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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
Desivé, mierne morbídne, extrémne vtipné MG s dokonale vypilovanou hlavnou postavou. Niečo ako kombinácia Matildy od Roalda Dahla a čohokoľvek od Neila Gaimana s nečakaným horovým bonusom. S Viktóriou som bola na jednej lodi od prvej strany. Je sebavedomá, inteligentná, samostatná a čo sa týka poukazovania na svoju vlastnú hodnotu a dôležitosť svojich akademických výsledkov, extrémne neskromná. Trpí silným komplexom superiority vďaka ktorému býva občas k ostatným vo svojej snahe priviesť ich na správne chodníčky prehnane kritická a krutá, čo jej zabraňuje vytvárať priateľstvá s ostatnými deťmi. Spôsob, akým vnímala svet, dosahovala svoje ciele, neustále poučovala a nepriamo šikanovala všetko a všetkých (aj keď hlavnú vlnu vždy schytal chudák Lawrence) v jej okolí bol úplne jedinečný.
Najmilšou časťou bol jej vzťah k otravne nedokonalému, neustále rozgajdanému Lawrencovi (toho som mala rada prakticky od začiatku, inak to ani nejde ... za to čo si pri Viki vytrpel by mal dostať minimálne nejakého bobríka trpezlivosti), ktorého si pred rokmi vybrala za svoj osobný projekt a proste mu oznámila, že budú kamaráti. Chcela tým získať obdiv a pochvalu dospelákov za to, že sa venuje chlapcovi s ktorým sa nikto iný nechce rozprávať. V reály však získal však získala niečo s čím nerátala a nebolo to v pláne. Skutočného kamaráta. Lawrence je totižto vďaka svojej pokojnej, zasnenej, umeleckej povahe jediný, kto dokáže s Viktóriou koexistovať v mieri.
Príbeh je zo začiatku síce skôr vtipný a ľahký, ale asi v tretine knihy Lawrence mizne a začína byť jasné, prečo je všade radená, ako hororová. Niektoré scény, situácie a rozuzlenia sú naozaj morbídne a neľútostné. Zostanete po nich v šoku a s veľmi nepríjemným pocitom. Toto je jedna z MG kníh, ktorú ocenia deti, ale dospelí ľudia sa o ňu trhajú ešte viac.
Štýl písania je naozaj fenomenálny. Každá postava je jedinečná a žije si svojím vlastným životom. Každá scéna má svoj zmysel. Z popisov Domova pre Chlapcov a Dievčatá pani Cavendishovej som mala pocit, že som uväznená medzi jeho stenami. Z ilustrácii som mala pocit, že už-už zdrhnú z knihy. Popisy nadprirodzených javov a desivých príhod tu (teda aspoň u mňa) vyvolávali veľmi silné emócie. Miestami som mala chuť vytiahnuť hlavného záporáka z knihy a prefackať ho. Kniha je presiaknutá na prvý pohľad nepostrehnuteľným zlom, ktoré sa postupne kryštalizuje a dostáva reálnu podobu. Od vrážd a únosov po zhrozené uvedomenie si toho, čo to vlastne nevedomky postavy celú dobu jedli, alebo vykonávali. Je to ako precitnutie po tom, keď radostne žujete gumené cukríky, následne však zistíte z čoho sú vyrobené a už nikdy nechutia tak dobre, ako predtým.
The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls je mrazivá kniha plná fantázie a veľmi správneho zmyslu pre humor, ktorá sa nehanbí za svoju desivosť a s prehľadom ňou predbieha väčšinu súčasných hororov pre dospelých. No je to aj príbeh o sile priateľstva, uvedomovaní si vlastnej moci a o desivej konfrontácii s tým čo by sa mohlo stať, keby bola daná moc využitá na prvý pohľad správnym, no po hlbšom preskúmaní strašným spôsobom.
