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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
finding out that this was based on a true story has absolutely leveled me
I never know what I’m gonna get with a Printz award winner, but they’re always so unique and well written!!
Super simple summary: Based on a true story of boys in Scotland in 1727 who went out to this sheer rock of an island to capture and kill seabirds and were left there stranded for NINE MONTHS! Nothing is really known about what really happened, so this story tells us the author’s dramatization. This story follows Quilliam and other boys and 3 adults, stranded on this rock. It tells what they believe, how they create order, how they kill birds and remember home, and ultimately how they survive.
Super simple summary: Based on a true story of boys in Scotland in 1727 who went out to this sheer rock of an island to capture and kill seabirds and were left there stranded for NINE MONTHS! Nothing is really known about what really happened, so this story tells us the author’s dramatization. This story follows Quilliam and other boys and 3 adults, stranded on this rock. It tells what they believe, how they create order, how they kill birds and remember home, and ultimately how they survive.
talk about atmosphere (remote scottish island), survival, and the human condition! based on a true story, this YA novel packs a punch. loved.
4.5 “Warrior Stac grows bigger the closer you get. You would swear it was pushing its way upwards -- a rock whale pitching its whole bulk into the sky, covered in barnacles, aiming to swallow the moon...”
adventurous
dark
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Upon finishing this book at 2 a.m., I descended into an internet rabbit hole on the topic of the Scottish St Kilda islands and the lost population of Hirta. I know so much about this now that I could be a historian. It is so interesting.
This book excelled at describing the anguish and struggles of the boys and men stranded on the sea stac. It established empathy surprisingly well given the rarity of their situation.
However, the world-building and character development in this book lacked significantly. Distinguishing each of the characters, though there were only less than a dozen, was incredibly difficult because they did not have distinct personalities and backgrounds. Col Cane was the wannabe Reverand, Davie was the scared shitless baby, Quill was the virtuous and talented boy who was madly in love with a girl he had spent only a few days with. But besides that, who was everyone? Who was Don, Farriss, Calum, Lachlan, Kenneth, John- I had a very hard time telling them apart. They were not distinct from one another in their mannerisms, history, and personalities in a way that followed me throughout the story.
This book excelled at describing the anguish and struggles of the boys and men stranded on the sea stac. It established empathy surprisingly well given the rarity of their situation.
However, the world-building and character development in this book lacked significantly. Distinguishing each of the characters, though there were only less than a dozen, was incredibly difficult because they did not have distinct personalities and backgrounds. Col Cane was the wannabe Reverand, Davie was the scared shitless baby, Quill was the virtuous and talented boy who was madly in love with a girl he had spent only a few days with. But besides that, who was everyone? Who was Don, Farriss, Calum, Lachlan, Kenneth, John- I had a very hard time telling them apart. They were not distinct from one another in their mannerisms, history, and personalities in a way that followed me throughout the story.
I bought this book in a small bookstore in the Highlands. This was a haunting story with roots in truth. Once I got about a fifth of the way through, I couldn’t put it down.
This was not the right time for me for this book. While it had its moments of hope, it was too hard for right now. I think I need light stuff. It was tedious to get through as well- slow moving.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying
Minor: Sexual harassment
An absolutely stunning, absorbing and fulfilling read. I really can't recommend it enough.
Set in the early 18th century, a small group of boys, along with a couple of adults, go off to the Warrior Stac, lying just off the island of Hirta, in order to carry out the quest of fowling - collecting birds to eat. As time passes, the boys realise they have been forgotten, and are left marooned, starting to wonder whether the world has ended without their knowing.
We see all the guises, good and bad, of mankind here, from the pious Euan to the thoughtful Calum; Kenneth, an incessant bully, is bitter until the very end; Col Cane reveals himself not to be a man of God but something else entirely, while John's character development is fascinating (and has worrying connotations, should you be sharing this with primary aged children).
At the centre of this is Quill, a boy with his head screwed on and seemingly the only one who tries to keep the group (and their sanity) in tact. He tells stories to soothe, puts his life at risk to help, and is a confidant of others. His own spirit is kept alive by the thought of returning to Hirta to see the love his life, Murdina, who he believes is watching over him in the form of a particular sea-bird.
There is so much to admire here, so many twists and turns. There are hints of Lord of the Flies in parts, and the ending is just sublime.
Just brilliant.
Set in the early 18th century, a small group of boys, along with a couple of adults, go off to the Warrior Stac, lying just off the island of Hirta, in order to carry out the quest of fowling - collecting birds to eat. As time passes, the boys realise they have been forgotten, and are left marooned, starting to wonder whether the world has ended without their knowing.
We see all the guises, good and bad, of mankind here, from the pious Euan to the thoughtful Calum; Kenneth, an incessant bully, is bitter until the very end; Col Cane reveals himself not to be a man of God but something else entirely, while John's character development is fascinating (and has worrying connotations, should you be sharing this with primary aged children).
At the centre of this is Quill, a boy with his head screwed on and seemingly the only one who tries to keep the group (and their sanity) in tact. He tells stories to soothe, puts his life at risk to help, and is a confidant of others. His own spirit is kept alive by the thought of returning to Hirta to see the love his life, Murdina, who he believes is watching over him in the form of a particular sea-bird.
There is so much to admire here, so many twists and turns. There are hints of Lord of the Flies in parts, and the ending is just sublime.
Just brilliant.