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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
The cover to this book seems a bit misleading to me, because the novel is much darker than I would have anticipated.
The story is told by Annabelle, a twelve year-old girl in Pennsylvania in 1943. Her life is comfortable and fairly routine until Betty Glengarry shows up to live with her grandparents. Betty is unusually cruel, and targets everyone from Annabelle and her brothers to small animals and anyone who gets in her way. But when Betty begins blaming her horrific deeds on Toby, a vagabond war veteran who makes the majority of the townspeople uncomfortable, Annabelle isn't sure what to do. All she knows is that she has to make things right. When Betty goes missing and the tension mounts, will she be able to clear Toby's name before it's too late?
For some reason this book reminds me of To Kill A Mockingbird, though, admittedly it has been about 14 years since I have read the novel. Toby kind of seems like Boo Radley, and the narrator's focus on coming of age makes her seem a little like Scout in my mind. Either way, this historical fiction novel had more suspense and darkness than I ever would have imagined, but it does not take away from the sentimentality of the story, in my opinion. I did, however, wish that they would have given a little more background about Betty and why she was so awful. It makes her seem a little flat and stereotypical for a villain to me.
The story is told by Annabelle, a twelve year-old girl in Pennsylvania in 1943. Her life is comfortable and fairly routine until Betty Glengarry shows up to live with her grandparents. Betty is unusually cruel, and targets everyone from Annabelle and her brothers to small animals and anyone who gets in her way. But when Betty begins blaming her horrific deeds on Toby, a vagabond war veteran who makes the majority of the townspeople uncomfortable, Annabelle isn't sure what to do. All she knows is that she has to make things right. When Betty goes missing and the tension mounts, will she be able to clear Toby's name before it's too late?
For some reason this book reminds me of To Kill A Mockingbird, though, admittedly it has been about 14 years since I have read the novel. Toby kind of seems like Boo Radley, and the narrator's focus on coming of age makes her seem a little like Scout in my mind. Either way, this historical fiction novel had more suspense and darkness than I ever would have imagined, but it does not take away from the sentimentality of the story, in my opinion. I did, however, wish that they would have given a little more background about Betty and why she was so awful. It makes her seem a little flat and stereotypical for a villain to me.
This was an intense, well written young adult novel that takes place in a rural community just after WWI. A new student arrives a wreaks havoc in ways that have unforeseen consequences. Throughout the book, I kept asking myself, "Now, how is this going to resolve itself?"
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Lauren wolk is one of the best historical fiction writers alive—for both children and adults alike (even though all of her books are middle grade) This story reads like a To Kill a Mockingbird retelling. It would be a perfect read aloud for a class of 4-6 graders I think.
I read this at the urging of my 12 year old daughter who loved it. I loved it too; it is the kind of book that I want to hug to my chest and sigh deeply to breathe in and out all the beauty and cruelty and gorgeous writing. It is one of the best young-girl-coming-of-age stories I have read and would recommend it for Jr. High age kids. I liked that the theme of "beauty" was entwined with other difficult and harsh themes, but it had little to do with outward appearance and more to do with the depth and expression of the soul. It wasn't until near the end that I realized I didn't even know what Annabelle looked like, which made it all the easier to feel like, as the reader, I was symbiotic with her. I also liked that the author was not pandering to the typical pre-teen themes as the main character struggled to grasp onto the knowledge of herself that would anchor her transition to adulthood. Maybe it is the commonalities with To Kill a Mockingbird that are influencing me, but this feels like a new classic for young adults.
Breathtakingly tense, this story grabs you at the start and doesn't let go. Set in rural Pennsylvania in the 1942, young Annabel's quiet town is disrupted by the arrival of a vexingly cruel new girl. The stakes are constantly raised as she tries first to acquiesce, then stand up to Betty. Annabel's desire to protect those she loves leads her to make decisions that change the course of her own life and those around her. Wolk's writing is finely tuned; everything counts, and is beautifully painted in the mind of the reader. It was well deserving of its 2017 Newbery Honor Award.
First, I must say that I truly appreciate the way Lauren Wolk writes this work. The first sentence leads the entire novel making the reader go on a search into a good mystery within a coming-of-age moment through tragedy. I was stumped when my predictions didn’t come to be. But I knew also that the one who I fell in love with would break my heart,