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hikool101's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book. I liked the story and getting to learn about and sympathize with people who live on completely different sides of the world from me. It was a touching experience. 7/10
delicatewatkins's review against another edition
5.0
Wai Chim has become a favorite author of mine. I felt so many emotions while reading this gripping story. Just a wonderful book and a necessary story. Great historical fiction based on the author's father's experiences.
danyell919's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fantastic YA historical fiction novel about the freedom swimmers. I never knew this part of history.
zohal99's review against another edition
4.0
Really great reading for 14-17 year olds!
It explores a really important period of history and the bonds of friendship it explores are heart-breaking.
It explores a really important period of history and the bonds of friendship it explores are heart-breaking.
the_fabric_of_words's review against another edition
5.0
This is a super moving story of one boy's swim to freedom from mainland China to the British colony of Hong Kong during Mao's regime.
The story is told in alternating POVs, between field orphan and outcast Ming, who loses both his parents and lives with the stigma of his father's shame for betraying Mao and trying to swim to freedom, and the scorn and arrogance of Li, a city-born-and-raised boy who comes to the fields as part of Mao's Down to the Countryside movement.
They strike up an unexpected friendship swimming in the nearby lagoon to escape the summer heat. Ming is impressed by Li's ability to read, if jealous of Li's gregarious, easy-nature with the girl who holds Ming's heart in her eyes. Li is later grateful for Ming's friendship when his parents are exposed as "capitalist conspirators" for mailing a letter and Li's beaten and left for dead.
When neither boy has anything left to live for, they swim.
I won't reveal what happens, just know, there's several twists I didn't see coming. The ending had me bawling.
Enjoy!
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog, The Fabric of Words, for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
The story is told in alternating POVs, between field orphan and outcast Ming, who loses both his parents and lives with the stigma of his father's shame for betraying Mao and trying to swim to freedom, and the scorn and arrogance of Li, a city-born-and-raised boy who comes to the fields as part of Mao's Down to the Countryside movement.
They strike up an unexpected friendship swimming in the nearby lagoon to escape the summer heat. Ming is impressed by Li's ability to read, if jealous of Li's gregarious, easy-nature with the girl who holds Ming's heart in her eyes. Li is later grateful for Ming's friendship when his parents are exposed as "capitalist conspirators" for mailing a letter and Li's beaten and left for dead.
When neither boy has anything left to live for, they swim.
I won't reveal what happens, just know, there's several twists I didn't see coming. The ending had me bawling.
Enjoy!
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog, The Fabric of Words, for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
remidee's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
sean67's review against another edition
3.0
I absolutely loved the Chook Chook series by Was Chim so was quite excited to see another book by her and was a little underwhelmed. perhaps my expectations were too high, but not just didn't have the dame sense of the feels for me, and whilst it was not a bad experience, it will not live in my memory like the other books, perhaps I should learn more about not comparing and taking each book on its own merits, but sometimes we do, and the fault here may be mine, but this one didn't grab me.
jsenior24's review against another edition
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0