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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
Well, well, well, not the ending that I expected nor saw coming which made this YA book all the better! I really enjoyed the pace, the characters, the protagonist and antagonist. Just a well-written YA book that I hope gets read, re-read, and stays relevant.
Few young adult novels bring forth the depth of historical fiction as it should be told. This novel is far from trite as we experience the damage of war on an individual and a country trained to hate. The character Annabelle epitomizes the compassion needed to see people without bias and to take brave unpopular action.
It was okay. I was frustrated throughout the story by the independent yet rather irresponsible behaviors of the . . . "heroine?" of the story. My students have loved it, however.
I loved this book. I knew nothing about it when I started reading it, except that it had received a newberry honor. I thought it was beautifully written. I thought that Annabelle, the protagonist and narrator, was smart and brave. This was a sad yet satisfying story and even though it was written for a younger audience, the writing remained smart and thoughtful to where I didn't feel like I was reading a children's story.
I think I'm beginning to understand the appeal of Young Adult fiction now. I know, I am a bit behind in this. When I was a kid, we had two choices: adult fiction and thinly veiled morality plays masquerading as Hardy Boy mysteries and stories about dogs and horses. These were fine, actually; good fun. But in the end they were unsatisfying, because children past the age of eight or so are well aware that some things exist, like death and sex and insoluble problems with which adults have to wrestle. To leave these facts of life out of books reminds me (somewhat perversely, I admit) of Michael Douglas in The Streets of San Francisco. Anyone else old enough to remember that? What I am referring to is the fact that Douglas wore these skin tight polyester pants and yet, as far as I could tell had absolutely no bulge where his genitals should be. These books felt like that. I mean, we all knew (or at least strongly suspected) that he had a package, but it was just...absent. We all knew that Frank and Joe Hardy knew about sex and probably snuck a beer or two on the sly. But you would never know that from the books. They only ever got in trouble from making a choice based on a moral dilemma.
And adult fiction was all fine and well, but a lot of the references were pretty obscure for a young person. I don't just mean sex, but also finances, day-to-day struggles and, perhaps most of all, the complexities of relationships that seemed so unnecessarily tangled, but which as adults we recognize as simple reality.
But Wolf Hollow is what I take to be a fine example of this genre (not least because it was recommended to me by a young adults' librarian—thanks, Mandy!) It shows an acute awareness of the concerns of young people specific to that group rather than assuming they are either children or small adults, concerns such as bullying, sibling conflict, and the very beginnings of an awareness of sexuality. At the same time, the book does not shy away from extremely serious subjects, including death, judgment, prejudice, intolerance and emotional pain.
Annabelle is an 11 ("almost 12")-year-old girl caught in the middle of a very difficult situation. Her new schoolmate Betty is a disaffected and angry young woman who bullies those around her and goes about creating trouble. But what happens when the trouble goes too far and catches up to Betty? When the mysterious loner Toby, with whom Annabelle's family is on good (if distant) terms gets caught up in the maelstrom, what, if anything can she do to help?
One of the most wonderful things about this book is that it does not treat Annabelle as somehow less-than simply because she is a bit naive about the world. For instance, she doesn't really understand why her mother might be reluctant for her to spend time alone with Toby who, though he has always been kind to them, is a bit odd and might be unpredictable. To the author's credit, she does not dwell on this, but lets Annabelle retain her innocence for the time being, and this doesn't in any way diminish our respect for her as a person.
This is a very skillfully written book, and clearly a labor of love. It paints a picture of rural Pennsylvania life between the World Wars that feels entirely real and deeply affectionate. All of the characters are sharply drawn and Annabelle in particular is her own young woman, and clearly someone I would like to know better—resourceful, brave, vulnerable, intelligent, and strong.
If you are an adult, I would not let the label of "young adult" cause you to hesitate over whether or not to read this book. You will not be disappointed, no matter what your age.
