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fewchapterswithme's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-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? Yes
4.75
This book makes me cry a river
nita_kohli's review against another edition
4.0
I had heard nothing about this book or the author before I saw it first time in the library. And I just picked it on a whim. I read the blurb and thought it would be a light breezy read and I might or might not read it but let me issue it for now from the library. But, I am glad I read this book because it is so good!
Plot
The story is about a nine year old boy, Milo who suffers from retinitis pigmentosa. A disease which means that he is losing his eyesight and one day he will go blind. But for now he has a pinhole view of the world. Through his grandmother's help and through playing games with her, he is able to notice things that others don't. He notes things which others might not even to bother to have a look at.
Milo has no friends and he is really close to his gran and he loves his teacup pig, Hamlet which is much bigger than usual tea cup piglet should be.
Milo's father has left him and his mom and has gone to live with 'the tart'(as his mother calls the other woman). His mom, Sandy, decides to send Milo's grandmother to a nursing home for old people as it is getting difficult to take care of her at home. Milo is not happy about this but he is not able to stop his mom from sending his gran to the 'Forget Me Not' nursing home. He decides that he will get her back by Christmas.
But, it's not only the fact that his gran has been sent away but he feels that something is wrong in the nursing home and the headcheese, Nurse Thornhill is not treating her patients in a right manner. Milo decides to expose the wrongdoings at the nursing home with the nursing home cook, Tripi and his pig, Hamlet.
Characters
The book is full with great main and secondary characters. Each has a role to play and the secondary characters do a great job in supporting the story. I love Milo and it was fun to read how he looks at the world. His point of view on certain matters, some frivolous, some big, put a smile on my face or made me laugh. The innocence of a nine year old is well portrayed by the author in the book. Here is a glimpse: Milo's conversation with the cook, Tripi who is from Syria
'Are you from the Middle East? That's what Mrs. Harris told us it's called if you come from bits of the world that are hot and sandy and where people walk around wearing sheets.'
Tripi smiled. It was the kindest way he had been referred to since he had arrived in England. 'Yes - I am from Syria.'
I don't want to interfere but I wouldn't carry around too many backpacks if I were you.'
Tripi had heard about this: Arabs + Backpacks = Terrorists
'They could lock you up.'
'Thank you, Milo. I will bear that in mind.'
This makes you smile but also makes you think.
I also liked Tripi who is such an amazing guy but has problems of his own. Milo's mother, Sandy is a character who you might not like in the beginning but gradually you understand what is she going through as a single mother. Her husband has abandoned her and now she has to look after everything and everyone. There is no money but piles of bills to pay.
What I like
I loved everything about this book! Be it story or the line of some great characters - everything worked for me.
What I did not like
No problems as such with the book.
My final thoughts on the book
This is wonderful read and one should definitely give this book a chance. I am pretty sure that it will not leave its readers disappointed.
Read this and my other book reviews at www.book-choose.com
Plot
The story is about a nine year old boy, Milo who suffers from retinitis pigmentosa. A disease which means that he is losing his eyesight and one day he will go blind. But for now he has a pinhole view of the world. Through his grandmother's help and through playing games with her, he is able to notice things that others don't. He notes things which others might not even to bother to have a look at.
Milo has no friends and he is really close to his gran and he loves his teacup pig, Hamlet which is much bigger than usual tea cup piglet should be.
Milo's father has left him and his mom and has gone to live with 'the tart'(as his mother calls the other woman). His mom, Sandy, decides to send Milo's grandmother to a nursing home for old people as it is getting difficult to take care of her at home. Milo is not happy about this but he is not able to stop his mom from sending his gran to the 'Forget Me Not' nursing home. He decides that he will get her back by Christmas.
But, it's not only the fact that his gran has been sent away but he feels that something is wrong in the nursing home and the headcheese, Nurse Thornhill is not treating her patients in a right manner. Milo decides to expose the wrongdoings at the nursing home with the nursing home cook, Tripi and his pig, Hamlet.
Characters
The book is full with great main and secondary characters. Each has a role to play and the secondary characters do a great job in supporting the story. I love Milo and it was fun to read how he looks at the world. His point of view on certain matters, some frivolous, some big, put a smile on my face or made me laugh. The innocence of a nine year old is well portrayed by the author in the book. Here is a glimpse: Milo's conversation with the cook, Tripi who is from Syria
'Are you from the Middle East? That's what Mrs. Harris told us it's called if you come from bits of the world that are hot and sandy and where people walk around wearing sheets.'
