Reviews

2023: Ik ben al meer dan 10 jaar kinderoppas, voor meerdere gezinnen ook al heel lang. Naarmate kinderen opgroeien krijgen ze steeds behoeftes aan andere dingen, minder structuur, meer keuzevrijheid, serieuzer genomen worden, *minder serieus genomen worden*, elk kind is er net een beetje anders in, en het is altijd een opdracht uit te vogelen waar een bepaald kind op een bepaalde dag behoefte aan heeft. Als ik één ding echter zeker weet is het dat ongeacht leeftijd, bui, of Puberniveau, elk kind altijd behoefte heeft aan een Goed Verhaal.

Tonke Dragt bedacht veel van haar verhalen toen ze als docente haar klas rustig probeerde te houden, net zoals Frans van der Steg (en net zoals ik), en hoewel De Zevensprong minder episch is dan Brief Voor De Koning of De Blauwe Maansteen, merk ik dat die liefde voor verhalen EN haar publiek hier het meest tot hun recht komt. Elk klein detail in dit verhaal komt over alsof het is gekozen om iemand blij te maken, of veelbetekenend naar iemand te knipogen. Zelfs wanneer het verhaal teveel uitlegt komt het niet onzeker over, maar enkel alsof het een vraag probeert te beantwoorden voordat een enthousiaste leerling de verhalenverteller kan onderbreken. De toon is immens warm en charmant, en de illustraties zijn natuurlijk prachtig.

Natuurlijk zijn de mindere trekjes waar ik 3 jaar geleden op stootte nog steeds aanwezig (paar overbodige hoofdstukken, beetje teveel balletjes in de lucht, dat soort gedoe), maar net zoals 3 jaar geleden ga ik die met VEEL LIEFDE negeren, en dit boek met volle borst 5/5 ✨ raten! Geen enkele schrijfster kan me eraan herinneren dat schrijven, tekenen, zingen, en verhalen vertellen de leukste dingen in het leven zijn zoals Tonke Dragt dat kan ❤️ #TonkeSweep.

2020: De Zevensprong heeft een paar mindere trekjes hier en daar, maar is zo immens charmant dat ik ze allemaal al lang vergeten ben. Tonke heeft nog nooit een slecht boek geschreven denk ik. Kan ze fysiek niet.

a_robin_reads's review against another edition

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Listened to this audiobook when I was a child.

riccii's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious slow-paced

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

3.25

juliwi's review

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5.0

So, De Zevensprong, or The Song of Seven, was a major part of my childhood. Some of my favourite memories are of my father reading the book to me when I was young, or Skyping home while at University only to realize my family is binge-watching a Dutch TV adaptation of the book. When a novel is that close to your heart it becomes close to impossible to be objective about it. The same counts for the Harry Potter books, for example. I will defend those books to the death, simply because they have become a part of me and my history. The Song of Seven is special, in a way, because it deals in and of itself with story telling as well. Mr. Van der Steg, a relatively new teacher, entertains his students by telling them wild tales of distant and imagined lands. The children adore the adventure, while he is able to keep them quiet and engaged. All is well, until a new story begins and it comes to life. Stories are no longer a distant thing, suddenly there is danger around the corner and people aren’t who they say they are. What always added to this novel’s magic for me was that it felt so true to the gentle magic of the Eastern provinces of the Netherlands, where folk tales and legends lurk behind every corner and all names and rhymes have meaning and power.

Tonke Dragt is, rightfully, celebrated in the Netherlands. Her fiction has enriched countless of childhoods with her stories of adventure. Her writing style is straightforward and spare on big words, perfect for the younger readers, and yet, without any fancy frills, Dragt is immensely good at creating atmosphere. Whether it’s the House of Stairs or a rambunctious school class, she describes everything in such a way that you don’t even have to close your eyes to see it. She also doesn’t underestimate her readers, and there are many points in the book that remain mysterious. Dragt retains that sense of magic and legend by not spelling everything out perfectly, nor by giving a reason for everything. Some things just are, and The Song of Seven almost feels like a snapshot, capturing the potential for many more stories to come. De Sevensprong is beautifully translated by Laura Watkinson, who captures the easy flow with which Dragt writes her books, as well as the charming quirks of her characters. I was very happy to see that all the Dutch names were retained, rather than changed, even if they might take some getting used to for English readers. The Song of Seven is the perfect book for adventurous young readers and their parents.

For full review: http://universeinwords.blogspot.com/2018/02/review-song-of-seven-by-tonke-dragt.html

disneygirl08's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

marsremijn's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-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

4.0

buj's review against another edition

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4.0

Picked this up after finishing The Letter for the King and The Secrets of the Wild Wood because I thought it was the third book in Tuiri's tale, but although this wasn't a continuation of that story, I had such a blast with this standalone novel. I went into this completely blind, and that was probably for the best because I could have built this up to be something else completely than what it ended up being.

I don't know how to probably describe this story other than a romping good time. It sprinkled brief, serious moments into an otherwise light read with colorful and fantastical characters like those of Alice in Wonderland or another "step into another world" sort of tale. Frans is a stubborn, young school teacher with a stern hand but a good heart and his off-putting personality managed to be endearing instead of annoying. The concept of the Seven Ways, the ridiculousness of the narrative, and the distinct characters made this a fun and memorable read.

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