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ozshark's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I wonder if Morris Gleitzman is really John Farnham in disguise? I feel like "the final book in the Once series" is becoming like Farnham's legendary farewell tours, that happened again and again! 🤣
Anyway, I was excited to get this, the latest in the series. In Always we meet Wassim, a boy from an unnamed Eastern European country whose family is in deep trouble. In true Gleitzman fashion, Wassim is a young, hopeful, innocent boy with crazy, unrealistic ideas of how he can solve his problems.
He meets a grown-up Felix Salinger and together they try to resolve the problems surrounding Wassim and his family, which end up being interconnected with Felix's own history. As we experience the story, we also experience a lot of Felix's memories and revisit parts of the Once story.
The one reservation I have with Morris Gleitzman's books generally is that the protagonist often has the same voice. There is very little to differentiate Wassim from the young Felix (or Ludo, or any of the others). This can lead to a feeling of "here we go again".
I am glad I read this book, but I didn't enjoy it as much as others in the series. It felt a lot more unbelievable and some parts had a strange tone. However, fans of the series will enjoy reading it and will achieve some resolution.
Anyway, I was excited to get this, the latest in the series. In Always we meet Wassim, a boy from an unnamed Eastern European country whose family is in deep trouble. In true Gleitzman fashion, Wassim is a young, hopeful, innocent boy with crazy, unrealistic ideas of how he can solve his problems.
He meets a grown-up Felix Salinger and together they try to resolve the problems surrounding Wassim and his family, which end up being interconnected with Felix's own history. As we experience the story, we also experience a lot of Felix's memories and revisit parts of the Once story.
The one reservation I have with Morris Gleitzman's books generally is that the protagonist often has the same voice. There is very little to differentiate Wassim from the young Felix (or Ludo, or any of the others). This can lead to a feeling of "here we go again".
I am glad I read this book, but I didn't enjoy it as much as others in the series. It felt a lot more unbelievable and some parts had a strange tone. However, fans of the series will enjoy reading it and will achieve some resolution.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Xenophobia
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