Najmilšou časťou bol jej vzťah k otravne nedokonalému, neustále rozgajdanému Lawrencovi (toho som mala rada prakticky od začiatku, inak to ani nejde ... za to čo si pri Viki vytrpel by mal dostať minimálne nejakého bobríka trpezlivosti), ktorého si pred rokmi vybrala za svoj osobný projekt a proste mu oznámila, že budú kamaráti. Chcela tým získať obdiv a pochvalu dospelákov za to, že sa venuje chlapcovi s ktorým sa nikto iný nechce rozprávať. V reály však získal však získala niečo s čím nerátala a nebolo to v pláne. Skutočného kamaráta. Lawrence je totižto vďaka svojej pokojnej, zasnenej, umeleckej povahe jediný, kto dokáže s Viktóriou koexistovať v mieri.
Príbeh je zo začiatku síce skôr vtipný a ľahký, ale asi v tretine knihy Lawrence mizne a začína byť jasné, prečo je všade radená, ako hororová. Niektoré scény, situácie a rozuzlenia sú naozaj morbídne a neľútostné. Zostanete po nich v šoku a s veľmi nepríjemným pocitom. Toto je jedna z MG kníh, ktorú ocenia deti, ale dospelí ľudia sa o ňu trhajú ešte viac.
Štýl písania je naozaj fenomenálny. Každá postava je jedinečná a žije si svojím vlastným životom. Každá scéna má svoj zmysel. Z popisov Domova pre Chlapcov a Dievčatá pani Cavendishovej som mala pocit, že som uväznená medzi jeho stenami. Z ilustrácii som mala pocit, že už-už zdrhnú z knihy. Popisy nadprirodzených javov a desivých príhod tu (teda aspoň u mňa) vyvolávali veľmi silné emócie. Miestami som mala chuť vytiahnuť hlavného záporáka z knihy a prefackať ho. Kniha je presiaknutá na prvý pohľad nepostrehnuteľným zlom, ktoré sa postupne kryštalizuje a dostáva reálnu podobu. Od vrážd a únosov po zhrozené uvedomenie si toho, čo to vlastne nevedomky postavy celú dobu jedli, alebo vykonávali. Je to ako precitnutie po tom, keď radostne žujete gumené cukríky, následne však zistíte z čoho sú vyrobené a už nikdy nechutia tak dobre, ako predtým.
The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls je mrazivá kniha plná fantázie a veľmi správneho zmyslu pre humor, ktorá sa nehanbí za svoju desivosť a s prehľadom ňou predbieha väčšinu súčasných hororov pre dospelých. No je to aj príbeh o sile priateľstva, uvedomovaní si vlastnej moci a o desivej konfrontácii s tým čo by sa mohlo stať, keby bola daná moc využitá na prvý pohľad správnym, no po hlbšom preskúmaní strašným spôsobom.
This book. What was this book? This book was what I had expected Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children to be like. It was creepy and, frankly, disgusting. If I had read this in elementary school (junior fiction), I would have had nightmares for months!
The book, if you're interested, is about a perfect little town where kids often go missing and no one seems to notice. Victoria's only friend goes missing one day, and she starts to investigate. Turns out (*SPOILERS*) they go to the Cavendish home where they are abused and tortured into changing their bad habits. If they cannot "fix" their problem by their 13th birthday, they are mutilated and kept on as servants. Oh, and the children are fed pieces of human meat from the children who are mutilated.
Seriously? This should not be a children's book.
The book, if you're interested, is about a perfect little town where kids often go missing and no one seems to notice. Victoria's only friend goes missing one day, and she starts to investigate. Turns out (*SPOILERS*) they go to the Cavendish home where they are abused and tortured into changing their bad habits. If they cannot "fix" their problem by their 13th birthday, they are mutilated and kept on as servants. Oh, and the children are fed pieces of human meat from the children who are mutilated.
Seriously? This should not be a children's book.
How is it that children's/ya horror novels manage to creep me out more than adult horror novels? Geez...and I thought "Coraline" was creepy.
