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balsa's review against another edition
3.0
this book was very emotional for me, as I read the once series years ago when I was much younger. It makes me sad to finally see Felix go after all these years, although the story in the book is lovely. It’s a sad thing, to see a series end, but I’m not unhappy with how it did. It was a good book, a good ending, good characters, good story.
The reason I gave it 3 stars was simply that it didn’t stand out to me. It didn’t make me feel nearly as much as the rest of the series, and I would just sensibly say it’s a good book, but no better.
Though, I did read the entire thing within school :’)
And I’m happy with how it ended, finally reunited with Zelda
The reason I gave it 3 stars was simply that it didn’t stand out to me. It didn’t make me feel nearly as much as the rest of the series, and I would just sensibly say it’s a good book, but no better.
Though, I did read the entire thing within school :’)
And I’m happy with how it ended, finally reunited with Zelda
zohal99's review against another edition
4.0
And here come the tears again ...
So sad that the journey is over
So sad that the journey is over
hannahabbotting's review against another edition
5.0
don’t mind me, just once again, sobbing over a children’s book
erebus53's review against another edition
4.0
CW: burning building, police corruption, dementia, animal cruelty, Nazis, gun violence, Nazi stuff, poisoning, inter-racial couple vs. Nazis, holocaust stuff, dead children, whyohwhy are Nazis even relevant today.. why!!?
In this final chapter in the story of Felix and Zelda, we see the twilight of the life of a man who has focused his time on Earth on helping others, and fostering Hope. Just as he is left to his own devices, with his beloved grand-daughter off to be a doctor in Syria, he is found by a brown-skinned boy who has escaped Eastern Europe where his family has been victimised by a criminal organisation of neo-Nazi thugs .
Listening to this author-narrated publication means that the author's note is quite a personal experience. Gleitzman explains his conscious decision to set action in a non-specific Eastern European nation, as the events portrayed could happen anywhere. (I notice that this also avoids the stigma of tarring one particular country, and also means that we are asked to confront bigotry and violence, wherever we find it.)
Parts of this story give me a real Indiana Jones vibe. Whereas previous stories included such things as hiding, escaping, blowing up a military facility, and fighting wildfires, this one has international commuting, following clues from artifacts and notes, meeting a celebrity, gunpoint negotiations, being followed, and trying to find Nazi-treasure.
A couple of big twists at the end of the tale are rewarding for those who love the poetry of ambiguity. As a fan of wordplay and prophecy stories the ending was not at all surprising, but still beautiful, grotesque and poignant.
In this final chapter in the story of Felix and Zelda, we see the twilight of the life of a man who has focused his time on Earth on helping others, and fostering Hope. Just as he is left to his own devices, with his beloved grand-daughter off to be a doctor in Syria, he is found by a brown-skinned boy who has escaped Eastern Europe where his family has been victimised by a criminal organisation of neo-Nazi thugs .
Listening to this author-narrated publication means that the author's note is quite a personal experience. Gleitzman explains his conscious decision to set action in a non-specific Eastern European nation, as the events portrayed could happen anywhere. (I notice that this also avoids the stigma of tarring one particular country, and also means that we are asked to confront bigotry and violence, wherever we find it.)
Parts of this story give me a real Indiana Jones vibe. Whereas previous stories included such things as hiding, escaping, blowing up a military facility, and fighting wildfires, this one has international commuting, following clues from artifacts and notes, meeting a celebrity, gunpoint negotiations, being followed, and trying to find Nazi-treasure.
A couple of big twists at the end of the tale are rewarding for those who love the poetry of ambiguity. As a fan of wordplay and prophecy stories the ending was not at all surprising, but still beautiful, grotesque and poignant.
immaavo's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-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? No
4.5
amyfletcher's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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? No
5.0
cwatson1234's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
sad
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? Yes
3.75
amandamiller's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0