Scan barcode
indiffferente's review against another edition
3.0
Ćs bastant interessant i tĆ© punts molt interessants on et convida a reflexionar i a empatitzar perĆ² el final Ć©s.... a choice.
lanceylance's review against another edition
i havent read this book since december and i just started again
tatterededges's review against another edition
1.0
DNF.
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator pronounced Thomas āTom-Arseā which my immature mind couldnāt get past.
Also the story was boring as hell. I feel bad for my 12 year old who had to read this for her year 7 English class.
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator pronounced Thomas āTom-Arseā which my immature mind couldnāt get past.
Also the story was boring as hell. I feel bad for my 12 year old who had to read this for her year 7 English class.
alanaleigh's review against another edition
5.0
A strange and heartbreaking tale, The Midnight Zoo is the latest literary gem from author Sonya Hartnett and features lovely illustrations by Andrea Offermann. Two young boys, Andrej and his younger brother Tomas, are walking through a war-ravaged countryside, scrounging up whatever they can to survive while they protect the precious bundle they carry -- their baby sister Wilma. As gypsies (known as Rom), the boys are used to the life of wandering, where every day brings them to a new place, but taking care of themselves is a very new responsibility and obviously has its roots in tragedy. While wandering through a destroyed and empty town, the boys stumble upon a very small zoo, whose animals are still captive in their cages despite the near-total annihilation of the human dwellings. The zoo contains a wolf, an eagle, a monkey, a bear, a lioness, a seal, a chamois, and a llama. Shortly after identifying the animals that surround them, airplanes appear and a sudden air raid threatens all their lives. When Andrej and Tomas wake up, the animals are speaking to them. Nearly everyone has a turn at telling his or her own stories of captivity, including the boys, but when everyone has been displaced and there's no way to return them to the lives they should have been living, what can possibly be done to go on?
Yes, the main human characters are children; yes, it's relatively short; yes, there's a fable-like quality to the story; but does this mean this book could only be classified as exclusively (or even primarily) a book for children? Most certainly not! As I read, I found myself thinking of this as an introduction to magical realism more than a story which depicted the magic of a children's book. Of course, magical realism is certainly not a concept that can exclusively be applied to books for adults, but somehow I feel like this novel merits the acknowledgement of providing a beautiful and quiet illustration of the concept for those (children or otherwise) who might otherwise only have encountered fantasy depictions of magic. It subtly creeps in, begging the question of what is real and asking the reader to suspend his or her disbelief for the sake of coming to a deeper understanding of what it means for any creature to be safe and free. Children and adults would have similar reactions to the emotions brought forth in this novel of war, tragedy, and flickering hope. Technically, the setting for this tale is obviously World War II, but after reading it, one feels as though this could be a theme that applies to any war which ravages countries and lives, putting innocents in danger. It is a novel to be read with a heart that aches for the world and its inhabitants... and at the core of all that is the desire to shape one's own destiny and the longing for freedom from many different kinds of cages.
I imagine that The Midnight Zoo is destined to be taught in classrooms or suggested for book reports. I can even see the prompted questions now, revolving around the meaning of freedom, the logic behind a story told largely by talking animals, the lack of explicit closure and open-endedness of the final chapter, and the possibility that the children and animals actually died in the air raid. It is a novel that easily yields itself up to questions because that is its goal -- to provoke the reader in to asking questions. I would urge adults to treat this as a novella and enjoy the multitude of topics which will undoubtedly now stir in their minds... topics which might not otherwise have large purchase, even for sensitive souls: the animal nature of human beings; the questionable justification for wild animals being tamed; the definition of a cage; the repercussions of even our well-intentioned actions on the lives of those around us, human or otherwise. The Midnight Zoo will stay with you long after you finish reading and reflection upon the story and its themes only makes it feel richer. I'm delighted to have been exposed to this beautiful novel and I look forward to discovering Sonya Hartnett's other work.