And adult fiction was all fine and well, but a lot of the references were pretty obscure for a young person. I don't just mean sex, but also finances, day-to-day struggles and, perhaps most of all, the complexities of relationships that seemed so unnecessarily tangled, but which as adults we recognize as simple reality.
But Wolf Hollow is what I take to be a fine example of this genre (not least because it was recommended to me by a young adults' librarian—thanks, Mandy!) It shows an acute awareness of the concerns of young people specific to that group rather than assuming they are either children or small adults, concerns such as bullying, sibling conflict, and the very beginnings of an awareness of sexuality. At the same time, the book does not shy away from extremely serious subjects, including death, judgment, prejudice, intolerance and emotional pain.
Annabelle is an 11 ("almost 12")-year-old girl caught in the middle of a very difficult situation. Her new schoolmate Betty is a disaffected and angry young woman who bullies those around her and goes about creating trouble. But what happens when the trouble goes too far and catches up to Betty? When the mysterious loner Toby, with whom Annabelle's family is on good (if distant) terms gets caught up in the maelstrom, what, if anything can she do to help?
One of the most wonderful things about this book is that it does not treat Annabelle as somehow less-than simply because she is a bit naive about the world. For instance, she doesn't really understand why her mother might be reluctant for her to spend time alone with Toby who, though he has always been kind to them, is a bit odd and might be unpredictable. To the author's credit, she does not dwell on this, but lets Annabelle retain her innocence for the time being, and this doesn't in any way diminish our respect for her as a person.
This is a very skillfully written book, and clearly a labor of love. It paints a picture of rural Pennsylvania life between the World Wars that feels entirely real and deeply affectionate. All of the characters are sharply drawn and Annabelle in particular is her own young woman, and clearly someone I would like to know better—resourceful, brave, vulnerable, intelligent, and strong.
If you are an adult, I would not let the label of "young adult" cause you to hesitate over whether or not to read this book. You will not be disappointed, no matter what your age.
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a somber story about a veteran named Toby and the community wary of him. Only Annabelle, an adolescent farm girl, believes Toby to be gentle and kind despite the burdens he carries. When Annabelle's bully Betty disappears, Toby is believed to be behind her disappearance. This follows their complicated journey of balancing family, friends, community, and the varying pasts of all kinds of people.
2.5 stars
I read tons of YA books but seldom JF, so this was a nice change of pace. The rating was more of reflection that I wasn’t really in the mood for this sort of book than anything.
“This sort of book” can be explained by comparing this book to To Kill a Mockingbird. It feels very much an homage to the classic book. When she introduced Betty the bully, I had a sort of knot of anxiety the whole time. I mean, sure, I could endure some of the horrible things in this book, but we live in a world where bullies typically prosper, and this seemed like a teaching book. I did not anticipate a “happy ending” but I won’t go into whether I was right or not.
I think it was good that I read this. I believe the last JF book I read was the Wolves of Willoughby Chase, which I loved, so maybe if I’m feeling that I keep reading the same book over and over again when I keep picking up fantasy books, just switch to here and cleanse the palate.
I read tons of YA books but seldom JF, so this was a nice change of pace. The rating was more of reflection that I wasn’t really in the mood for this sort of book than anything.
“This sort of book” can be explained by comparing this book to To Kill a Mockingbird. It feels very much an homage to the classic book. When she introduced Betty the bully, I had a sort of knot of anxiety the whole time. I mean, sure, I could endure some of the horrible things in this book, but we live in a world where bullies typically prosper, and this seemed like a teaching book. I did not anticipate a “happy ending” but I won’t go into whether I was right or not.
I think it was good that I read this. I believe the last JF book I read was the Wolves of Willoughby Chase, which I loved, so maybe if I’m feeling that I keep reading the same book over and over again when I keep picking up fantasy books, just switch to here and cleanse the palate.
Very enjoyable. I loved the audio of this book.
Spoiler
I wanted more justice served. I wanted Toby to have redemption.
Annabelle is nothing short of the best of the best heroines to be found in MG.