Reviews

Always by Morris Gleitzman

light_husk's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

isabellarobinson7's review against another edition

3.0

Rating: 3 stars

I read this book solely because I wanted to finish the series. When I was reading the previous books, several years ago, there were only six books in the series. Then Morris Gleitzman sprung this surprise seventh book on us! Anyway, Always was good, perhaps not as strong as the original stories of Felix and Zelda during WWII, but that might just be personal preference.

charleyh's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful mysterious relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

roche01's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective tense 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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

sophiemoconnell's review against another edition

inspiring tense fast-paced

4.0

eskimo97's review against another edition

funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

edennis23's review

adventurous dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

hilary_h's review

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Where do I start. 

I’m assuming that if you’re reading this review you’ve read all the other books in the series. And if so you will have no trouble deciding whether to read Always or not. But I feel as though I should share my thoughts on this book anyway. 

 

I am so grateful that Morris Gleitzman decided to create this series. No one could have done it as well as him. Everytime I read the next book, I felt more connected to Felix and his story each time. Every book in this series has a special place in my heart but this book, Always, touched me especially because of how as a young black person in a very white country, I could see myself in Wassim. I relate to him in more than a few ways unfortunately. 

 

Without spoiling anything, Gleitzman couldn’t have finished the series more perfectly as this book is like a neat bow. It is infact a messy and rough journey but in the end, a bow none the less, tying everything together, giving us answers to questions that we forgot we had from a few books ago. 

 

So after reading this, if you’ve decided not to read Always, I’m not stopping you, but you’ll never know the sensation of reading this book and finishing the Once series. But if I’ve helped sway you to read Always, get stocking on those tissues, prepare for a tsunami of emotions and enjoy reading the ending of so much hardship and even more joy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Antisemitism, and Racism

rebekahelis's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

aaaaaaah's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75