I loved this book! It was witty, it was creepy, and it had fun characters. Off we go then:
Victoria lives in the perfect little town of Belleville. She likes things to be as perfect as they can be. She's neat and organized and, of course, top of her class. She befriends Lawrence out of a sense of civic duty wherein she tries to help him in life by reminding him to tuck in his shirt and not hum to himself so much. Things start going very wrong in Victoria's world when Lawrence suddenly goes missing. Of course, Victoria doesn't exactly need Lawrence, but his disappearance constitutes change, something this well-ordered girl does not appreciate. Victoria starts sniffing around trying to find out what happened to her friend and also to see if she can figure out why everyone in town has been acting so strange. Could it have anything to do with the mistress of the children's home down the street? (Hint: yes).
This book was a bit of a roller coaster ride (in a good way). There were parts of it that strongly reminded me of Coraline and the "other mother" and some bits that made me think of the movie "The Forgotten", but it was a great adventure. It would also lend itself well to reading aloud. If you have a strong dislike for bugs, you probably shouldn't read this book (the pages are, literally, crawling with them). Can't wait until my son is old enough to read this for himself.
Victoria lives in the perfect little town of Belleville. She likes things to be as perfect as they can be. She's neat and organized and, of course, top of her class. She befriends Lawrence out of a sense of civic duty wherein she tries to help him in life by reminding him to tuck in his shirt and not hum to himself so much. Things start going very wrong in Victoria's world when Lawrence suddenly goes missing. Of course, Victoria doesn't exactly need Lawrence, but his disappearance constitutes change, something this well-ordered girl does not appreciate. Victoria starts sniffing around trying to find out what happened to her friend and also to see if she can figure out why everyone in town has been acting so strange. Could it have anything to do with the mistress of the children's home down the street? (Hint: yes).
This book was a bit of a roller coaster ride (in a good way). There were parts of it that strongly reminded me of Coraline and the "other mother" and some bits that made me think of the movie "The Forgotten", but it was a great adventure. It would also lend itself well to reading aloud. If you have a strong dislike for bugs, you probably shouldn't read this book (the pages are, literally, crawling with them). Can't wait until my son is old enough to read this for himself.
http://theprettygoodgatsby.wordpress.com/2013/04/29/the-cavendish-home-for-boys-and-girls-by-claire-legrand/
Victoria Wright is the best at everything she does. She wakes up at precisely the same time every single day, she expects her school uniform to be pressed just so, and all of her desk accessories are in clearly labelled boxes. Her parents brag about her to their friends - who certainly don't have children nearly as perfect as Victoria - and when her teachers assign 5-page papers she hands in 10.
Then came the day Victoria never dreamed would happen: she received a B in Music.
She had been too angry and ashamed in her less-than-perfect grade to notice the disappearance of her best friend Lawrence. Lawrence, who constantly needed reminders to comb his hair or tuck in his shirt. Lawrence, who loved his piano above all else - despite his parents' wishes to follow in their footsteps and pursue a career in dental care. Lawrence, who might be a fairly average student, but would certainly never receive a B in Music.
When Victoria finally does realize Lawrence is missing, she immediately heads to his house to find out where he went. His parents casually mention a sick grandmother, but Victoria can't help but notice something is...off: their smiles are a little too wide, their eyes a little too bright. The more people Victoria runs into, the more she notices things aren't quite right. While her own mother is no stranger to skin creams and products, her neighbors are starting to look less like humans and more waxy and shiny.
Also, she can't help but notice the sudden swarm of bugs popping up all over town.
Victoria's investigation eventually leads her to the largest house in town: the Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls. Until now, Victoria never had a need to visit the orphanage and avoided it at all costs (who knows what kind of filth and germs those children would have!), but with time running out - and more missing children - Victoria will stop at nothing to bring Lawrence back.
The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls is a book that had been on my radar for a while now, but it wasn't until I received an ARC of Legrand's The Year of Shadows (out this August), that I made the decision to move Cavendish up a few spots on my list.
