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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
I loved this soon-to-be-published middle reader. Though the setting is 1930s small-town Pennsylvania, it reminded me of a little of Green Gables of Anne fame. In this case, Annabelle is the eleven year old eldest child of kind and wise parents. A seriously mean bully by the name of Betty moves to town. A 'hermit' named Toby lives in the nearby woods. Toby has been damaged by WWI so his odd behavior and appearance render him 'suspicious' in the town's eyes. As things happen and people get hurt, Annabelle learns to trust her gut but to think things through. And she learns that what she says makes a difference. This page-turner is part mystery, part coming-of-age and all heart.
I think we can all agree that Betty got what she deserved.
"To be kind is more important than to be right. Many times what people need is not a brilliant mind that speaks but a special heart that listens."
-Tiny Budha
-Tiny Budha
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
I ended up giving up on the audiobook. It was a better book to read than listen to. The foreshadowing seemed less heavy handed reading the story. It was a good historical fiction that dealt with bullying, ptsd, judging people and much more but not a great book for me.
I do not know what to say other than this is one of the most well written books I have ever read.
3.5 really. I enjoyed reading it. It was a fairly light and easy book for most of it. So light and easy that I almost missed the themes and didn't like it. Until around page 180 or so when it became fast paced and the connections from the previous parts of the book now had deeper and more consequetial meanings.
I think part of this is that you read this book through the narrative if an 11 year old girl, who is naiive and mature at the same time. Once I sat with what I was reading I could really begin unpack the themes and almost search for their existence. Once the entire town gets involved with the man hunt and you begin to Keane about si many different perspectives, you begin to know notice the themes much more readily.
A slow but necessary build to the meat of the book! Which made all the more whole.
I think part of this is that you read this book through the narrative if an 11 year old girl, who is naiive and mature at the same time. Once I sat with what I was reading I could really begin unpack the themes and almost search for their existence. Once the entire town gets involved with the man hunt and you begin to Keane about si many different perspectives, you begin to know notice the themes much more readily.
A slow but necessary build to the meat of the book! Which made all the more whole.
I love this book so much. Instant favourite. It flows so gently and lovingly.
I stood in the middle of a shop and cried, reading the last pages. An amazing, wonderful novel. Thank you, Lauren 💚
I stood in the middle of a shop and cried, reading the last pages. An amazing, wonderful novel. Thank you, Lauren 💚
The pull and push of safety and vulnerability were so wonderful. There's the farm with cows and orchards, peeling potatoes for the family's dinner, walking to the one-room schoolhouse with two little brothers scampering ahead. But there's also Betty, an odd girl who bullies Annabelle and threatens to hurt her brothers (and makes good on that promise) if Annabelle tells. Annabelle is eleven years old, that in-between age, and readers that age know that safety isn't guaranteed.
It has much less violence and outright ugliness than "To Kill a Mockingbird" does, but they'd be good to compare, and this book can be read by kids not ready for the other.
It has much less violence and outright ugliness than "To Kill a Mockingbird" does, but they'd be good to compare, and this book can be read by kids not ready for the other.