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bookgirl4ever's review
5.0
Mischievous, intelligent, Milagros grows up on the island of Las Brisas with her mother. Years ago, her father ran off to become a pirate. Just after Carnival, visitors kill all the islanders but Milagros escapes on a dinghy and ends up far north on a new island off the coast of Maine. It is here that Milagros learns her place in the world and makes peace with the loss of her parents and her homeland.
A delightful tale and beautifully written.
Excerpt:
"It was as Rosa had said when they first met the rays. To find joy and magic in life you must look inside yourself and see beyond what others see. See yourself with your own eyes. This was the message that Milagros finally sealed in her own bottle and dropped into the bay with Hector at her side. Together they stood on the pier and blew the bottle toward the ocean for good luck. The current pulled it away slowly, first in the direction of the Winterses' home, and then out to sea. Perhaps, Milagros told him, their bottle would travel the whole world before it found just the right shore. But it would find its way to the right hands eventually. Such bottles always did. And waiting there would be a lonely child, a worried mother, or even the sad ghost of a pirate seeking forgiveness." p. 274-275
A delightful tale and beautifully written.
Excerpt:
"It was as Rosa had said when they first met the rays. To find joy and magic in life you must look inside yourself and see beyond what others see. See yourself with your own eyes. This was the message that Milagros finally sealed in her own bottle and dropped into the bay with Hector at her side. Together they stood on the pier and blew the bottle toward the ocean for good luck. The current pulled it away slowly, first in the direction of the Winterses' home, and then out to sea. Perhaps, Milagros told him, their bottle would travel the whole world before it found just the right shore. But it would find its way to the right hands eventually. Such bottles always did. And waiting there would be a lonely child, a worried mother, or even the sad ghost of a pirate seeking forgiveness." p. 274-275
crystal_reading's review
4.0
Milagros is a captivating main character. She is herself every moment and is learning about herself as she struggles through hardship and separation from everything she knows. I am coming around as a fan of magical realism. I have been a reader who likes realism and fantasy to stay in their boxes, but I think that is because that was what I grew up reading - straight fantasy and straight realism for the most part. There are several authors who are winning me over though - Guadalupe Garcia McCall, Meg Medina and Laurel Snyder to name a few. The magic adds a beauty to the story and it makes me ask why not? Why should stories have to be in tidy little boxes following rules?
scorpstar77's review
3.0
Milagros lives on the beautiful island of Las Brisas with her mother. The small island is virtually unheard of by the outside world, but the islanders are happy and content. Despite being abandoned by her father (who left to be a pirate when she was younger), Milagros is smart, mischeivous, and has a special power she learns about from her mother - all is well until one day, the island falls under attack. Milagros is the only one to escape, and her escape takes her far, far from home. She has to convince her rescuers that her story is true, learn to fit in, and make new friends in a world very different from her own, all the while wondering about her mother's fate.
After I finished it, I described this book as a middle grade magical realism adventure story. The plot wanders a bit at times, but overall, the story is interesting. I could see my 9-year-old niece enjoying this book for the magical and adventure aspects as well as learning about some of the environments and cultures explored in the story.
After I finished it, I described this book as a middle grade magical realism adventure story. The plot wanders a bit at times, but overall, the story is interesting. I could see my 9-year-old niece enjoying this book for the magical and adventure aspects as well as learning about some of the environments and cultures explored in the story.
brandilarsen's review
Let me first disclose that Meg Medina was one of my writing teachers. Even if I didn't know her, I would still think this book is amazing.
Milagros is the title character, a feisty 12-year-old who is the only survivor after a terrible attack on her home, a gorgeous island in the Caribbean that is so tiny it can't be found on a map. Before the attack, she lives with her mother, a mysterious avocado farmer who can cure anything using her salves. After the attack, Milagros sails in a dingy to a cold island north of Maine where she is taken in by a kind couple and their obnoxious, jealous daughter. In her new home, she's treated with suspicion until she learns how to make her own way.
This book is stunning. The writing itself is funny, lush and heartbreaking, often in the same sentence. Milagros is a character in whom you can see yourself and the places are written with such precision that you feel like you're there. The use of magic sprinkled through the novel makes it sparkle.
It's the kind of book that makes you want to hug everyone you love. It's an amazing read.
Milagros is the title character, a feisty 12-year-old who is the only survivor after a terrible attack on her home, a gorgeous island in the Caribbean that is so tiny it can't be found on a map. Before the attack, she lives with her mother, a mysterious avocado farmer who can cure anything using her salves. After the attack, Milagros sails in a dingy to a cold island north of Maine where she is taken in by a kind couple and their obnoxious, jealous daughter. In her new home, she's treated with suspicion until she learns how to make her own way.