Tripi smiled. It was the kindest way he had been referred to since he had arrived in England. 'Yes - I am from Syria.'
I don't want to interfere but I wouldn't carry around too many backpacks if I were you.'
Tripi had heard about this: Arabs + Backpacks = Terrorists
'They could lock you up.'
'Thank you, Milo. I will bear that in mind.'
This makes you smile but also makes you think.
I also liked Tripi who is such an amazing guy but has problems of his own. Milo's mother, Sandy is a character who you might not like in the beginning but gradually you understand what is she going through as a single mother. Her husband has abandoned her and now she has to look after everything and everyone. There is no money but piles of bills to pay.
What I like
I loved everything about this book! Be it story or the line of some great characters - everything worked for me.
What I did not like
No problems as such with the book.
My final thoughts on the book
This is wonderful read and one should definitely give this book a chance. I am pretty sure that it will not leave its readers disappointed.
Read this and my other book reviews at www.book-choose.com
mikeejanine's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
thesgtrekkiereads's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this.. til 3/4 in.. got a Lil draggy imho. .. then it picked up and whoosh... couldn't put it down. . If not for the fact that my meds have been making me fall asleep the minute my head touches the pillow.. would have finished this way earlier...
acampbell1230's review against another edition
3.0
Full review at: Bright Copy Book Review
This month's Adult Fiction choice from BooklyBox was What Milo Saw, a story about a boy named Milo who was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigementosa. Milo's eyes are deteriorating and at the time being, he only sees through a pinhole and does not have any peripheral vision, but even this will go away with time leaving Milo blind. Milo is the main character, but there are a few other voices we hear from throughout the book, including: his mom, Sandy, his gran, Lou, and his friend, Tripi.
As Lou gets older, Milo feels the need to care for her until she sets fire to the kitchen and Sandy decides it's time to put her in a nursing home. Milo visits her everyday and sees things that no one else does, things that people don't want to hear even though Milo tries his hardest to get people to take his accusations seriously. Tripi is the cook at the nursing home, but he's also a refugee from Syria trying to find out what happened to his sister after they were separated and he fled to England illegally. Sandy is trying to deal with her grief after her husband leaves her to be with his 'tart' and their newborn baby in Abu Dhabi.
There are many themes in the book, and a lot of issues between the characters that all ends up connecting to one main event at the end of the book. Although there are a lot of characters and a lot to keep track of, the book was a refreshing read about a boy dealing with his disorder and adults that don't seem to pay attention to what matters. The book had a lot of great main and secondary characters and was definitely entertaining. I felt that there was a little too much conflict to the point where it almost felt like a soap opera with everything going on at once, but that's what kept the book interesting. I didn't like the ending, though. It's just my preference but I don't like open ended books unless it's absolutely necessary, and in this case it wasn't. It was one of those and then... endings that just ruined the victory ending for me. If it weren't for the ending, I believe that this book would have gotten 4 stars from me, but it was still a fun story that makes you think about what we actually see vs. what we choose to.
This month's Adult Fiction choice from BooklyBox was What Milo Saw, a story about a boy named Milo who was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigementosa. Milo's eyes are deteriorating and at the time being, he only sees through a pinhole and does not have any peripheral vision, but even this will go away with time leaving Milo blind. Milo is the main character, but there are a few other voices we hear from throughout the book, including: his mom, Sandy, his gran, Lou, and his friend, Tripi.
As Lou gets older, Milo feels the need to care for her until she sets fire to the kitchen and Sandy decides it's time to put her in a nursing home. Milo visits her everyday and sees things that no one else does, things that people don't want to hear even though Milo tries his hardest to get people to take his accusations seriously. Tripi is the cook at the nursing home, but he's also a refugee from Syria trying to find out what happened to his sister after they were separated and he fled to England illegally. Sandy is trying to deal with her grief after her husband leaves her to be with his 'tart' and their newborn baby in Abu Dhabi.
There are many themes in the book, and a lot of issues between the characters that all ends up connecting to one main event at the end of the book. Although there are a lot of characters and a lot to keep track of, the book was a refreshing read about a boy dealing with his disorder and adults that don't seem to pay attention to what matters. The book had a lot of great main and secondary characters and was definitely entertaining. I felt that there was a little too much conflict to the point where it almost felt like a soap opera with everything going on at once, but that's what kept the book interesting. I didn't like the ending, though. It's just my preference but I don't like open ended books unless it's absolutely necessary, and in this case it wasn't. It was one of those and then... endings that just ruined the victory ending for me. If it weren't for the ending, I believe that this book would have gotten 4 stars from me, but it was still a fun story that makes you think about what we actually see vs. what we choose to.
nigelbrown's review
3.0
I haven’t read too many young adult books, even when a young adult, so may not be in the best position to review this rather pleasant but twee tale.
