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A review by twozsinapod
Here Where the Sunbeams Are Green by Helen Phillips
4.0
siiiiiigh
I debated a lot about what I wanted to rate this and what I wanted to say about it. In the end, I think it deserves 3.5 stars. There's some things that really bugged me, but once I got into the story it was really hard to put down.
Before getting into spoilers, let's talk about the first couple of things that almost made me put the book down. There's a character you'll meet within the first page or two who is constantly referred to as Ken/Neth. I was so confused when I first saw this and wondered if it was an error in the book. Did the author debate whether to call him Ken or Neth and forget to change this instance? No...turns out it continues...and continues. Finally we're told the little story of why the narrator (main character) calls this guy Ken/Neth in her head. Great. Still bothered me to constantly see Ken/Neth throughout the story.
There were also several grammatical errors within the first 3 chapters of the book. A few words were broken onto two lines without a hypen that definitely should have been one word. A few sentences were structured oddly and two or three times I had to reread a sentence because of awkward verb tense.
Now, onto the other things that made me unsure of how I wanted to rate this...
The mom. Ugh. First off, why has she sat idly by while her husband is missing for 7 months when he's never been gone more than a month before? I also thought it was a bit selfish of her to comment something to the tune of "I never signed up to be a single parent" when this is the first time, supposedly, he's been gone for more than a month. Maybe that should be your clue that something is desperately wrong.
The second they get to this motel in a country they've never been to she takes the girls (9 and 12) to a pool and then falls asleep. Yes, with her kids playing at the pool. 12 might be old enough to mostly take care of herself but when you're in a strange place, surrounded by people who speak another language, it's probably not the best time to just let your kids run around unattended.
So, Via (mom) aside, there's the kids. I adore Mad as a character. She is the perfect 12 year old narrator and we see her going through the things 12 year olds do. She has some selfish moments, deals with jealousy, and experiences (what I assume is) her first crush. She sometimes feels like she's not as strong/brave/amazing as her little sister, but gradually learns she has her own strengths too. Little sis, Roo, is annoying at times but...she's 9! I'll forgive her.
What bothers me about the kids is that this whole adventure is so far-fetched. They're constantly out for hours in a jungle and no one misses them? The adults who seemingly know what they're up to (Kyle's grandparents) think this is a good idea? They traverse steep inclines up cliff edges with only enough room for them to walk, yet they have no mention of prior rock-climbing or hiking experience. They do all of this without any protective gear and at one point Mad falls and is...magically unharmed. I know this is magical realism, but it all just felt a little odd.
Anyway, nitpicking aside, the story is really cute and I couldn't help but fall in love with the kiddos. The story really picks up in about chapter 3-4 and is hard to put down once it gets going. There's some suspense, a few surprises, and a lot of fun along the way. Worth a read even if it's not getting 5 stars from me.
I debated a lot about what I wanted to rate this and what I wanted to say about it. In the end, I think it deserves 3.5 stars. There's some things that really bugged me, but once I got into the story it was really hard to put down.
Before getting into spoilers, let's talk about the first couple of things that almost made me put the book down. There's a character you'll meet within the first page or two who is constantly referred to as Ken/Neth. I was so confused when I first saw this and wondered if it was an error in the book. Did the author debate whether to call him Ken or Neth and forget to change this instance? No...turns out it continues...and continues. Finally we're told the little story of why the narrator (main character) calls this guy Ken/Neth in her head. Great. Still bothered me to constantly see Ken/Neth throughout the story.
There were also several grammatical errors within the first 3 chapters of the book. A few words were broken onto two lines without a hypen that definitely should have been one word. A few sentences were structured oddly and two or three times I had to reread a sentence because of awkward verb tense.
Now, onto the other things that made me unsure of how I wanted to rate this...
Spoiler
The mom. Ugh. First off, why has she sat idly by while her husband is missing for 7 months when he's never been gone more than a month before? I also thought it was a bit selfish of her to comment something to the tune of "I never signed up to be a single parent" when this is the first time, supposedly, he's been gone for more than a month. Maybe that should be your clue that something is desperately wrong.
The second they get to this motel in a country they've never been to she takes the girls (9 and 12) to a pool and then falls asleep. Yes, with her kids playing at the pool. 12 might be old enough to mostly take care of herself but when you're in a strange place, surrounded by people who speak another language, it's probably not the best time to just let your kids run around unattended.
So, Via (mom) aside, there's the kids. I adore Mad as a character. She is the perfect 12 year old narrator and we see her going through the things 12 year olds do. She has some selfish moments, deals with jealousy, and experiences (what I assume is) her first crush. She sometimes feels like she's not as strong/brave/amazing as her little sister, but gradually learns she has her own strengths too. Little sis, Roo, is annoying at times but...she's 9! I'll forgive her.
What bothers me about the kids is that this whole adventure is so far-fetched. They're constantly out for hours in a jungle and no one misses them? The adults who seemingly know what they're up to (Kyle's grandparents) think this is a good idea? They traverse steep inclines up cliff edges with only enough room for them to walk, yet they have no mention of prior rock-climbing or hiking experience. They do all of this without any protective gear and at one point Mad falls and is...magically unharmed. I know this is magical realism, but it all just felt a little odd.
Anyway, nitpicking aside, the story is really cute and I couldn't help but fall in love with the kiddos. The story really picks up in about chapter 3-4 and is hard to put down once it gets going. There's some suspense, a few surprises, and a lot of fun along the way. Worth a read even if it's not getting 5 stars from me.