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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
Beautifully written middle-grade novel with memorable characters. Be prepared to feel deeply. Recommended for children and adults alike.
Deceptively complex, this is one of my favorite reads of the year. The questions that Wolk tackles - of justice, right vs. wrong, prejudices - are given appropriate weight and no easy answers. The adults and the children in this story are equally involved in figuring out where they stand. While the plot is straightforward and, in many ways, familiar, the book feels both fresh and classic at the same time. This is one that is ageless, and I hope will continue to spur discussions for many years to come. Exceptional, thought-provoking, yet accessible to its child audience and entirely in-tune with childhood questions and struggles.
"The year I turned twelve, I learned that what I said and what I did mattered." What an intriguing story about a strong girl who stands up for what she believes in. This author's descriptions of characters and setting made me fall I love with this book.
I’ve waited a long time to review this book. I needed to let it stew for a bit. The writing is good. The story is interesting and moves quickly. It’s dark. Maybe not for an adult, but for a middle grade reader. I usually let my kids read Newberry award books, but I’ll wait a couple more years to introduce this one. Not because it’s not good, but because I think it requires a certain maturity level to understand. But my biggest struggle was that when I finished the book, my first thoughts were “Soooooo......what? What is the point here? Why did I just read this? What is this supposed to mean to me?” So, I didn’t review it. I waited. I chatted about it with my book club, and got the beginnings of some thoughts to form. And then I stewed on those thoughts until I came up with this: Wolf Hollow is a book about doing what’s right BECAUSE it’s right, even if doing what’s right doesn’t change the outcome in the least. And that’s profound and super important.....and also reallyyyyy.... disappointing? Frustrating? Anti-climactic? I don’t know. And yet, even so, we still must do what’s right, because it’s right. We do what’s right when no one is watching. We do what’s right when it’s hard. We do what’s right when no one believes us. We do what’s right when it’s unpopular. We do what’s right even when we don’t get the outcome we were hoping for. We do what’s right even when we don’t make a difference. Because it’s still the right thing to do.
“But Wolf Hollow was also where I learned to tell the truth in that year before I turned twelve: about things from which refuge was impossible. Wrong, even. No matter how tempting. I told Toby as much, though I also said that I didn’t blame him for fleeing the greater evils he’d known. And I thanked him for letting me try to right any number of wrongs, regardless of his own surrenders. But the wind always swept my words away like cloud shadows, as if it mattered more that I said them, than who heard them. And that was all right with me.”
“But Wolf Hollow was also where I learned to tell the truth in that year before I turned twelve: about things from which refuge was impossible. Wrong, even. No matter how tempting. I told Toby as much, though I also said that I didn’t blame him for fleeing the greater evils he’d known. And I thanked him for letting me try to right any number of wrongs, regardless of his own surrenders. But the wind always swept my words away like cloud shadows, as if it mattered more that I said them, than who heard them. And that was all right with me.”
Annabelle was happy in her life in rural Pennsylvania until Betty moved in. Betty relentlessly bullied Annabelle until WWI veteran Toby became her target instead. Is Annabelle able to stop Betty's bullying before it becomes too much?
Characters are and events are all believable. The ending is rather tragic but a different ending wouldn't feel right.
Characters are and events are all believable. The ending is rather tragic but a different ending wouldn't feel right.
This one kept me up all night till I finished the book. It is an intriguing and surprising story.
medium-paced
pretty decent for other people but to me it was pretty mid honestly its interesting sometimes but I didn't find myself enjoying the style of writing for some reason
Best thing i have read this year! What a great moving story! You could feel it coming but couldnt stop reading. This is one for the ages, hope one day soon my grandkids will read it. Cant say enough about it. five stars is not enough. Much more than a young adult book!
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MMD Challenge for Growth - Newbery Winner
MMD Challenge for Growth - Newbery Winner