This book is stunning. The writing itself is funny, lush and heartbreaking, often in the same sentence. Milagros is a character in whom you can see yourself and the places are written with such precision that you feel like you're there. The use of magic sprinkled through the novel makes it sparkle.
It's the kind of book that makes you want to hug everyone you love. It's an amazing read.
arisbookcorner's review
4.0
I wasn't fond of the ending of this novel. There weren't many loose ends, but I felt there was a hole in the story with Old Woman Perez (especially concerning her daughter). Add to that my general confusion over what happened with Milagros' mother and I wasn't a fan of the plot. The story seemed to largely drift at parts, searching aimlessly for a course of direction. Maybe I just don't really understand magical realism but I didn't understand how the story went from made-up Las Brisas (aka Away) to Maine. Also the villaness was unrealistically evil. Yes she was jealous but after awhile her actions bordered on extreme and I just didn't think it was plausible. I also found it odd that Milagros goes to school but it's never mentioned. She only has one friend, Old Woman Perez and I wished she had more interactions with people her own age.
Even with all my issues with the plot, it's the writing that truly carries this story and makes it beautiful. The writing is alluring and definitive. I was easily able to picture the lovely (yet fictional) Las Brisas (which is in the Caribbean) and the very different world of Holly Pointe, Maine. The author easily captured how shocking it would be to go from the warmth of the people and setting of Las Brisas to the colder and grayer Maine. The feelings of alienation Milagros feels is one that many can relate to and I liked her small acts of rebellion. Milagros is feisty and seeks revenge on all those who tease her and treat others unjustly (I liked that she sought revenge not only for herself but for others as well). I was also fond of the frayed mother-daughter bond. Milagros' mother, Rosa, does not pay fit into the conventional mother mold that Milagros has. She envies the other girls whose mothers scold them about their bad behavior and ask about their report cards. Rosa doesn't appear to care, but she does care about Milagros. As is often the case, too late, Milagros realizes that her mother does indeed love her and she wants nothing more than to leave Maine and find her mother (who put Milagros in a dinghy to escape and Milagros hasn't heard from her since).
Milagros: Girl From Away is an enamoring read. The creative aspects of magical realism were somewhat lost on me since they resulted in confusion (on my part) but the writing and descriptions are so delightful I didn't really mind. I also loved the incorporation of manta rays into the story. Such an usual element. I don't think I knew anything about manta rays (I didn't even know they were referred to as manta rays which is the overall name. Sting rays are a certain type) and while this book doesn't provide much information about manta rays, it does explain that they really aren't that dangerous and are pretty creatures to observe. I wish the plot had been stronger with more details but the slower pace suited me because it allows time to revel in the writing. I also really liked that Las Brisas incorporated only the good of all the (Latin) Caribbean islands, it was sunny with nice beaches and a relaxed atmosphere. A perfect place.
Even with all my issues with the plot, it's the writing that truly carries this story and makes it beautiful. The writing is alluring and definitive. I was easily able to picture the lovely (yet fictional) Las Brisas (which is in the Caribbean) and the very different world of Holly Pointe, Maine. The author easily captured how shocking it would be to go from the warmth of the people and setting of Las Brisas to the colder and grayer Maine. The feelings of alienation Milagros feels is one that many can relate to and I liked her small acts of rebellion. Milagros is feisty and seeks revenge on all those who tease her and treat others unjustly (I liked that she sought revenge not only for herself but for others as well). I was also fond of the frayed mother-daughter bond. Milagros' mother, Rosa, does not pay fit into the conventional mother mold that Milagros has. She envies the other girls whose mothers scold them about their bad behavior and ask about their report cards. Rosa doesn't appear to care, but she does care about Milagros. As is often the case, too late, Milagros realizes that her mother does indeed love her and she wants nothing more than to leave Maine and find her mother (who put Milagros in a dinghy to escape and Milagros hasn't heard from her since).
Milagros: Girl From Away is an enamoring read. The creative aspects of magical realism were somewhat lost on me since they resulted in confusion (on my part) but the writing and descriptions are so delightful I didn't really mind. I also loved the incorporation of manta rays into the story. Such an usual element. I don't think I knew anything about manta rays (I didn't even know they were referred to as manta rays which is the overall name. Sting rays are a certain type) and while this book doesn't provide much information about manta rays, it does explain that they really aren't that dangerous and are pretty creatures to observe. I wish the plot had been stronger with more details but the slower pace suited me because it allows time to revel in the writing. I also really liked that Las Brisas incorporated only the good of all the (Latin) Caribbean islands, it was sunny with nice beaches and a relaxed atmosphere. A perfect place.
hazelalaska's review
4.0
The way I would describe this book is charming. I loved the setting of the island of Las Brisas, and I sort of wish we saw more of it because only the first part of the book takes place there.