Yes, the main human characters are children; yes, it's relatively short; yes, there's a fable-like quality to the story; but does this mean this book could only be classified as exclusively (or even primarily) a book for children? Most certainly not! As I read, I found myself thinking of this as an introduction to magical realism more than a story which depicted the magic of a children's book. Of course, magical realism is certainly not a concept that can exclusively be applied to books for adults, but somehow I feel like this novel merits the acknowledgement of providing a beautiful and quiet illustration of the concept for those (children or otherwise) who might otherwise only have encountered fantasy depictions of magic. It subtly creeps in, begging the question of what is real and asking the reader to suspend his or her disbelief for the sake of coming to a deeper understanding of what it means for any creature to be safe and free. Children and adults would have similar reactions to the emotions brought forth in this novel of war, tragedy, and flickering hope. Technically, the setting for this tale is obviously World War II, but after reading it, one feels as though this could be a theme that applies to any war which ravages countries and lives, putting innocents in danger. It is a novel to be read with a heart that aches for the world and its inhabitants... and at the core of all that is the desire to shape one's own destiny and the longing for freedom from many different kinds of cages.
I imagine that The Midnight Zoo is destined to be taught in classrooms or suggested for book reports. I can even see the prompted questions now, revolving around the meaning of freedom, the logic behind a story told largely by talking animals, the lack of explicit closure and open-endedness of the final chapter, and the possibility that the children and animals actually died in the air raid. It is a novel that easily yields itself up to questions because that is its goal -- to provoke the reader in to asking questions. I would urge adults to treat this as a novella and enjoy the multitude of topics which will undoubtedly now stir in their minds... topics which might not otherwise have large purchase, even for sensitive souls: the animal nature of human beings; the questionable justification for wild animals being tamed; the definition of a cage; the repercussions of even our well-intentioned actions on the lives of those around us, human or otherwise. The Midnight Zoo will stay with you long after you finish reading and reflection upon the story and its themes only makes it feel richer. I'm delighted to have been exposed to this beautiful novel and I look forward to discovering Sonya Hartnett's other work.
jacki_f's review against another edition
4.0
The story is set in Eastern Europe during World War 2. Two Romani gypsy children, carrying a baby in their backpack, have been on the run for weeks after soldiers ambushed their settlement. Fearing for their lives, they travel under the cover of darkness, scrounging food where they can. One night they arrive in a bombed out village, deserted apart from a few animals trapped in a zoo. Over the course of the night, both the boys and the animals will share their stories of how the war has affected them and also the inhabitants of the now-deserted village.
This is officially a young adult book, but the language and themes are quite adult and therefore it would suit older readers. It's a moving story and beautifully written - one of those books where you find yourself re-reading passages for the sheer pleasure of the words. For children, it introduces concepts such as the persecution of the Romani people during World War 2 and the impact of war on innocent bystanders. It is more fantastical and less plot driven than a book like The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, but would probably appeal to a similar audience. I also found it reminiscent of Yann Martel's writing. A slim, but magical book.
This is officially a young adult book, but the language and themes are quite adult and therefore it would suit older readers. It's a moving story and beautifully written - one of those books where you find yourself re-reading passages for the sheer pleasure of the words. For children, it introduces concepts such as the persecution of the Romani people during World War 2 and the impact of war on innocent bystanders. It is more fantastical and less plot driven than a book like The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, but would probably appeal to a similar audience. I also found it reminiscent of Yann Martel's writing. A slim, but magical book.
ezza1637's review against another edition
4.0
Read this for the Year 8 English classes Iām tutoring in, what a lovely book. I really enjoyed the historical fiction and fantasy
bookjockeybeth's review against another edition
3.0
My review on The Crimson Review of Children's & YA Literature
Twelve year-old Andrej is an Eastern European Gypsy running from the bombs and soldiers of World War II. Along with his younger brother, Tomas, and baby sister, Wilma, Andrej ends up in an unidentified village with a small menagerie of talking animals. Learning about the destruction of the village from the animals, the reader also learns the heartbreaking tale of why Andrej and his siblings are on the run. A book for more sophisticated readers, the dark themes and moving personal stories of the animals are not for the faint of heart. The historical details are sparse and pose questions for further research. Hartnett weaves an engaging, though sad, story for readers young and old, and the illustrations by Offermann lend themselves quite wonderfully to the overall tone of the book.
