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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
David Almond's mixed use of family and local history as well as fantasy provides for an interesting experience for readers. What appeals is the gritty tone of the book, how the troubles that the characters experience cast a realistic shadow over the story. Combine that with the more fantastical elements of the book and it becomes even more engrossing.
John in particular is a fascinating and believable character. Nearly every small town has a kid like him, one people are quick to believe the worst of, and yet there are always a few that are inclined to stick around with him, who see something more.
I'd recommend this book to teens, especially male teens. The book's focus on the characters of John and Kit I think would especially appeal to boys looking for something without a bunch of "girly" aspects to the story.
VOYA codes: 3Q, 4P, J.
John in particular is a fascinating and believable character. Nearly every small town has a kid like him, one people are quick to believe the worst of, and yet there are always a few that are inclined to stick around with him, who see something more.
I'd recommend this book to teens, especially male teens. The book's focus on the characters of John and Kit I think would especially appeal to boys looking for something without a bunch of "girly" aspects to the story.
VOYA codes: 3Q, 4P, J.
I thought this book was interesting and well-written. In my opinion, Almond did an excellent job balancing the darkness in the book with the light--the creepier parts of the book were legitimately pretty spooky, but the lighter parts with Kit's family and Allie were fun to read. I loved that this book ended with a positive note, since I really felt the message that good can be found in even the most evil, dark places.
This book had such an effect on me, I felt like I had been sucked into another world for the time I was reading it. I started it late one night and picked it up again in the morning to finish it. To say I was mesmerised is an understatement. There is something so simple yet beautifully profound about the writing and the setting of the scenery. This is the story of Kit, who moves with his parents back to the old mining town they came from Stoneygate, when his grandmother dies and his grandfather needs looking after. Kit feels immediately at home and welcomed back to the old town where he is eyed as someone who belongs, someone whose heritage goes back decades. Kit is drawn to a boy named John Askew, a dark, hulking brute of a boy, who engineers a spooky game with the local kids called Death. The kids chosen are the kids whose ancestors died as children in the mines. There is a very haunting scene where Kit's grandfather shows him his own name on a monument to the dead children. Christopher Watson, aged 13. Askew's name is also there; John Askew, aged 13. This link compels Kit to want to play the game of Death, during which a child is chosen by a spinning knife to stay in the dark on their own to die. When they emerge, they are born again. It's a child's game, yet there is something undeniably dark about it and Kit finds himself drawn to the brutish darkness of Askew, a boy who is brutalised at home. There is so much to this short and simple book, that it's hard to know what to say. Instead, I will say what I loved. I loved the characters to such an extent, I felt like searching for them after I'd finished reading. I missed them. Kit was a great main character and I also felt incredibly drawn to the sad darkness of Askew. Allie was a breath of fresh air, the bright, energetic young girl Kit befriends. The grandfather was also wonderful. These are people that will stay with me forever. I did not want this book to end. There is an eerieness to it. What is real and what is child's play? You are never quite sure how much is their imagination and how much is actually happening. The old mining town and it's past tragedies provided a remarkable and suitably haunting location for the story to unfold. There is a sadness emanating from this story. Just beautiful. I felt dazed coming out of the other side. This is a book about the light and the dark and what draws us to both. It's a story about family, forgiveness, love, hate and loneliness. It's a story about friendship, about refusing to give up on people. It;s just stunning.
This book is moody and literary and well written...and will be nearly impossible for me to recommend to my students despite the short length. As an adult, I can recognize the value and artistry of this book, but I don't think it's the type of story my students would choose to read in their limited free time. I'm so glad the Printz award committees have started recognizing that teens need to love the book, too.
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I think my students will have a hard time understanding this book. It's unclear what is really or not really happening. It was interesting, but not a book I'd read again. It was full of metaphors and deeper meanings, which I like, but I felt the story lacked.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is a young adult realist fiction novel about a boy named Kit who moves with his family to the small old mining town where his grandfather lives. Kit becomes friends with a vivacious girl named Allie and a boy named John Askew, with whom he, Allie, and other students play the game called Death. Kit learns about his grandfather’s life and, as he learns more about death and life, starts to see ghosts around the town of dead children who have died in coal mining accidents. The novel moves towards its climax as Kit begins writing a story about life and death, John Askew becomes more violent, and Kit’s grandfather becomes more ill. I thought this novel was a fascinating exploration of how teenagers deal with death. I also loved its exploration of finding life in death and death in life, and the emphasis that in spite of darkness, there is always light in everything and everyone. This novel was a lot different than I thought it was going to be, but I still feel it deserves its Printz award. It’s a dark but also light exploration of themes that are pertinent to teenagers and anyone wanting to know how to connect with the past and find light in the past, present, and future.