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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
A quick read, but depressing, until we discussed it at my kid's school. Then I really started to like it.
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Boy searches for his father, and his dog.
Sounder is an outstanding short novel told from the point of view of a young boy who grows up amid hardship and prejudice. It's a sad story, but ultimately wonderful and beautifully written. In just 83 pages, William Armstrong presents a simple yet powerful tale of love, determination, and dedication. I thought this book might have only been written for children, but there is much that adults can appreciate as well.
It's weird, I feel like I've heard of this book before but I just never read it? Not sure if that makes sense..
Sounder was a book that brought on the emotional choo-choo train for me. There's just something about dogs that makes me cry and I don't know what to do. Or maybe I just picked one emotional book after another.. and that was just not the right thing to do. Either way, I dove into it and I most definitely cried.
In it, you will meet a boy who lost his father and dog in the same day. Their dog, Sounder, always went hunting with him and his father. So the day that his father gets arrested for stealing.. is the day that their dog was shot.
At this point, I took a breather. I have no idea how I would react to this sort of situation if I was in it. Probably would've gone ham on the cops.. but that's just me.
After his dad was taken away, the house is just silent. Sounder is badly injured and doesn't make a sound anymore. His mother talks about some serious topics and tells him it's just the fear talking. She tries her hardest but it just isn't enough for him.
Along the way, we get snippets of cruelty and suffering. Whether it was physical or emotional pain, my heart hurt. This book dove into so many deep topics that just opened my eyes a bit more because it's nothing something I've ever gone through.
In the end, this book was just amazing. Simply amazing.
Sounder was a book that brought on the emotional choo-choo train for me. There's just something about dogs that makes me cry and I don't know what to do. Or maybe I just picked one emotional book after another.. and that was just not the right thing to do. Either way, I dove into it and I most definitely cried.
In it, you will meet a boy who lost his father and dog in the same day. Their dog, Sounder, always went hunting with him and his father. So the day that his father gets arrested for stealing.. is the day that their dog was shot.
At this point, I took a breather. I have no idea how I would react to this sort of situation if I was in it. Probably would've gone ham on the cops.. but that's just me.
After his dad was taken away, the house is just silent. Sounder is badly injured and doesn't make a sound anymore. His mother talks about some serious topics and tells him it's just the fear talking. She tries her hardest but it just isn't enough for him.
Along the way, we get snippets of cruelty and suffering. Whether it was physical or emotional pain, my heart hurt. This book dove into so many deep topics that just opened my eyes a bit more because it's nothing something I've ever gone through.
In the end, this book was just amazing. Simply amazing.
When I decided to read this book, I needed to feel the satisfaction of checking something out at my school library for no particular reason at all. So I grabbed the tiniest book I could finish right when I got home off the bus and started it. It was quite the story to get through with the 116 pages it was. I am not much for reading books with no to little dialogue or too much dialogue. But this was an exception. It didn't make me cry or sad in any way. I just found it a good book I just felt like reading-I didn't actually want to. Definitely not disappointing it was, but satisfing the way this child stays so peaceful and calm through all the rage inside of his head through the white policemen and his father in jail and the violence towards his pet dog for no reason. It just was not acceptable. Brilliant was the choice of words and the mood it would give any reader. The way the book was written gave an impression of sadness no matter how you read it or what mood you were in. No matter what, the good was sad. You can read it upside down, backwards, in a different language, underwater, wherever and however the heck you wanted to--but no matter what William H. Armstrong gives a deep tale of a young boy growing up in a sad atmosphere next to a town where his family and himself are not acceptable by their circumstances of society. His cope with the atmosphere and his surroundings are remarkable from what he had seen in front of his eyes from when he was only a small child. Not too much a lesson to be learned, but a tale to be raised and told from the heart.
Pfft. I didn't cry. I'm tough.
It's surprisingly good, though. The closing passage really affected me.
The 'famous' watercolor washes that illustrate the book left me puzzled. A couple of them depicted things the text explicitly contradicted.
It's surprisingly good, though. The closing passage really affected me.
The 'famous' watercolor washes that illustrate the book left me puzzled. A couple of them depicted things the text explicitly contradicted.
This was a great story to read. I wanted to know from the beginning how this story would end. I really felt sorry for the dog and the kid.
Saw the movie first, but the book is SOOOO much better. It's sweeter, sadder and much more meaningful!
I really enjoyed this book. The themes of African American slavery and the harsh realities that made up their way of life are well portrayed and can teach us something. Sounder is the sole character with a name in the novel. The others are referred to as ‘boy’ ‘boy’s father’ ‘boy’s mother’ etc. which is an interesting connection one can make to their status. The entire tale is sad, yet moving and worth it to watch the boy grow as a ‘savior’ comes to finally show some kindness to the family. The end is uplifting after the rest being filled with sadness and discouragement. A very well written book and worth taking time for.
A classic book well worth the read. It was not meant to be enjoyed. It was meant to tell a story about a way of life that was desperate and unforgiving. Period.
One of my favorites as a child. Probably banned in Florida and Texas.
One of my favorites as a child. Probably banned in Florida and Texas.