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A review by hawkia75
My Name Is Mina by David Almond
4.0
Mina isn't like any little girl you've ever met. Some readers have a problem with meeting unlikely characters in books. I'm not of that opinion. If I wanted to meet people, I'd go out. I want to meet characters.
Mina is the epitome of a non-conformist and well-read enough to break into recitations of William Blake at the drop of a hat. Following the recent death of her father, her streak of eccentricity has bloomed into a full-fledged rebellion against the dull routine and petty tyrannies of a school that, as Mina says, kills her individuality and saps her creativity and joy. Lucky little Mina, then, that her mother can keep her at home to follow her own curriculum of drawing birds and sitting in trees! If only all intelligent, high-strung children could be handled thusly! She still struggles with social anxieties and the other troubles that plague those who are too smart, too sensitive, too filled with difficult emotions. All in all, I was tremendously charmed with Mina, though some might find her twee. I'm not sure your average ten year old will want to read about her, although for the ones who share her difficulties, they'll find her a rare friend.
Mina is the epitome of a non-conformist and well-read enough to break into recitations of William Blake at the drop of a hat. Following the recent death of her father, her streak of eccentricity has bloomed into a full-fledged rebellion against the dull routine and petty tyrannies of a school that, as Mina says, kills her individuality and saps her creativity and joy. Lucky little Mina, then, that her mother can keep her at home to follow her own curriculum of drawing birds and sitting in trees! If only all intelligent, high-strung children could be handled thusly! She still struggles with social anxieties and the other troubles that plague those who are too smart, too sensitive, too filled with difficult emotions. All in all, I was tremendously charmed with Mina, though some might find her twee. I'm not sure your average ten year old will want to read about her, although for the ones who share her difficulties, they'll find her a rare friend.