Reviews

Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian

mummybear_reads's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

rabid_reading's review against another edition

emotional 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? It's complicated

4.25

firstwords's review against another edition

5.0

I was reminded of this young adult novel when reviewing the Book Thief. This is a good read for a high school/college student, although some younger readers could probably handle it. Reading it for the first time myself at this age, it contained parts that were very shocking and graphic in their explanation. Without rehashing the synopsis, it is a very engaging story of a young boy sent to England's countryside during WWII, to live with the "curmudgeonly old man" archetype of Mr. Tom. Some of the usual interaction you would expect from a story of this sort by now are there, but mostly it is a much deeper, more sincere look at the relationship between these two. I strongly recommend this book for young adults age 12-26, or for adults wanting an enjoyable read. This is also a good novel for someone looking to move from "pulp" titles to deeper novels, as it is a straightforward storytelling style (without being boring) with clear character development and storyline. I will likely reread this at some point.

As was mentioned in passing earlier, there are some pretty rough bits at the end of the book, as far as treatment of children. Just be aware when handing it off to someone to read.

fictionwriter's review against another edition

4.0

A book I read years ago and still remember well. Especially evocative for me as my mother went through WWII in England.

lejoy's review against another edition

4.0

This may be unique in that I was made to read this at school but actually loved it. In fact, I was so into the story that I read it at home between lessons and then had to put up with several weeks/months of waiting for everyone else to catch up. That was back in Year 7, so a good twenty-seven years ago. I still think it's a good book. It is the story of an abused child who gets a new lease of life when he is evacuated to the countryside at the start of WWII. So as you can imagine, there are some heavy themes here. Sometimes the aftercare feels a little rushed or trite - bad stuff happens, then the character has to deal with it both emotionally and physically. The idea that simply living in the countryside can make a person healthy certainly feels like it wandered in from The Secret Garden, nor do I like how mental health professionals are depicted, but I guess it was a different time. Generally I think Magorian's historical research pays off in creating an immersive world, though sometimes it feels a little on the nose. Likewise sometimes she just states how a character feels, which is surprisingly clumsy. Anyway, it's a bit of a sob fest and I'm not really sure that it builds to much, but it is certainly compelling.

conflictedpapyrus's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad tense

5.0

lynnet_86's review against another edition

5.0

This is a children's or Y/A book but I read and loved it as an adult,having pinched from my little sister who had to read it for school.

blueridgereader's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

kitbunnie225's review against another edition

5.0

I don't remember the last book that made me cry so much and left me in tears.
Sentimental though it is, this is exactly the kind of story that people hope to eke out of war narratives, and whether this is a true story or not, it is beautiful because of its message.

rwindemuller's review against another edition

5.0

I read this book as a kid so many times the pages wore out. I read it again today and realized why. This is one of my favorite books.