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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
It’s finally Maddy’s turn to visit Grandmére in Bon Temps Bayou. Her older sisters have already been and complained about weird and wild it is, but Maddy is different, always has been. She feels things, notices and imagines (?) things they miss. She can feel the magic of life in Bon Temps, the animals and people. She meets Bear, a boy whose whole life is exploring the bayou, and whose dad works in the ill-fated Deepwater Horizon oil rig. Shortly after arriving, Maddy sees something in the water—could it have been a girl? A mermaid? From her grandmother, she learns how slaves coming from Africa were followed by water sprits, even though their despair made them turn away from their old beliefs. After the Deepwater explodes, creating a massive oil spill, the survival of the bayou may depend on harnessing the power of these ancient spirits—and Maddy may be the only one who can make that happen.
Sensitive story about friendship and loyalty: Bear keeps looking for the mermaid, just on Maddy’s word, and Maddy helps Bear when his heartsick dad comes
Home from the rig and is drunk and abusive. Healing comes in many forms: time and food and nature.
Full of a slow magic and power, very atmospheric. Parts, especially toward the end, are quite suspenseful and thrilling. Charming chapter-heading woodcuts.
Issues: They only save their little corner or the gulf. Why couldn’t the mermaids cap the spill?
Abrupt ending: Bear’s dad is killed. He helps try to save birds, them
Maddy rouses mermaids, then she’s going home with her mom’s promise that she’ll return each summer.
Sensitive story about friendship and loyalty: Bear keeps looking for the mermaid, just on Maddy’s word, and Maddy helps Bear when his heartsick dad comes
Home from the rig and is drunk and abusive. Healing comes in many forms: time and food and nature.
Full of a slow magic and power, very atmospheric. Parts, especially toward the end, are quite suspenseful and thrilling. Charming chapter-heading woodcuts.
Issues: They only save their little corner or the gulf. Why couldn’t the mermaids cap the spill?
Abrupt ending: Bear’s dad is killed. He helps try to save birds, them
Maddy rouses mermaids, then she’s going home with her mom’s promise that she’ll return each summer.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Racism, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment
excellent, full of beautiful magic, family and heart.
Mermaids and swamps and jambalaya. I was looking for a book rich in southern lore with a magical setting and a fun heroine and I found it in this book with an environmental message on top!
Little bit of magic set in the Bayou. Maddy spends the summer with her grand-mere and finds a surprising place for herself.
Loves: Maddy is the 5th daughter and is somewhat overshadowed by her siblings at home. Seeing her connect with her grandmere and with the Bayou is lovely. She's not afraid of dirt. She loves her overalls and the heat and the jungle-world of the bayou and her new friend Bear -- nice to see a kid who plays like a kid, who has all the wonder at the world around her. Fireflies are magical no matter what, and I like that the magic in this book grows over time, and it's steeped in family traditions. I love that it's also very realistic kinds of magic (well, except for the mermaid, but what kid hasn't seen a mythical creature and wondered if it was real?)
Also, strong environmental message that speaks to saving traditions and communities, and talks about the reality of trying to save birds and fish impacted by oil.
I'm not sure that the magical thinking that allows Maddy and the mermaids to protect the specific Bayou works completely for me, but I do understand the wishfulness of it. And I like that this is a fairly lighthearted book on the whole.
Loves: Maddy is the 5th daughter and is somewhat overshadowed by her siblings at home. Seeing her connect with her grandmere and with the Bayou is lovely. She's not afraid of dirt. She loves her overalls and the heat and the jungle-world of the bayou and her new friend Bear -- nice to see a kid who plays like a kid, who has all the wonder at the world around her. Fireflies are magical no matter what, and I like that the magic in this book grows over time, and it's steeped in family traditions. I love that it's also very realistic kinds of magic (well, except for the mermaid, but what kid hasn't seen a mythical creature and wondered if it was real?)
Also, strong environmental message that speaks to saving traditions and communities, and talks about the reality of trying to save birds and fish impacted by oil.
