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lady_mair's review
3.0
(3.5 STARS)
Beautiful prose and intriguing characters, however the book lost a lot of steam - for me - when (Spoiler alert) Wil ran away from the boarding school. I had a hard time believing her survival in London. For the Africa portion alone, I’d give this book 4.5 stars, so I will be definitely return for Rundell’s other books soon.
Beautiful prose and intriguing characters, however the book lost a lot of steam - for me - when (Spoiler alert) Wil ran away from the boarding school. I had a hard time believing her survival in London. For the Africa portion alone, I’d give this book 4.5 stars, so I will be definitely return for Rundell’s other books soon.
hgraybrown's review against another edition
5.0
This is a beautiful, hopeful story about a young girl who must face challenges in her life for which she is unprepared - who cannot relate to that? I recommend this book for girls in fifth or sixth grade who are thoughtful and maybe a little misunderstood.
dogearredpage's review against another edition
5.0
This story is beautiful because it is at turns both subtle and brutal. Will is a modern hero that all children can embrace. The story does not end perfectly but it ends hopefully and with a depth of emotion that so many middle grade novels lack. I will be recommending this to any child who needs to find someone who truly understands what it is to be an outcast, but who uses that inner-worth to make his or her world better, no matter how hard that might be. I hope you'll read it, "ja?"
merfyf's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
claricedaugherty's review against another edition
4.0
Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms is about a twelve year old’s world turning upside down when she is uprooted from her home. Wilhelmina, who likes to be called Will, is born and raised in Zimbabwe on the Two Tree Hill Farm; she lives with her father and the owner of the farm Captain Brown. Will is exuberantly wild, but all of her friends and family cherish her because she has such a compassionate and free soul. When Will’s father contracts malaria and dies, Captain Brown’s new gold digging wife decides that Will needs to be tamed, sending her to boarding school in London.
When Will arrives in London, no one shows her compassion. The popular girls are mean to her everyday. The teachers do not know what to do with her. Will feels so alone. Therefore she decides she will be better on her own in a foreign city. While she is trying to figure out what to do, she goes to the zoo and meets a boy named Daniel. He gives her something to eat and half of his comic. While Will is roaming London, the police are looking for her. She finds Daniel’s address on his comic and enlists his help to stay hidden for the night. Daniel’s grandmother finds her in the morning, fixes her breakfast, and listens to Will’s story. Daniel’s grandmother seems to know that Will is strong and resilient.. She helps Will to realize that going back to school and standing up for herself will be the hardest, but most rewarding action.
When Will arrives in London, no one shows her compassion. The popular girls are mean to her everyday. The teachers do not know what to do with her. Will feels so alone. Therefore she decides she will be better on her own in a foreign city. While she is trying to figure out what to do, she goes to the zoo and meets a boy named Daniel. He gives her something to eat and half of his comic. While Will is roaming London, the police are looking for her. She finds Daniel’s address on his comic and enlists his help to stay hidden for the night. Daniel’s grandmother finds her in the morning, fixes her breakfast, and listens to Will’s story. Daniel’s grandmother seems to know that Will is strong and resilient.. She helps Will to realize that going back to school and standing up for herself will be the hardest, but most rewarding action.
cooskruisenga's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Ik heb bijna het gevoel alsof het boek door twee personen is geschreven. Het begin is er langdradig en ik vind het taalgebruik niet prettig lezen. Rond het moment dat ze naar Engeland gaat wordt het een stuk beter. Het einde is ontzettend afgeraffeld. Het is zomaar klaar, zonder een echte climax.
brittneycloyd's review against another edition
4.0
This book wasn't what I expected in terms of plot, but it was beautifully written.
literarystrawberry's review against another edition
3.0
Not totally sure how to rate this-- 3.5?
I don't know. I liked it, I did, but I guess it just didn't have the same magic as Rooftoppers, and some of it felt a little underdeveloped. Still, I really enjoy this writer's voice, and I'm looking forward to seeing what she does in the future, so I'll err on the side of the positive and put up four stars.
I don't know. I liked it, I did, but I guess it just didn't have the same magic as Rooftoppers, and some of it felt a little underdeveloped. Still, I really enjoy this writer's voice, and I'm looking forward to seeing what she does in the future, so I'll err on the side of the positive and put up four stars.