Spring has finally graced Pittsburgh and that means rain. Rain and gloomy, dark days. I can't think of a better atmosphere for a novel like this. I curled up on the couch with a cup of tea and a blanket and devoured this book in a sitting. Initially I had my doubts about Victoria. She was the quintessential definition of a snob, yet this was the main character! How on earth was I going to spend 300+ pages with her and her incessant quibbling over incorrectly ironed pleats?
Imagine my absolute shock when I realized I really liked Victoria! Her need for perfection would have been intolerable in anyone else, but with her, it was adorable. Her quirks came off as amusing rather than grating, and her no-nonsense attitude helped move the story along at a wonderful pace. The story doesn't really come alive until Victoria winds up in the Cavendish Home, but once she does, the book takes off beautifully.
The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls reminds me of dark, gothic stories I enjoyed enormously as a child. It's delightfully creepy and the sinister feel didn't let up once. Interspersed throughout the chapters are gorgeous full-page illustrations and every so often there are smaller illustrations of bugs. Ha, more than once I forgot they were just drawings and nearly threw the book across the room. That those drawings kept me on edge while reading only added to the overall feel of the novel and worked in its favor.
Though this is most definitely YA, there were a few moments that surprised me - unbeknownst to the children, they were partaking in cannibalism. These instances did nothing to hinder my enjoyment of the book, however.
Having one Legrand novel under my belt, I cannot wait to read The Year of Shadows! If you're in the mood for a dark tale, The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls is for you!
"We don't run indoors. We don't disobey our elders. We don't speak too loudly. Sometimes we don't even speak at all, hmm? Sometimes children shouldn't say a word."
Victoria Wright is the best at everything she does. She wakes up at precisely the same time every single day, she expects her school uniform to be pressed just so, and all of her desk accessories are in clearly labelled boxes. Her parents brag about her to their friends - who certainly don't have children nearly as perfect as Victoria - and when her teachers assign 5-page papers she hands in 10.
Then came the day Victoria never dreamed would happen: she received a B in Music.
She had been too angry and ashamed in her less-than-perfect grade to notice the disappearance of her best friend Lawrence. Lawrence, who constantly needed reminders to comb his hair or tuck in his shirt. Lawrence, who loved his piano above all else - despite his parents' wishes to follow in their footsteps and pursue a career in dental care. Lawrence, who might be a fairly average student, but would certainly never receive a B in Music.
All her life, Victoria had never been one for tears. When people cried, it made her uncomfortable. People who cried couldn't handle their lives, and Victoria could always handle everything. Plus, crying messed up your face. It was disorderly and inconvenient.
When Victoria finally does realize Lawrence is missing, she immediately heads to his house to find out where he went. His parents casually mention a sick grandmother, but Victoria can't help but notice something is...off: their smiles are a little too wide, their eyes a little too bright. The more people Victoria runs into, the more she notices things aren't quite right. While her own mother is no stranger to skin creams and products, her neighbors are starting to look less like humans and more waxy and shiny.
Also, she can't help but notice the sudden swarm of bugs popping up all over town.
Victoria's investigation eventually leads her to the largest house in town: the Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls. Until now, Victoria never had a need to visit the orphanage and avoided it at all costs (who knows what kind of filth and germs those children would have!), but with time running out - and more missing children - Victoria will stop at nothing to bring Lawrence back.
"I must have imagined it," she told herself, slipping into her bed and shutting her eyes tight. "I imagined it, I imagined it. Houses don't move like that. Houses aren't alive."
The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls is a book that had been on my radar for a while now, but it wasn't until I received an ARC of Legrand's The Year of Shadows (out this August), that I made the decision to move Cavendish up a few spots on my list.
Spring has finally graced Pittsburgh and that means rain. Rain and gloomy, dark days. I can't think of a better atmosphere for a novel like this. I curled up on the couch with a cup of tea and a blanket and devoured this book in a sitting. Initially I had my doubts about Victoria. She was the quintessential definition of a snob, yet this was the main character! How on earth was I going to spend 300+ pages with her and her incessant quibbling over incorrectly ironed pleats?
