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bickie's review against another edition
2.0
Cool premise but incomplete character development and world-building make this less successful than it could have been. Themes of learning who you are, standing up for what you think is right, finding inner strength, and learning to balance different aspects of your personality are explored at about the 3rd-grade level. For example: "He steps back, suddenly clumsy. 'You need to let me help you!' 'I thought that was what you were doing before! I'll never trust you again, Avery!' I grab Mallory and we charge off toward the dark street, and to her credit she doesn't complain, though I'm breathing in flurries of ice and my hand must be freezing on her arm." Characters only mildly compelling. I love the idea, but execution just did not live up to the potential. Disappointing. Best for ages 8-10.
sciencewithkrystal's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
3.5
It was a little slow going at parts. And I struggled with the switching between the fairy book and the mcs life. But I'm happy I read it and I particularly enjoyed the characters of the Faye world.
zoemalloey's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
btpbookclub's review against another edition
4.0
I have read books by this author before and loved them so had to carry on with her other books. Now this was a different read for me. Young Adult, fantasy. But also a little wierd. The main character is named owl half human half Fay. Her dad is Jack frost… Wierd right? But it’s a wintery read, magical in parts but also strange coming and going between different worlds.
It’s an easy, chilly and frosty read. A unique read. One I won’t forget just a bit strange but it was a good story with a happy ending for all. I look forward to reading her other books. A well deserved four stars from me. Stunning cover.
It’s an easy, chilly and frosty read. A unique read. One I won’t forget just a bit strange but it was a good story with a happy ending for all. I look forward to reading her other books. A well deserved four stars from me. Stunning cover.
zoepagereader's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a cute middle grade about a girl who discovers her dad is Jack Frost. I feel like there could have been a lot more time spent on the mom and what she went through raising Owl. The little chapters every now and then about her felt clunky, awkward, and out of place in the book every time, especially because of how short they were. It was a good book, but not really anything special.
freya1011's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
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? Yes
4.5
thereaderdragon's review against another edition
4.0
"When you have a kid, don't call it something stupid.
Don't call it Apple, or Pear, or Mung Bean.
Don't call it Owl."
When I received this, I was absolutely delighted because what can I say? I'm a sucker for owls! But this wasn't a story about owls (however they are a pretty common theme throughout the book. Yay!), but the story of a girl who happens to be named Owl.
Owl has never known her father. When she was younger, her mother would tell her stories of the charming Jack Frost, and the magical land in which he resides. But now that she's older, she's sick of the tales, and wants to know the truth. But when strange frost patterns start appearing on her skin, she discovers that there might be more truth to her mother's stories than she initially thought.
This is the kind of book that would make for perfect Winter reading. I'm actually disappointed that I didn't get to read this during the colder months. I can just picture sitting curled up on a couch in a cocoon of blankets, with a hot cup of tea. Mmmm, doesn't that sound just perfect?
It's weird, but the story had a lot going on, whilst at the same time feeling like not much was happening plot-wise. First, you have Owl's quest for information on her father, as well as the whole Elsa-like development. And then you have Jack himself, who is considered too wild by some of the more influential members of the fae court, and who want him banished. Add just a pinch of school/friendship drama, and voila! With all of these things happening, the story felt a bit disjointed at times and almost lost me, but it was still all fairly easy to follow. It just felt really slow for the most part, whilst never exactly dragging.
The relationship that Owl shared with her friend Mallory felt realistic, which was great! Both sides were dealing with some pretty big changes in their lives (Owl is basically Elsa now, and Mallory's parents a separating), and they both wanted to help each other out, whilst the how of doing that was not exactly clear to them. They would fight, yet come through for each other in the end. It's those sorts of friendships that I really appreciate in books.
I really enjoyed the whole twist on the seasonal cycle, with it being controlled by a cast of folklore-inspired characters. And I was fascinated with the writing and the way the words were strung together. It was so simple, yet made the book feel magical, and really added to the story as a whole.
Ridiculous as it sounds, the thing that irritated me the most about this book, was the use of the word "fay" when describing the fairfolk. I know that it is one of several correct spellings, but because it's so uncommonly used ("fae" being the most common), it really bugged me. It might also be because that's my aunt's name (spelling-wise) and it felt so weird seeing the word in a different context.
[b:A Girl Called Owl|28168228|A Girl Called Owl|Amy Wilson|http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1478090615s/28168228.jpg|54819703] is an enchanting tale filled with magic and adventure, and is the perfect change-of-season read.
Thank you Pan Macmillan for the ARC.
nora4's review against another edition
4.0
Ein Buch mit einem wunderschönen Cover und auch wunderschöner Gestaltung der Seiten im Buch, welches mich auch vom Klappentext her neugierig gemacht hat, denn auch Bücher für jüngere Leser sollte man nie unterschätzen.
Die Grundidee an sich war schon einmal wirklich toll und wurde auch gut umgesetzt. Ich mag dieses Konzept von Jahreszeitenhütern oder -gottheiten oder wie man es auch immer sehen möchte, sowieso unglaublich gerne, auch wenn es nicht ganz zu erschliessen war, vom Klappentext her.
Die Geschichte wurde dann auch simpel gehalten, sodass man ihr auch wirklich, ohne gross nachzudenken folgen kann. Es fiel dadurch aber auch leicht flach auch, aber ich denke, für ein Kinderbuch hat es immer noch genügend Tiefe.
Die Charaktere waren ebenfalls okay, aber nicht so, dass sie mir jetzt irgendwie besonders hervorstechen, was aber auch ein gutes Zeichen bei mir ist, denn mir fallen sie meist eher nur negativ auf.
Im Gesamten also eine schöne Geschichte, die sich sicherlich auch gut vorlesen lässt und mit ihrer Lockerheit zum Entspannen einlädt. Von mir gibt es dafür vier Sterne.
Die Grundidee an sich war schon einmal wirklich toll und wurde auch gut umgesetzt. Ich mag dieses Konzept von Jahreszeitenhütern oder -gottheiten oder wie man es auch immer sehen möchte, sowieso unglaublich gerne, auch wenn es nicht ganz zu erschliessen war, vom Klappentext her.
Die Geschichte wurde dann auch simpel gehalten, sodass man ihr auch wirklich, ohne gross nachzudenken folgen kann. Es fiel dadurch aber auch leicht flach auch, aber ich denke, für ein Kinderbuch hat es immer noch genügend Tiefe.
Die Charaktere waren ebenfalls okay, aber nicht so, dass sie mir jetzt irgendwie besonders hervorstechen, was aber auch ein gutes Zeichen bei mir ist, denn mir fallen sie meist eher nur negativ auf.
Im Gesamten also eine schöne Geschichte, die sich sicherlich auch gut vorlesen lässt und mit ihrer Lockerheit zum Entspannen einlädt. Von mir gibt es dafür vier Sterne.