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3.31 AVERAGE
3.31 AVERAGE
i was really bored. there weren’t any interesting descriptions or a really good writing style to draw me in. had to dnf.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
It started so much like Steinbeck's "The Pearl" that I thought I knew where this book was going. As it turned out, not so much. I still don't really understand the point of the Manta Diablo, or why reclaiming the pearl again in the face of the Manta's wrath made the boy a man after all.
I didn’t like it the characters were incredibly bland and the plot was shit.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I know that I read this book like, last year, but it was a GREAT book. The book encapusulates so many themes and lessons, it's nearly impossible for me to delve into the detail this book deserves, so I'll try to cover as many as I can.
1) First off, the thing you need to understand is that this book takes place in another country. The people are very superstitious and a village legend, Manta Diablo, lives in the waters nearby the village. As a matter of fact, it inhabits a cave underwater and guards a very precious treasure - the Black Pearl.
2) The protagonist is a child and is trying to follow in his father's business - a Pearl business. They clean and sell pearls that they find throughtout the land.
3) You have a villain, but in this case the villain seems to be fate until the last few pages of the book in which case it is a greedy tourist.
The boy loves to dive and he begs his father to let him search for pearls and his father reluctantly agrees. Very understandable, right? I wouldn't want my kid just diving into the ocean looking for pearls. The kid searches for days and finally comes across the black pearl. His father is horrified, but the kid thinks it is a special achievement. He places the pearl in the town statue's hands as a sign of his great victory. Shortly thereafter, bad things begin happening in the village and the boy's father demands he return the pearl before the Manta Diablo wrecks vengeance on the village.
The boy agrees and as he is about to grab it to return it, it is noticed to have been stolen. The boy sees the thief and follows him, only to be captured. The Manta Diablo, however, comes to the rescue (depends on if you want to view this as divine retribution or not) and battles the tourist. The tourist makes a fatal blow, but the Manta Diablo kills the tourist before it's dying breath. The boy goes home and tells his father of the events and the story ends.
1) First off, the thing you need to understand is that this book takes place in another country. The people are very superstitious and a village legend, Manta Diablo, lives in the waters nearby the village. As a matter of fact, it inhabits a cave underwater and guards a very precious treasure - the Black Pearl.
2) The protagonist is a child and is trying to follow in his father's business - a Pearl business. They clean and sell pearls that they find throughtout the land.
3) You have a villain, but in this case the villain seems to be fate until the last few pages of the book in which case it is a greedy tourist.
The boy loves to dive and he begs his father to let him search for pearls and his father reluctantly agrees. Very understandable, right? I wouldn't want my kid just diving into the ocean looking for pearls. The kid searches for days and finally comes across the black pearl. His father is horrified, but the kid thinks it is a special achievement. He places the pearl in the town statue's hands as a sign of his great victory. Shortly thereafter, bad things begin happening in the village and the boy's father demands he return the pearl before the Manta Diablo wrecks vengeance on the village.
The boy agrees and as he is about to grab it to return it, it is noticed to have been stolen. The boy sees the thief and follows him, only to be captured. The Manta Diablo, however, comes to the rescue (depends on if you want to view this as divine retribution or not) and battles the tourist. The tourist makes a fatal blow, but the Manta Diablo kills the tourist before it's dying breath. The boy goes home and tells his father of the events and the story ends.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read this story shortly after reading "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck, and they're clearly based off of the same legend.
Ramón, desperate to prove that he is a man, learns the art of pearl diving in just a few days while his father is gone, hoping to find the great Pearl of Heaven while his father is away on his own pearl diving expedition. Meanwhile, the Indians in this town and many of the other characters make their superstition about the Manta Diablo very plain. Ramón makes his own dive, finds the great pearl, and brings it home to his father. His father, awed by the pearl (however, not seeming very impressed with Ramón for successfully diving and finding it) ultimately gives the pearl to the Madonna, the town's personal representation of Mary. He then goes on an expedition to find more pearls, and does at sea. Ramón steals the pearl intending to throw it back since he now believes that the Manta Diablo wants it back; however, he is kidnaped by his rival who wants to sell it and get rich.
Long story short, the rival and the Manta die, and Ramón takes the pearl back to the Madonna and somehow believes he is now a man.
So, there was a lot more excitement in this story than in Steinbeck's version. It definitely kept me interested! However, there wasn't much character development, and the motives that drove the seemed pretty flimsy. Moral of the story? Can't tell you. I'm not really sure.
Did I like this book? Yeah, it was a fun, quick read. Would I recommend it? Meh.
Ramón, desperate to prove that he is a man, learns the art of pearl diving in just a few days while his father is gone, hoping to find the great Pearl of Heaven while his father is away on his own pearl diving expedition. Meanwhile, the Indians in this town and many of the other characters make their superstition about the Manta Diablo very plain. Ramón makes his own dive, finds the great pearl, and brings it home to his father. His father, awed by the pearl (however, not seeming very impressed with Ramón for successfully diving and finding it) ultimately gives the pearl to the Madonna, the town's personal representation of Mary. He then goes on an expedition to find more pearls, and does at sea. Ramón steals the pearl intending to throw it back since he now believes that the Manta Diablo wants it back; however, he is kidnaped by his rival who wants to sell it and get rich.
Long story short, the rival and the Manta die, and Ramón takes the pearl back to the Madonna and somehow believes he is now a man.
So, there was a lot more excitement in this story than in Steinbeck's version. It definitely kept me interested! However, there wasn't much character development, and the motives that drove the seemed pretty flimsy. Moral of the story? Can't tell you. I'm not really sure.
Did I like this book? Yeah, it was a fun, quick read. Would I recommend it? Meh.
This was another book that I was supposed to read for a summer assignment and never did. Now that I've sat down to read it, I can understand why younger me didn't quite gravitate to the story.
It's brief, and certainly exciting in content, but the style isn't exactly gripping. I'd say this is good for a young person just getting into nautical stories. Everyone likes a good treasure tale.
It's brief, and certainly exciting in content, but the style isn't exactly gripping. I'd say this is good for a young person just getting into nautical stories. Everyone likes a good treasure tale.