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sammah's review against another edition
5.0
WOW! This book was fantastic, what a wonderful surprise! I received it in my Book Case Club box, and I am very glad I did. It's not a book I probably would have picked up on my own, which is unfortunate, but I am seriously pleased with this. It hooked me from the first ten pages, and after that I just simply couldn't put it down. I've never read a book before about blood diamonds, and I wasn't sure what to expect. This book just truly exceeded expectations.
The journey of Patson and his family blew me away. The things they struggled through, the life they lived, it really hit me in the feels. Knowing that this sort of thing really does happen all over the world...that just made me even more eager to see how it would all end for this young boy and his sister. I highly recommend it to fans of YA literature or just strong, well-written, deep literature in general.
The journey of Patson and his family blew me away. The things they struggled through, the life they lived, it really hit me in the feels. Knowing that this sort of thing really does happen all over the world...that just made me even more eager to see how it would all end for this young boy and his sister. I highly recommend it to fans of YA literature or just strong, well-written, deep literature in general.
chwaters's review against another edition
4.0
Patson Moyo is pretty happy with his life. He runs on his school's cross-country team, he's on the verge of getting a girlfriend...things are looking good for the foreseeable future. The only thing in his life that really bothers Patson is his step-mother. She's greedy, rude and demanding. Patson can scarcely believe it when she manages to convince Patson's father to give up his teaching job to head down to the diamond fields of Marange in eastern Zimbabwe. Everyone has heard the rumors: diamonds for everyone, everyone will be rich. After a rough and dangerous journey, the family arrives at the diamond fields, only to discover that things are very different from the rumors they've heard. Patson's step-mother has a brother who runs the diamond field at Marange, so the family initially expects to be well-treated, but again, reality fails to meet their expectations. The step-mother more or less abandons the family to live in the main house with her brother while Patson, his father and his little sister eke out a meager existence in a nearby shack. Both Patson and his father work the mines. Patson aims to find a girazi, a large diamond that he might sell so that he can get his family out of the mines. Not too terribly long after their arrival, the Zimbabwean government sends soldiers in to reclaim the diamond mines. The Moyo's situation quickly goes from bad to worse, with Patson stepping on a landmine and his sister being kidnapped.
Diamond Boy takes readers to a place rarely seen in Young Adult literature. Readers may have heard the term "blood diamond" before, but likely have little reference point for what this term actually implies. Williams creates a likeable and relate-able character in Patson. Even if his decisions seem ill-advised, his drive to save his family is noble. Readers will learn a great deal about how diamonds are mined, as well as the tragic events surrounding the government take-over of the diamond mines and the subsequent black-market trading of diamonds. While this may sound like a political story, it really is not. This is a very human story, told with compassion while never sparing the reader from the unpleasant realities of a brutal industry.
Diamond Boy takes readers to a place rarely seen in Young Adult literature. Readers may have heard the term "blood diamond" before, but likely have little reference point for what this term actually implies. Williams creates a likeable and relate-able character in Patson. Even if his decisions seem ill-advised, his drive to save his family is noble. Readers will learn a great deal about how diamonds are mined, as well as the tragic events surrounding the government take-over of the diamond mines and the subsequent black-market trading of diamonds. While this may sound like a political story, it really is not. This is a very human story, told with compassion while never sparing the reader from the unpleasant realities of a brutal industry.
cjgottlieb's review against another edition
5.0
Gripping story of a boy that is forced to work in the African diamond mines.
koby's review against another edition
3.0
This novel is apparently a companion novel, but I didn't know that till I read the afterword. This novel focuses on 15 year old Patson, whose family moves to mine diamonds after Zimbabwe's problems (governmental failings, inflation, etc.) cause his father's job as a teacher to be an insufficient way to keep the family fed. However, the "diamonds for everyone" mantra that's been told over and over again is, no surprise, a heavily gilded truth. Once the army comes and takes over the mining operations, things go from bad to worse.
I enjoyed the story. It moved quickly. It was clearly a story that was meant to raise awareness, but it didn't read as pedantic.
I enjoyed the story. It moved quickly. It was clearly a story that was meant to raise awareness, but it didn't read as pedantic.
book_ish's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
srousseau's review against another edition
3.0
Read this for a book club. Good book for kids on conditions in other places. Interesting story of life in another time and place.
littlecornerreads's review against another edition
4.0
Rating: 4.5 stars
I actually think [a:Matthew Quick|1251730|Matthew Quick|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1384874930p2/1251730.jpg]'s little blurb on the back cover is a pretty good summary of my review of Diamond Boy:
"Michael Williams astounds us with the moral dilemmas facing southern Africa; he also buoys us with a realistic sense of hope and triumph. A must-read."
After learning about corruption in the diamond business from various people, I've wanted to learn more about it. Since actually sitting down to watch Blood Diamond between the cracks of my fingers wasn't all that appealing of an option, I was happy to find a YA alternative.
It seems like Williams did his research. (If his Acknowledgments are any indication, he did his best take advantage of the expertise of those around him.) I can really only vouch for the medical aspect though, which is on point. But I digress. I think Williams does a good job of accurately portraying a very real problem to an audience who might not otherwise be exposed to this kind of information. It's accessible, approachable, enjoyable (in that it's interesting, and not in a sadistic way) and, most importantly, informative. I do wish, though, that he had included either his reference list or recommendations for further reading at the end of the book.
