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claudine2's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
An interesting story about a girl from the Bengal region of India, in 1939. Part of the story is about India's fight for freedom from British rule.
Content Warnings
Minor: Colonisation and Injury/Injury detail
courtraemck's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic story of a young, brave girl navigating gender roles, educational expectations, and learning different perspectives of the looming Indian War for Independence. Neela’s story is inspiring for a young girl to read, and I thought it was very well rounded in its telling.
hadiqa01's review against another edition
4.0
With that size of the book, she summed up the events not so bad and a glimpse of the culture thru young girl's eyes was pretty cool. But for some reasons, I'm not fully satisfied because she missed on some important events and painted a small picture rather than a big one. And the diverse culture British India had that time (which is still pretty diverse in today's India), she totally missed that part which is a little sad. Tho she did a great job showing tidbits about women that time.
dandelionfluff's review against another edition
4.0
Though most of the adventure is fueled by amazing luck, it's a great story to introduce young readers to India's fight for independence. I also can't help but notice that almost all the books in this series have a very defining moment where the main character goes "Oh! Look at me! I look so much older in these clothes! Am I really that pretty?" Gets a bit cliché, but I suppose most young girls have that moment.
look_whos_reading's review
5.0
Calcutta in 1939. The small towns around the big metropolis (once the seat of the British Raj in India) are bustling with the talk of what's happening in Europe. At the same time, a revolution is brewing in the mind of its youth, for India's independence. Across the nation on the west coast, Gandhi leads the Salt March as a non-violent protest against the salt taxes imposed by the Raj. But here in West Bengal, Subhash Chandra Bose has other, more aggressive ideas on how to win India back from the British.
This short, middle grade short is set against the backdrop of all this turmoil. 12 year old Neela is her father's pet and has other ideas from what is expected of a good girl. She does not want to be married off like her 15 year old sister. Instead, she is fascinated by the political discussions between her father and the revolutionaries. When her father sets off to Calcutta to join the reform, he leaves her to take care of her mother. But when he fails to return after many days have passed, she sets off on her own adventure to bring back her father.
With the help of Samar, a youth revolutionary, Neela embarks on a dangerous journey to the big city. What she learns about India and the independence struggle makes her braver in the face of all the chaos around them. She resolves, more than ever, to play her own part in India's fight for independence.
This was a super inspiring and quick read. Written with Chitra Divakaruni's classic eloquence, this story was nostalgic and fervent. I was reminded throughout of the powerful stories my grandparents told us as children. These stories serve to remind us time and again of our roots and how far we've come since then.
This short, middle grade short is set against the backdrop of all this turmoil. 12 year old Neela is her father's pet and has other ideas from what is expected of a good girl. She does not want to be married off like her 15 year old sister. Instead, she is fascinated by the political discussions between her father and the revolutionaries. When her father sets off to Calcutta to join the reform, he leaves her to take care of her mother. But when he fails to return after many days have passed, she sets off on her own adventure to bring back her father.
With the help of Samar, a youth revolutionary, Neela embarks on a dangerous journey to the big city. What she learns about India and the independence struggle makes her braver in the face of all the chaos around them. She resolves, more than ever, to play her own part in India's fight for independence.
This was a super inspiring and quick read. Written with Chitra Divakaruni's classic eloquence, this story was nostalgic and fervent. I was reminded throughout of the powerful stories my grandparents told us as children. These stories serve to remind us time and again of our roots and how far we've come since then.
emlickliter's review against another edition
4.0
Neela: Victory Song by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni -- This series is full of gutsy young women that give you a glimpse into their world and what they wish they could change. Happy Reading!
flordemaga's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Kidnapping
karingforbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Love it. The author does a good job (from my westernized pov) of putting the context of WWII and the fight for India’s independence into a setting younger readers will connect to and enjoy. I like the different settings and all the characters from all over we get to see, and I like that she talks about both methods used by leaders to fight for independence.