I'm not sure that the magical thinking that allows Maddy and the mermaids to protect the specific Bayou works completely for me, but I do understand the wishfulness of it. And I like that this is a fairly lighthearted book on the whole.
I will always happily read anything Jewell Parker Rhodes writes. I have been in love since Ninth Ward. Bayou Magic continues the trend with Madison (or Maddy), the youngest daughter off to meet her grandmother for the first time in the bayou of Bon Temps, Louisiana. In this magical place, Maddy will discover things about herself and the world.
There was one section that I found to be more unbelievable than others, even in a magical realism story, about Bear and his pa. I don't want to say more for fear of spoilers, but it resolved too easily for me.
There was one section that I found to be more unbelievable than others, even in a magical realism story, about Bear and his pa. I don't want to say more for fear of spoilers, but it resolved too easily for me.
My online Youth Adult at Heart book club read this book for the month of August and hats off to my friend Crystal for choosing it. This book has family, friends, bravery, magic, imagination, and growth. (All the same things Harry Potter had, how about that).
LIKED:
There were mermaids. Need I say more. (If you didn't guess that big fin was a mermaid you're ridiculous).
Maddy and Bear are squad goals. Enough said.
The imagery in this book was on point. The author managed to describe Maddy and Bear's adventures, and the Bayou, and what Maddy was feeling BEAUTIFULLY but without talking to much (I'm look at you Stephen King).
Watching Maddy and the other members of the Bayou bond and become a second type of "family" almost brought tears to my eyes. IT WAS ALL SO LOVELY.
I don't know much about the Bayou (actually who am I kidding, aside from the fact that they eat a ton of crawdads I don't know a thing about the Bayou) I liked the French words that were peppered throughout the dialogue.
NOT SO MUCH:
Although Maddy's older siblings kind of sucked, I would have been interested to see more of them. They're so different from Maddy (and her mom?) that it would have been an interesting dynamic to watch then interact more.
So I know what we were suppose to think happen at the end of the book with the... disaster (I'm trying to stay away from spoilers), but it was a tad abrupt for my taste. That being said, I still thought it was great because, MERMAIDS.
IN CONCLUSION:
Did the mom know about the magic? I don't know! Were the mermaids and magic read? I don't know! I don't know, and I don't care, because this book is so sweet and I will suggest it to anyone and everyone I meet. My kingdom for a Novella.
For more reviews by me on diverse reads for teens and middle grade readers, check me out on allthediversity.blogspot.com
LIKED:
There were mermaids. Need I say more. (If you didn't guess that big fin was a mermaid you're ridiculous).
Maddy and Bear are squad goals. Enough said.
The imagery in this book was on point. The author managed to describe Maddy and Bear's adventures, and the Bayou, and what Maddy was feeling BEAUTIFULLY but without talking to much (I'm look at you Stephen King).
Watching Maddy and the other members of the Bayou bond and become a second type of "family" almost brought tears to my eyes. IT WAS ALL SO LOVELY.
I don't know much about the Bayou (actually who am I kidding, aside from the fact that they eat a ton of crawdads I don't know a thing about the Bayou) I liked the French words that were peppered throughout the dialogue.
NOT SO MUCH:
Although Maddy's older siblings kind of sucked, I would have been interested to see more of them. They're so different from Maddy (and her mom?) that it would have been an interesting dynamic to watch then interact more.
So I know what we were suppose to think happen at the end of the book with the... disaster (I'm trying to stay away from spoilers), but it was a tad abrupt for my taste. That being said, I still thought it was great because, MERMAIDS.
IN CONCLUSION:
Did the mom know about the magic? I don't know! Were the mermaids and magic read? I don't know! I don't know, and I don't care, because this book is so sweet and I will suggest it to anyone and everyone I meet. My kingdom for a Novella.
For more reviews by me on diverse reads for teens and middle grade readers, check me out on allthediversity.blogspot.com
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No