The missing half of a star is mostly for the actual story aspect.Quick claims Williams, "buoys us with a realistic sense of hope and triumph," and I have to agree with all but one word: realistic. Yes, life sucks, the mines are brutal, greed destroys, and life and limb are lost in Diamond Boy, but you still end up with a relatively nice "happily ever after" at the end of the book. Like I said, the hardships are portrayed in the book, but the ending is a little too neat and tidy for me. Like, the fact that 1. he found, not one, not two, but three pure diamond stones, 2. old lady "Dr. Muti" somehow managed to hide said diamonds in his leg and expect him to find it, 3. he a) survived the arduous journey to cross the border, escape the army, etc. WITH SAID DIAMONDS IN HIS LEG and b) ended up recovering the diamonds is a little ridiculous. I mean, I get it. It's YA. Give the people want they want and all that, but how realistic is this kind of a story? How many children end up smuggling/selling industrial diamonds successfully, escaping the mines, outrunning the army, reuniting with the remainder of their family (especially when that family member is being traffic'ed around Africa by a corrupt "accounting student"), finding a surrogate parent, and becoming up "very wealth young [men]"? You can see the reason for my skepticism. Again, I get the compulsion to give Paton a (relatively) happy ending. I get wanting to have the young man caught up by diamond greed lose (almost) everything to learn about true worth. We want things to come full circle, redemption and all that, especially in YA. I usually have no problem with that, but with a subject like this, don't we owe it to ourselves and to the people who actually live this to try to understand what their life is truly like instead of looking for a nicely packaged ending. Give me a downer, give me and unfinished hopeless ending, give me life, but don't give me happily ever after and call it "realistic."*
*I know that Williams never actually claims anywhere that the story (vs. descriptive) aspect of Diamond Boy is realistic, and that I'm basing this entire rant on Matthew Quick's blurb on the back, but this is my review and I do what I want. Plus, I gave him 4.5 stars, which, in my world is really generous.
I actually think [a:Matthew Quick|1251730|Matthew Quick|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1384874930p2/1251730.jpg]'s little blurb on the back cover is a pretty good summary of my review of Diamond Boy:
"Michael Williams astounds us with the moral dilemmas facing southern Africa; he also buoys us with a realistic sense of hope and triumph. A must-read."
After learning about corruption in the diamond business from various people, I've wanted to learn more about it. Since actually sitting down to watch Blood Diamond between the cracks of my fingers wasn't all that appealing of an option, I was happy to find a YA alternative.
It seems like Williams did his research. (If his Acknowledgments are any indication, he did his best take advantage of the expertise of those around him.) I can really only vouch for the medical aspect though, which is on point. But I digress. I think Williams does a good job of accurately portraying a very real problem to an audience who might not otherwise be exposed to this kind of information. It's accessible, approachable, enjoyable (in that it's interesting, and not in a sadistic way) and, most importantly, informative. I do wish, though, that he had included either his reference list or recommendations for further reading at the end of the book.
The missing half of a star is mostly for the actual story aspect.
*I know that Williams never actually claims anywhere that the story (vs. descriptive) aspect of Diamond Boy is realistic, and that I'm basing this entire rant on Matthew Quick's blurb on the back, but this is my review and I do what I want. Plus, I gave him 4.5 stars, which, in my world is really generous.
amdame1's review against another edition
4.0
Companion to "Now is the time for running" (but each stands completely on it's own)
Patson is 15-years-old when his poor teacher father is lambasted enough by his pretty, young, new wife to move their family to Marange where there are "Diamonds for everyone". Patson's father plans to continue to teach there but they will be closer to Wife's brother who runs one of the diamond mines.
Nothing goes as planned (of course) and soon Patson and his father are both working in the diamond mines/fields.
Well-developed characters, interesting plot twists. Very thought provoking in terms of culture, family - and very awareness raising about where and how we get diamonds and if they are really worth all the blood, death, and violence. I have to admit I feel a bit guilty about the pair in my ears right now that my dad gave to my mom and that she gave to me...
Patson is 15-years-old when his poor teacher father is lambasted enough by his pretty, young, new wife to move their family to Marange where there are "Diamonds for everyone". Patson's father plans to continue to teach there but they will be closer to Wife's brother who runs one of the diamond mines.
Nothing goes as planned (of course) and soon Patson and his father are both working in the diamond mines/fields.
Well-developed characters, interesting plot twists. Very thought provoking in terms of culture, family - and very awareness raising about where and how we get diamonds and if they are really worth all the blood, death, and violence. I have to admit I feel a bit guilty about the pair in my ears right now that my dad gave to my mom and that she gave to me...
8little_paws's review against another edition
5.0
Terrific story of a teen aged boy and his family who move from the city to mine for diamonds. Many hardships await him as things at the mine quickly unravel. I loved the main character and learned a lot about Zimbabwe from this book and highly recommend it to anyone looking for YA set outside the U.S.
lgl88's review
3.0
The premise for this story was great, but it had no sense of cohesion. It also bordered on misogyny, but that's not quite right... it just dealt very poorly with the female characters, they had a tiny fraction of the characterization of the male characters to the point where I wondered why they had even been written in. It makes me wonder how the author thinks of women in real life, or if he thinks of them at all. At the end of the book Patson's main goal becomes rescuing his sister, but I found myself caring very little about their relationship because she barely appears in the novel. Same thing with a vague romantic interest of his, it only mattered occasionally and felt random when it came up again. I was very disturbed by the suggestion that Patson's sister was being molested by one of the men, and by the way that the author threw it in for shock value or something without dealing with it beyond that. Using rape as a plot device is wrong, and in this case it wasn't even done well. Some sections of the novel were really wonderful, but it mostly felt as though they were the bits of inspiration the author had and he's published a very weak first draft.