It’s an easy and enjoyable book with well written characters and a topical premise. There were, for me, though, two details that didn’t quite sit right. Firstly, with everything just fitting perfectly in this too organised and too structured world, it seems at odds with the picture of a broken home for which a visually impaired young boy, who is struggling at school is being painted .
Secondly, the contradictory image of the protagonist, at times, sounding and acting like a child ( Yep, he’s nine) then being asked to believe that his precocious talent leads to him making incredibly mature decisions.
Maybe these are acceptable oversights in a book aimed at youngsters, but they made me feel it was lacking a little veracity.
It’s an easy and enjoyable book with well written characters and a topical premise. There were, for me, though, two details that didn’t quite sit right. Firstly, with everything just fitting perfectly in this too organised and too structured world, it seems at odds with the picture of a broken home for which a visually impaired young boy, who is struggling at school is being painted .
Secondly, the contradictory image of the protagonist, at times, sounding and acting like a child ( Yep, he’s nine) then being asked to believe that his precocious talent leads to him making incredibly mature decisions.
Maybe these are acceptable oversights in a book aimed at youngsters, but they made me feel it was lacking a little veracity.
rosalynnaustin's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
litdoes's review against another edition
4.0
Milo Moon is 9 and suffers from a rare condition called retinitis pigmentosa, which means that his eye is like a pinhole with almost no peripheral vision, and which would only worsen until he eventually goes blind. His dad has run away with his secretary to Abu Dhabi and abandoned him, his mom Sandy, and Gran (who's his great grandmother), leaving behind a teacup pig, Hamlet, as a pet to keep Milo company. That's quite a lot for a little boy to take, but Milo is a special boy with a close affinity with 92-year-old Gran, whom he takes it upon himself to take care of.
When Gran is sent to an old folks' home, Milo suffers another blow. What ensues is a touching yet funny tale of a boy who is brave enough to fight for those he loves and make things better for unexpected friends like the old ladies at the home with a misnomer of a name, Forget Me Not, as well as Tripi, the Syrian cook at the home.
Narratives with children as focalisers are tricky, as there is always a danger of stereotyping or infantilising them, or making them sound too profound and worldly wise and therefore making them unrealistic characters. Virginia Macgregor had measured out the right mix in creating the character of Milo Moon, making him both a realistic and an easy character to like. For example, when he buckles Gran down for the move to the home, he tries to make the best of a bad situation, rationalising as he looked at the grey sky, pavements and trees in turn, as he cannot focus on them all at once: "People who saw everything at once must feel drowned by the world. All Milo had to do was to move his head and focus on something else and pretend the bad bits weren't there."
Definitely worth a read.
When Gran is sent to an old folks' home, Milo suffers another blow. What ensues is a touching yet funny tale of a boy who is brave enough to fight for those he loves and make things better for unexpected friends like the old ladies at the home with a misnomer of a name, Forget Me Not, as well as Tripi, the Syrian cook at the home.
Narratives with children as focalisers are tricky, as there is always a danger of stereotyping or infantilising them, or making them sound too profound and worldly wise and therefore making them unrealistic characters. Virginia Macgregor had measured out the right mix in creating the character of Milo Moon, making him both a realistic and an easy character to like. For example, when he buckles Gran down for the move to the home, he tries to make the best of a bad situation, rationalising as he looked at the grey sky, pavements and trees in turn, as he cannot focus on them all at once: "People who saw everything at once must feel drowned by the world. All Milo had to do was to move his head and focus on something else and pretend the bad bits weren't there."
Definitely worth a read.
kime's review against another edition
4.0
Again, this was a departure from the normal genres that I love, and again, I was pleasantly surprised. This is a wonderful story about a boy with a deteriorating eye disease (meaning that one day he will be totally blind) who sees the world through a pin hole. This book contains a wonderful cast of characters, including Milo's pet pig, Hamlet, his gran, Lou, who doesn't speak, and his new Syrian friend, Tripi. It was a feel good story and I thought it was great. Definitely worth a read.