folklore, give this a try.
2.5 stars.
afilmfatale's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
My students rated this an 11/10. We loved this read aloud and wish we could have tried the oranges.