Twelve year-old Andrej is an Eastern European Gypsy running from the bombs and soldiers of World War II. Along with his younger brother, Tomas, and baby sister, Wilma, Andrej ends up in an unidentified village with a small menagerie of talking animals. Learning about the destruction of the village from the animals, the reader also learns the heartbreaking tale of why Andrej and his siblings are on the run. A book for more sophisticated readers, the dark themes and moving personal stories of the animals are not for the faint of heart. The historical details are sparse and pose questions for further research. Hartnett weaves an engaging, though sad, story for readers young and old, and the illustrations by Offermann lend themselves quite wonderfully to the overall tone of the book.
amibunk's review against another edition
5.0
I found this novel utterly brilliant and thought provoking. Full of gorgeous figurative language, this book is layered with themes of war, betrayal, and human nature versus animal instinct. While the ending is maddeningly ambiguous, the reader accepts it because we instinctively sense that there are some things we can never know the answer to.
This is a book that stays with the reader long after the last page is read.
This is a book that stays with the reader long after the last page is read.
michaelcattigan's review against another edition
5.0
A fabulous book! At its most literal level!
Reading the blurb of this, the fate of Romany children in Eastern Europe during World War II was an appealing on. Then it mentioned that they come across animals in a zoo which talk to them.
Talking animals have never appealed to me: Mrs Frisbee, Beatrix Potter, Disney... Anthropomorphised, twee, patronising ... Oddly I do like magic realism but the idea of talking animals curdles the blood.
This, however, works. And works brilliantly.
Andrej and Tomas are fleeing Nazi persecution having witnessed their family and friends gathered and led into the forest bearing shovels. It is implicit that they are being executed. Told to flee by their mother, they do so and end up in a ruined razed village. There, Night (who almost acts in the same way as Death in The Book Thief) spots them as they slip into the only building standing: the zoo. After being knocked out by a bomb raid, Andrej and Tomas hear the animals talking. It is not clear whether the remainder of the novel is Andrej's delusion or genuine. In fact the boundaries between narrative truth, history, fiction, dream, story and fantasy are not clear throughout the book.
The animals tell their stories to the children and whether we truly believe them - for example, the lioness appeared to have ended up in the zoo after she mauled the bride of the hunter who had stolen her - in my opinion, becomes irrelevant. Because the stories have power. A truth that exists beyond pedantic accuracy.
I can see many people reacting to this novel negatively and seeing only superficial meanings: zoos are bad; wars are horrible. The heart of the book, however, is deeper than that: it is in the beautiful lyricism of the prose (some of the sentences are truly stunning!) and in the power and value of story telling.
This book has been nominated for the Carnegie Medal 2012. As has Patrick Ness' A Monster Calls in which the eponymous Monster tells Conor, the main character, three stories in exchange for a story back from Conor. Hartnett's tale shows the power of story to overcome the horrors of war; Ness' shows the power of story to overcome the horrors of a parent's illness. Both books are stunning!
Reading the blurb of this, the fate of Romany children in Eastern Europe during World War II was an appealing on. Then it mentioned that they come across animals in a zoo which talk to them.
Talking animals have never appealed to me: Mrs Frisbee, Beatrix Potter, Disney... Anthropomorphised, twee, patronising ... Oddly I do like magic realism but the idea of talking animals curdles the blood.
This, however, works. And works brilliantly.
Andrej and Tomas are fleeing Nazi persecution having witnessed their family and friends gathered and led into the forest bearing shovels. It is implicit that they are being executed. Told to flee by their mother, they do so and end up in a ruined razed village. There, Night (who almost acts in the same way as Death in The Book Thief) spots them as they slip into the only building standing: the zoo. After being knocked out by a bomb raid, Andrej and Tomas hear the animals talking. It is not clear whether the remainder of the novel is Andrej's delusion or genuine. In fact the boundaries between narrative truth, history, fiction, dream, story and fantasy are not clear throughout the book.
The animals tell their stories to the children and whether we truly believe them - for example, the lioness appeared to have ended up in the zoo after she mauled the bride of the hunter who had stolen her - in my opinion, becomes irrelevant. Because the stories have power. A truth that exists beyond pedantic accuracy.
I can see many people reacting to this novel negatively and seeing only superficial meanings: zoos are bad; wars are horrible. The heart of the book, however, is deeper than that: it is in the beautiful lyricism of the prose (some of the sentences are truly stunning!) and in the power and value of story telling.
This book has been nominated for the Carnegie Medal 2012. As has Patrick Ness' A Monster Calls in which the eponymous Monster tells Conor, the main character, three stories in exchange for a story back from Conor. Hartnett's tale shows the power of story to overcome the horrors of war; Ness' shows the power of story to overcome the horrors of a parent's illness. Both books are stunning!