Imagine my absolute shock when I realized I really liked Victoria! Her need for perfection would have been intolerable in anyone else, but with her, it was adorable. Her quirks came off as amusing rather than grating, and her no-nonsense attitude helped move the story along at a wonderful pace. The story doesn't really come alive until Victoria winds up in the Cavendish Home, but once she does, the book takes off beautifully.
The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls reminds me of dark, gothic stories I enjoyed enormously as a child. It's delightfully creepy and the sinister feel didn't let up once. Interspersed throughout the chapters are gorgeous full-page illustrations and every so often there are smaller illustrations of bugs. Ha, more than once I forgot they were just drawings and nearly threw the book across the room. That those drawings kept me on edge while reading only added to the overall feel of the novel and worked in its favor.
Though this is most definitely YA, there were a few moments that surprised me - unbeknownst to the children, they were partaking in cannibalism. These instances did nothing to hinder my enjoyment of the book, however.
Having one Legrand novel under my belt, I cannot wait to read The Year of Shadows! If you're in the mood for a dark tale, The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls is for you!
3.5 stars. I read this because I was planning to assign it for the kids’ book club at my library, but I’m afraid a few small elements might be too gruesome. I like the general creepy and spooky atmosphere and I think the 9-12 set could handle that without too much issue, but man. If only it weren’t for those little things. I’ll think about it.
'Don't judge a book by it's cover.'
I follow that rule like it's a religion, and yet I've noticed something about my reading patterns. A cover that's drawn doesn't attract my attention like a picture does, and maybe that's part of the reason why it took me so long to read this book. I didn't feel the need to put it down, but I didn't feel like picking it up either.
I can't really blame the cover, though. The storyline did nothing for me. While there were quick spurts of wanting to read more, they were quickly gone. Victoria seemed like the only real character while the others were just cardboard cut outs called upon when needed to. On the other hand, I found Victoria quite interesting, especially near the beginning of the book. Her obsession with being perfect brought a smile upon my face, however weird that may seem. I guess what really unnerved me was the strangeness of it all. The bugs weren't enough to make it horror story, but it still didn't seem like a middle grade novel. In the end, the story wrapped up nicely, but I still felt quite confused about whether I had liked it or not.
I follow that rule like it's a religion, and yet I've noticed something about my reading patterns. A cover that's drawn doesn't attract my attention like a picture does, and maybe that's part of the reason why it took me so long to read this book. I didn't feel the need to put it down, but I didn't feel like picking it up either.
I can't really blame the cover, though. The storyline did nothing for me. While there were quick spurts of wanting to read more, they were quickly gone. Victoria seemed like the only real character while the others were just cardboard cut outs called upon when needed to. On the other hand, I found Victoria quite interesting, especially near the beginning of the book. Her obsession with being perfect brought a smile upon my face, however weird that may seem. I guess what really unnerved me was the strangeness of it all. The bugs weren't enough to make it horror story, but it still didn't seem like a middle grade novel. In the end, the story wrapped up nicely, but I still felt quite confused about whether I had liked it or not.
While reading "The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls," I kept thinking of "Coraline" -- which isn't a bad thing, since "Coraline" is an absolutely brilliant book.
And while this creepy little book isn't quite as perfect as Neil Gaiman's novel, it has much the same atmosphere of creeping grotesquerie and evil hidden under friendliness. Claire Legrand's first novel starts off merely uneasy, and slowly ramps up into a horrifying conspiracy that has a whole town under its thrall.
Victoria Wright likes everything to be perfect -- her hair, her clothes, her demeanor, her report cards, and her plans for a future job. Only one thing about her life is imperfect: her dreamy, piano-obsessed friend/project Lawrence.
One day, Lawrence vanishes on a "trip" to relatives, and Victoria notices that other children have vanished from school -- but children who are "imperfect" in some way. Whenever she asks about them, people act strangely and peculiar insects begin to swarm. Soon she begins to suspect that all this weirdness has something to do with the Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls, a local orphanage.
