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100reads's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Politics of education, about what, how, and why we learn. Complex themes.
harry_reads4fun's review
4.0
I've never been to northern England and, at first, it was difficult assimilate to the foreignness of setting (and the vocabulary), but then the sounds, slang and rhythms started to come alive in my head. Billy Casper is an independent and observant kid - not in school, work or at home - but while alone in the bucolic countryside where he finds and trains a kestrel hawk named Kes. Apart from one teacher, the rest of the town constantly bullies and humiliates Billy into increasing isolation where his only escape is caring for Kes. The class soccer game is a wonderfully executed example - it's partly humorous but indelibly pathetic and sad. The book is a snapshot of a time and place, and a lonely boy completely ostracized by his surroundings.
woolfy_vita's review
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
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