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robbynjreeve's review against another edition
3.0
NANCY FARMER
Nhamo is growing up in an African colony. Believed to be a witch by her people and asked to marry a cruel man in her father's family, her grandmother convinces her to flee along the river. Meeting all kinds of obstacles, and beginning to go a little crazy, "A Girl Named Disaster" brings a story of adventure and a gripping character that readers are unlikely to forget. Though I liked this book quite a bit, I did find it dragged on in the middle and lost a little of its appeal.
Nhamo is growing up in an African colony. Believed to be a witch by her people and asked to marry a cruel man in her father's family, her grandmother convinces her to flee along the river. Meeting all kinds of obstacles, and beginning to go a little crazy, "A Girl Named Disaster" brings a story of adventure and a gripping character that readers are unlikely to forget. Though I liked this book quite a bit, I did find it dragged on in the middle and lost a little of its appeal.
roseleaf24's review against another edition
3.0
The middle half of this book is the main character's journey through the jungle and time by herself on an island. If you are interested in Man vs. Nature stories, but looking for a more diverse version than the typical boy and his dog in Alaska, this book is for you. That trope is not my thing at all, so the majority of this book was very slow for me. The parts where Nhamo is with people were fantastic. I loved this view of a life very different from mine, and Farmer did an amazing job of a knowing, but non-judgmental narrator.
4saradouglas's review against another edition
2.0
While this book was very interesting at times, and though I feel as though I learned a great deal, I really don't think this book was written in a way that would hold my students' interest. It starts very slow and it wasn't until halfway through or more that I really became interested in the story. It's sad, but this is a good book that I doubt I'll ever recommend to anyone.
superstormnora's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
kelly_may's review against another edition
4.0
This is really a gem of its genres: survival and coming of age. Nhamo's stories throughout add depth, insight, and charm. 4.5 stars.
stressedspidergirl's review against another edition
5.0
I was really impressed by Nhamo, and glad that overall she had a happy ending.
I was afraid this would be one of those stories where she lost the gold, or lost her supplies, or something tragic happened, or it would turn into some kind of romance.
Instead it was sort of like Hatchet but with a little girl in another country. At least as far as I can explain.
I enjoyed the weaving of tradition and culture, and feeling like I was learning something about another place along with just enjoying the story of Nhamo. This is a book I would share or read again.
I would also be interested to read this kind of story from an actual person from Zimbabwe, so more stories from the culture itself, vs an outsider. All the same, I enjoyed it and will look forward to more of Nancy Farmer's books.
I was afraid this would be one of those stories where she lost the gold, or lost her supplies, or something tragic happened, or it would turn into some kind of romance.
Instead it was sort of like Hatchet but with a little girl in another country. At least as far as I can explain.
I enjoyed the weaving of tradition and culture, and feeling like I was learning something about another place along with just enjoying the story of Nhamo. This is a book I would share or read again.
I would also be interested to read this kind of story from an actual person from Zimbabwe, so more stories from the culture itself, vs an outsider. All the same, I enjoyed it and will look forward to more of Nancy Farmer's books.
nssutton's review against another edition
4.0
required materials for ya meeting. i loved the ear, the eye and the arm but never really thought to seek out anything else nancy farmer had written. i absolutely loved this, even when it dragged out a little bit.
librariandest's review against another edition
4.0
Wow. It took me a long time to listen to this whole book, so my impression of it is a little fragmented. First off, it's about a girl (12 or 13 years old) named Nhamo (which means "disaster") who lives in a remote village in Mozambique. She's kind of a Cinderella character because her mother is dead and she lives with her aunt who makes her do all the hard work (but she's not as miserable as Cinderella). The story is told in the third person, but Nhamo's POV is definitely primary.
Nhamo's tribe is Shona, so we learn quite a lot about the Shona religion (and Farmer gives us an appendix with more info as well). As Nhamo embarks on a dangerous journey, she relies more and more on her beliefs to give her strength.
The story takes place in the 1980s, so towards the end of the book there is a conflict between modern, Western religion and Nhamo's native religion. We also learn a little about the conflicts between the native Africans of Zimbabwe and the white settlers/invaders.
A lot of Nhamo's story is about surviving alone in the wilderness, a little like [b:Island of the Blue Dolphins|233818|Island of the Blue Dolphins|Scott O'Dell|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172966185s/233818.jpg|3215136]. Nhamo tells a lot of great stories passed down from her grandmother. She deals with the absence of her parents. She celebrates her victories by making up songs that are like, "I am Nhamo! I am the best!" It's hard not to love her for being so clever and so brave.
And the audio book was amazing. The reader did wonderful accents, and really gave each character a life, especially Crocodile Guts, Dr. van Heerden, and Ambuya.
Nhamo's tribe is Shona, so we learn quite a lot about the Shona religion (and Farmer gives us an appendix with more info as well). As Nhamo embarks on a dangerous journey, she relies more and more on her beliefs to give her strength.
The story takes place in the 1980s, so towards the end of the book there is a conflict between modern, Western religion and Nhamo's native religion. We also learn a little about the conflicts between the native Africans of Zimbabwe and the white settlers/invaders.
A lot of Nhamo's story is about surviving alone in the wilderness, a little like [b:Island of the Blue Dolphins|233818|Island of the Blue Dolphins|Scott O'Dell|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172966185s/233818.jpg|3215136]. Nhamo tells a lot of great stories passed down from her grandmother. She deals with the absence of her parents. She celebrates her victories by making up songs that are like, "I am Nhamo! I am the best!" It's hard not to love her for being so clever and so brave.
And the audio book was amazing. The reader did wonderful accents, and really gave each character a life, especially Crocodile Guts, Dr. van Heerden, and Ambuya.
swissmunicipal's review against another edition
3.0
This was good, but I frequently felt like I had to push myself along to get through it.