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readerpants's review against another edition
3.0
I am just not the reader for this book. I hesitate to even give it a star rating because I know that my opinion of it is shaped by my appreciation of it rather than any sort of objective rating.
I liked:
the relationships
I disliked:
the prose
the structure (the alternating chapters)
I bet if it had been the same story with a different writing style, I would be waving it around and trying to get everyone I know to read it. But really, I disliked it for the same reasons that I disliked The Underneath -- faux-folksy language, overwritten, rhymy, heavy-handed poetical prose -- and I think that this is most likely a book for adults. I'd love to be proven wrong, however! In fact, I have a reader in mind that I'd like to hand this to, and I will update my review as soon as I get it in her hands and hear her response...
I liked:
the relationships
I disliked:
the prose
the structure (the alternating chapters)
I bet if it had been the same story with a different writing style, I would be waving it around and trying to get everyone I know to read it. But really, I disliked it for the same reasons that I disliked The Underneath -- faux-folksy language, overwritten, rhymy, heavy-handed poetical prose -- and I think that this is most likely a book for adults. I'd love to be proven wrong, however! In fact, I have a reader in mind that I'd like to hand this to, and I will update my review as soon as I get it in her hands and hear her response...
la_melisma's review against another edition
4.0
While Keeper had a bit of a slow start--the first half of the book, reliant on the sort of repetition geared at middle grade readers, feels as though it drags quite a bit--the second half was rich with emotion and excitement that made it difficult to put down. The characters that Kathi Appelt has created are engaging and dynamic, and she seamlessly mixes the sometimes-crushing sadness and beauty of reality with the possibility of the fantastic. This was achieved through prose that brilliantly rode the line between sparse and poetic. And while, at times, Keeper's voice--strong and authentic--causes the sort of frustration that any adult reader who recognizes the folly of her thought-process would experience, she's a truly endearing character with whom, at the end, I was happy to have spent some time.
blakehalsey's review against another edition
5.0
In my opinion, an amazing book. Uniquely told and interesting, fusing myth and reality.
kamsha's review against another edition
4.0
A middle grade fantasy full of a ten year old girl’s wishes, mermaids and a found family, Keeper is full of twists and turns and heart wrenching moments.
It’s begins very lighthearted and builds in intensity, as a young girl discovers the truth about her mermaid mama, wishes and the tides of the sea.
I enjoyed the adventure, the family on Oyster Ridge Road and the lessons Keeper learned along way…
It’s begins very lighthearted and builds in intensity, as a young girl discovers the truth about her mermaid mama, wishes and the tides of the sea.
I enjoyed the adventure, the family on Oyster Ridge Road and the lessons Keeper learned along way…
acdhamija's review against another edition
3.0
Appelt, Kathi. Illustrated by August Hall. Keeper. 2010. 399 pp. $16.99. Atheneum. 978-1-41695-060-8. Ages 9-13. Keeper’s small world consists of the human and animal inhabitants of the three houses clustered together on a patch of Texas coastline. The residents - Keeper’s caregiver Signe, the troubled former soldier Dogie, and the aging and lovesick Mr. Beauchamp are all looking forward to the blue moon, until Keeper manages to get herself in trouble and disrupt their plans. Blaming herself, Keeper decides to sail away at night to a nearby sandbar, where she can ask her mother Meggie Marie - who Keeper believes is a mermaid. Along the way, tragedy strikes and it will take real magic to reunite Keeper with her family. With chapters told from each character’s perspective - human and animal - it takes longer than usual for the story to take off. However, the skillfully interwoven details and the satisfying conclusion make the story will make the story well-worth the slow start. Mature themes of parental abandonment and a homosexual love affair are sensitively and inoffensively handled. From the New York Times Bestselling author of The Underneath. Recommended. Ages 9-13.
shanyreader's review against another edition
2.0
When I first started reading Keeper, I thought this was going to be a fantasy book. Hardcore fantasy with a whole world like Atlantis or something. But...it's honestly a story about a 10 year old girl, who believes her mother is a mermaid, and therefore, when the worst day of her young life happens...she goes to look at her. This will not have repercussions of course...she has the perfect plan! Which she memorizes to be sure nothing goes wrong. This includes--sneaking out into a row boat onto a sandbar where she will ask her mermaid mother what to do. She is doing this on the night of a full moon too! Where the tide is the highest and strongest! Nothing will go wrong!
