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A review by turninpages_sippintea
Pax by Sara Pennypacker
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
What a book! It was suggested to me by a friend, and I was hesitant at first (I haven't read middle-grade books in a while and didn't know what to expect), but what a treat Pax turned out to be!
At a first glance, this book is about a boy who sets off to search for his pet fox. But I think, ultimately, Pax is about grief, growth, discovering yourself, and learning to let go. I enjoyed how much Peter and Vola affected each other over such a short period. I loved the interactions among foxes, at no point did they seem overhumanised. And I also liked how vague the image of the boy's father was. Perhaps, many kids and adults who come from emotionally volatile households will give the father the face of their own parent. While writing this I'm also coming to a realisation that the origins of Peter's empathy aren't explicitly explained - some things were definitely taught to him by his mom before her sudden death - but we can infer that both raising Pax and practically having been left to his own devices by his father, Peter matured much faster and learnt to care not only for himself but for the needs of a smaller, wilder creature.And, lastly, I appreciate the very bittersweet decision of Pax' to leave with his new fox family. A golden cage is still a cage. How could he ever go back to living in captivity after getting a taste of freedom?
The only thing that slightly dampened my overall impression of the book was its quite abrupt ending. I would've appreciated an epiloguewith a small time jump, showing us what Peter and Pax were up to after such lifechanging weeks. I wept anyway.
At a first glance, this book is about a boy who sets off to search for his pet fox. But I think, ultimately, Pax is about grief, growth, discovering yourself, and learning to let go. I enjoyed how much Peter and Vola affected each other over such a short period. I loved the interactions among foxes, at no point did they seem overhumanised. And I also liked how vague the image of the boy's father was. Perhaps, many kids and adults who come from emotionally volatile households will give the father the face of their own parent. While writing this I'm also coming to a realisation that the origins of Peter's empathy aren't explicitly explained - some things were definitely taught to him by his mom before her sudden death - but we can infer that both raising Pax and practically having been left to his own devices by his father, Peter matured much faster and learnt to care not only for himself but for the needs of a smaller, wilder creature.
The only thing that slightly dampened my overall impression of the book was its quite abrupt ending. I would've appreciated an epilogue