I grabbed this book when I was working on the discard cart at the library where I worked. The other book I picked out from there didn’t turn out to be that great, and I was expecting to be unhauling this one as well. It really surprised me that I liked it so much, so this one I will be keeping. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but it was very compelling and the writing was great.
When I first read the synopsis, I was reminded of Island of the Blue Dolphins mixed with Goddess of Yesterday, two books I really love. I had high hopes going into this, and it definitely met them. As I was reading I was reminded of other books as well, such as Pictures of Hollis Woods and Princess Academy, likely beause the book is about a strong young girl trying to figure out her place in the world.
The story is about Milagros, a young latina girl living on a small island in the Caribbean. It’s not fantasy but rather magical realism, including fantastical elements within the everyday world. Magical realism, as I learned, is primarily a South American /latino tradition, so I was happy to see it here.
Spoilers!
I definitely liked the setting of Las Brisas and I wish we got more of it. I felt like the whole part where she ends up in Holly Pointe could have been shortened to allow the Las Brisas part to be longer. The book took a darker turn than I thought with the attack of the Rubians. I liked the part where Milagros is in the tree and she looks down and sees Dr. Lopez and Senorita Alma laying there dead underneath her. The sight really hit home because we knew Milagros really liked Senorita Alma and that she and the doctor were a week away from getting married. I do think that because this is middle grade the story didn’t dwell that much on the death part especially once Milagros was at Holly Pointe. I think that if this were a YA novel it could have dwelled more on the fact that everyone Milagros once knew is likely dead, including Eugenia, whom she seemed to have a running feud with. I think it could have pushed this a bit more in the current form, but if this were YA it would have been grittier.
Speaking of the Rubians, there is a conflict mentioned with them and the fact that Las Brisas has so much while they have so little, but it wasn’t really developed. It seemed to be given as the motive for them attacking and killing everyone, but it was only mentioned once and it came from Rosa, not the Rubians themselves. One Rubian in particular that I wanted to talk about is Delfin. I honestly thought he would play a bigger part in the story somehow, especially because he is actually given a name. I expected him to pop up again later in the story somehow even after Milagros leaves Las Brisas but we never see him again after that.
I grabbed this book when I was working on the discard cart at the library where I worked. The other book I picked out from there didn’t turn out to be that great, and I was expecting to be unhauling this one as well. It really surprised me that I liked it so much, so this one I will be keeping. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but it was very compelling and the writing was great.
When I first read the synopsis, I was reminded of Island of the Blue Dolphins mixed with Goddess of Yesterday, two books I really love. I had high hopes going into this, and it definitely met them. As I was reading I was reminded of other books as well, such as Pictures of Hollis Woods and Princess Academy, likely beause the book is about a strong young girl trying to figure out her place in the world.
The story is about Milagros, a young latina girl living on a small island in the Caribbean. It’s not fantasy but rather magical realism, including fantastical elements within the everyday world. Magical realism, as I learned, is primarily a South American /latino tradition, so I was happy to see it here.
Spoilers!
I definitely liked the setting of Las Brisas and I wish we got more of it. I felt like the whole part where she ends up in Holly Pointe could have been shortened to allow the Las Brisas part to be longer. The book took a darker turn than I thought with the attack of the Rubians. I liked the part where Milagros is in the tree and she looks down and sees Dr. Lopez and Senorita Alma laying there dead underneath her. The sight really hit home because we knew Milagros really liked Senorita Alma and that she and the doctor were a week away from getting married. I do think that because this is middle grade the story didn’t dwell that much on the death part especially once Milagros was at Holly Pointe. I think that if this were a YA novel it could have dwelled more on the fact that everyone Milagros once knew is likely dead, including Eugenia, whom she seemed to have a running feud with. I think it could have pushed this a bit more in the current form, but if this were YA it would have been grittier.
Speaking of the Rubians, there is a conflict mentioned with them and the fact that Las Brisas has so much while they have so little, but it wasn’t really developed. It seemed to be given as the motive for them attacking and killing everyone, but it was only mentioned once and it came from Rosa, not the Rubians themselves. One Rubian in particular that I wanted to talk about is Delfin. I honestly thought he would play a bigger part in the story somehow, especially because he is actually given a name. I expected him to pop up again later in the story somehow even after Milagros leaves Las Brisas but we never see him again after that.
saunteringvaguelydownward's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
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