But her investigation leads her a little too close for the eerie Mrs. Cavendish's liking -- and soon Victoria finds herself in a living nightmare, inside a supernatural house where children are tortured into becoming "right." To vanquish Mrs. Cavendish and her monstrous gardener, Victoria will need every bit of help she can get.
Yes, "The Cavendish Home For Boys and Girls" -- despite its innocuous title -- does remind me a lot of "Coraline." We have a tough, smart heroine, a pleasantly malevolent antagonist, and an ordinary little town with a festering dark presence under the surface. The further you go into the story, the more grotesque and disturbing it gets.
The bright spot is Victoria herself. She's kind of cold and insensitive at first, since she seems more upset about getting (gasp!) a B in music class than about alienating Lawrence. But once he vanishes, we see her strength and inquisitiveness -- especially since she realizes that she has too many similarities to Mrs. Cavendish.
Legrand starts out the story with just a vague sense of unease, and her British-flavored prose gives an arch flavor to Victoria's quest. But the sense of horror grows more intense as the story unfolds, with a extra-dimensional house, torture closets, insects and... Mrs. Cavendish. This character's spidery fingernails and ravenous smile will give you nightmares.
The one problem I had was the gofers. I felt the whole cannibalism/transformation thing was a bit too blunt, and didn't quite fit with the overall tone.
"The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls" sounds like a charming little romp at an orphanage. It's not. It's a slowly-building nightmare with a delightfully determined heroine.
And while this creepy little book isn't quite as perfect as Neil Gaiman's novel, it has much the same atmosphere of creeping grotesquerie and evil hidden under friendliness. Claire Legrand's first novel starts off merely uneasy, and slowly ramps up into a horrifying conspiracy that has a whole town under its thrall.
Victoria Wright likes everything to be perfect -- her hair, her clothes, her demeanor, her report cards, and her plans for a future job. Only one thing about her life is imperfect: her dreamy, piano-obsessed friend/project Lawrence.
One day, Lawrence vanishes on a "trip" to relatives, and Victoria notices that other children have vanished from school -- but children who are "imperfect" in some way. Whenever she asks about them, people act strangely and peculiar insects begin to swarm. Soon she begins to suspect that all this weirdness has something to do with the Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls, a local orphanage.
But her investigation leads her a little too close for the eerie Mrs. Cavendish's liking -- and soon Victoria finds herself in a living nightmare, inside a supernatural house where children are tortured into becoming "right." To vanquish Mrs. Cavendish and her monstrous gardener, Victoria will need every bit of help she can get.
Yes, "The Cavendish Home For Boys and Girls" -- despite its innocuous title -- does remind me a lot of "Coraline." We have a tough, smart heroine, a pleasantly malevolent antagonist, and an ordinary little town with a festering dark presence under the surface. The further you go into the story, the more grotesque and disturbing it gets.
The bright spot is Victoria herself. She's kind of cold and insensitive at first, since she seems more upset about getting (gasp!) a B in music class than about alienating Lawrence. But once he vanishes, we see her strength and inquisitiveness -- especially since she realizes that she has too many similarities to Mrs. Cavendish.
Legrand starts out the story with just a vague sense of unease, and her British-flavored prose gives an arch flavor to Victoria's quest. But the sense of horror grows more intense as the story unfolds, with a extra-dimensional house, torture closets, insects and... Mrs. Cavendish. This character's spidery fingernails and ravenous smile will give you nightmares.
The one problem I had was the gofers. I felt the whole cannibalism/transformation thing was a bit too blunt, and didn't quite fit with the overall tone.
"The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls" sounds like a charming little romp at an orphanage. It's not. It's a slowly-building nightmare with a delightfully determined heroine.
Whoa!! Absolutely perfect! This is a pretty spooky and creepy read and so very perfect! I loved Victoria and Lawrence! I will read and reread this a million times!