I liked, the book. I did not love this book at all. Just liked it. I thought that it was interesting, but very confusing as well. I mean, where on Earth did Jack come from? I didn't understand the range of magic this book had? I would have preferred there to not be any magic rather than mermen and secret signals. It was all very confusing. It focused on many people's stories while never going in depth about them. Which was very annoying since when I read a story, I like details, I like a thorough explanation. What I felt like I got was fragments.
This was actually a long read for me, even though some pages would only have one line on it, it felt like forever. Things were just dragged out in my opinion.
Things I did like though...were the animals for one--they were given voices and based off animals in the author's life, which was very amusing to read. I did like Dogie and Singe too, along with Meggie Marie. I didn't like Keeper as much, but reading about the adults' past was fun, if only I could have read more about them.
I know it's like I'm ripping on the book, but I'm not. It was different from what I thought it would be, but it was innocent and sweet and I was happy when I finished.
I liked, the book. I did not love this book at all. Just liked it. I thought that it was interesting, but very confusing as well. I mean, where on Earth did Jack come from? I didn't understand the range of magic this book had? I would have preferred there to not be any magic rather than mermen and secret signals. It was all very confusing. It focused on many people's stories while never going in depth about them. Which was very annoying since when I read a story, I like details, I like a thorough explanation. What I felt like I got was fragments.
This was actually a long read for me, even though some pages would only have one line on it, it felt like forever. Things were just dragged out in my opinion.
Things I did like though...were the animals for one--they were given voices and based off animals in the author's life, which was very amusing to read. I did like Dogie and Singe too, along with Meggie Marie. I didn't like Keeper as much, but reading about the adults' past was fun, if only I could have read more about them.
I know it's like I'm ripping on the book, but I'm not. It was different from what I thought it would be, but it was innocent and sweet and I was happy when I finished.
sc104906's review against another edition
3.0
Keeper had a terrible day and believes that the only way she can reverse it is by meeting her mermaid mom and asking for a wish. Late at night, Keeper and her dog, BD, take a row boat out into the Gulf of Mexico. The narrative describes what lead up to this quest and provides viewpoints from all characters.
The day was supposed to be great, with the blue moon, crab gumbo, and Dogie two word song for Signe. In the end, things were broken, people were mad, and it was Keeper's worst day ever. Will Keeper find the help she needs?
This book was okay. The whole time I was worried about the girl dying and readers her age attempting to do the same thing, and also dying (very traumatic). There was a sense of beauty to it, but the mixture of realism and fantasy didn't work for me in this novel.
The day was supposed to be great, with the blue moon, crab gumbo, and Dogie two word song for Signe. In the end, things were broken, people were mad, and it was Keeper's worst day ever. Will Keeper find the help she needs?
This book was okay. The whole time I was worried about the girl dying and readers her age attempting to do the same thing, and also dying (very traumatic). There was a sense of beauty to it, but the mixture of realism and fantasy didn't work for me in this novel.
_kushie's review against another edition
4.0
Have you ever wanted to reconnect with an important person from the past? After a day filled with mistakes, a young girl voyages on choppy seas to reconnect with her mermaid mother. When things take a turn for the worst, Keeper wants to make things right. Sacrificing her favorite treasures and a boat full of memories, she realizes what is important. But beware, Keeper’s blue moon night holds more secrets than just the cloudy skies.
From Mr. Beauchamp, Keeper’s elderly neighbor, to her mother, Signe, every character is wonderfully complex and relatable in some way. No matter the length, ranging from roughly a page to 20 pages, Applet weaves a beautiful story with themes of family and everyday magic. Full of playful dialogue and beautifully written text, Keeper is a rich and inviting read perfect for a day at the beach.
From Mr. Beauchamp, Keeper’s elderly neighbor, to her mother, Signe, every character is wonderfully complex and relatable in some way. No matter the length, ranging from roughly a page to 20 pages, Applet weaves a beautiful story with themes of family and everyday magic. Full of playful dialogue and beautifully written text, Keeper is a rich and inviting read perfect for a day at the beach.