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A review by jaironside
What Milo Saw by Virginia Macgregor
4.0
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a charming modern fable full of big ideas and simple truths. As poor as Milo's eyesight is, it is also an advantage because he has taught himself to compensate by using his other senses and by paying attention. Because he cannot and does not take sight for granted, Milo sees many things that other people do not. Couple that with a child's black and white understanding of right and wrong and you have an unusual 'white knight' on a mission to sort things out.
This has a deftly woven plot - told from several POVs, the main one being Milo's - where every thread eventually weaves into the whole to create a tapestry of rich simplicity. The characters are good, the voice is pretty close to perfect - especially Milo's. And there is plenty of wry humour, as well as dealing with some big issues. The more unpleasant aspects are told plainly but we're able to look at them head on because we see them through Milo's impartial and child-like gaze. At it's core, this is a book about the quiet injustices and cruelties of every day. About really looking and noticing what is going on around you. And most of all about being able to look at life through new perspectives. As one of the characters says 'miracles happen everyday, but only if you believe, only if you look.'
I can't say that anything in the plot surprised me and this book has the misfortune of coming up against another modern fable, read earlier in the year (A Robot in the Garden) and not coming off best in an unconscious comparison. Occasionally the characters do extremely irritating things and it feels like it is just to be in line with the plot. However this is still a good book with an ultimately satisfying ending and you cannot help but root for Milo.
Highly recommended.
This is a charming modern fable full of big ideas and simple truths. As poor as Milo's eyesight is, it is also an advantage because he has taught himself to compensate by using his other senses and by paying attention. Because he cannot and does not take sight for granted, Milo sees many things that other people do not. Couple that with a child's black and white understanding of right and wrong and you have an unusual 'white knight' on a mission to sort things out.
This has a deftly woven plot - told from several POVs, the main one being Milo's - where every thread eventually weaves into the whole to create a tapestry of rich simplicity. The characters are good, the voice is pretty close to perfect - especially Milo's. And there is plenty of wry humour, as well as dealing with some big issues. The more unpleasant aspects are told plainly but we're able to look at them head on because we see them through Milo's impartial and child-like gaze. At it's core, this is a book about the quiet injustices and cruelties of every day. About really looking and noticing what is going on around you. And most of all about being able to look at life through new perspectives. As one of the characters says 'miracles happen everyday, but only if you believe, only if you look.'
I can't say that anything in the plot surprised me and this book has the misfortune of coming up against another modern fable, read earlier in the year (A Robot in the Garden) and not coming off best in an unconscious comparison. Occasionally the characters do extremely irritating things and it feels like it is just to be in line with the plot. However this is still a good book with an ultimately satisfying ending and you cannot help but root for Milo.
Highly recommended.