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A review by amber_hastings
The International Yeti Collective by Katy Riddell, Paul Mason
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A charming novel for anyone looking for a hopeful adventure story.
A few small issues;
I found it to be pretty engrossing if not a little rushed by the end. The fact there's a sequel makes more sense as to why there was quite limited interaction between humans and Yetis, though I thought Uncle Jack's 180-degree character shift still came too soon.
The other question I had was about the Yetis being so accommodating to each other, despite the fact that the yeti groups split apart many generations ago. I was expecting some hostility at least, especially as the book has some moral messages to make.
On the plus side, I was pleasantly surprised that I loved both the human and yeti main characters, and that both had distinct, lovable voices and story arcs. I also loved the yetis' language and greetings — and a great sense of humour is shining through in these parts too, which I didn't expect! It's so refreshing to have an original sense of humour in stories like these.
Did I come away thinking that the yeti were safe? Absolutely not! If anything it showed how precarious their position is, but I guess characters like Ella are there to show that the Yetis' lives can be kept in secret at least among some humans.
Finally, Katy Russell's artwork is beautiful and enhanced the story so much! I just loved her drawings of Tick and his mum especially!
Oh and another small thing ... The book left me wondering what exactly the author was trying to say about the connection between Yetis and humans: are we expected to believe we descended from Yetis? Though I don't think it was intentional to dwell on these types of questions!
A few small issues;
I found it to be pretty engrossing if not a little rushed by the end. The fact there's a sequel makes more sense as to why there was quite limited interaction between humans and Yetis, though I thought Uncle Jack's 180-degree character shift still came too soon.
The other question I had was about the Yetis being so accommodating to each other, despite the fact that the yeti groups split apart many generations ago. I was expecting some hostility at least, especially as the book has some moral messages to make.
On the plus side, I was pleasantly surprised that I loved both the human and yeti main characters, and that both had distinct, lovable voices and story arcs. I also loved the yetis' language and greetings — and a great sense of humour is shining through in these parts too, which I didn't expect! It's so refreshing to have an original sense of humour in stories like these.
Did I come away thinking that the yeti were safe? Absolutely not! If anything it showed how precarious their position is, but I guess characters like Ella are there to show that the Yetis' lives can be kept in secret at least among some humans.
Finally, Katy Russell's artwork is beautiful and enhanced the story so much! I just loved her drawings of Tick and his mum especially!
Oh and another small thing ... The book left me wondering what exactly the author was trying to say about the connection between Yetis and humans: are we expected to believe we descended from Yetis? Though I don't think it was intentional to dwell on these types of questions!