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A review by czarmorte
A Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin
3.0
A Corner of the Unvierse moved me. It's set in the 1960s from the perspective of 12-year-old Hattie Owen. The introduction is especially good, I think, as it made me feel for poor Hattie and her loss.
While my Uncle and Aunt were not hidden from me in my childhood, I didn't know something was wrong with until my late teens. On that side of the family I have three Uncles and two Aunts; plus a history of divorce. I will refer to them as my Uncle J and my Aunt B. They both had bipolar disorder that didn't show up until later in their life. It ruined my Aunt B's marriage and alienated her from her two children. My Uncle J also had marriage problems (he's been married twice, now divorced) but unlike my Aunt B he never really took medication to help him. He believed that the "highs would get him through the lows," and has hurt a lot of people around him. We just have to take a deep breath and remember that it's not their fault.
Adam's issues are different, but having someone wih a mental disability in the family is still pretty trying. Don't get me wrong, I love my Uncle J and Aunt B a lot, but they try my patience like no other.
I really like how Hattie questions why Adam was kept hidden from her, when did her Mom last see her brother before him coming to live with them, and if a person exists if they aren't mentioned. She is very much a twelve year old, but a wise one at that. I like how she goes on to thin, "Now that is really something to think about," (p. 34) when she realizes that her Mom grew up with her grandparents. She's really glad she doesn't live with them herself, but I laughed out loud when I read that.
This is an easy, enjoyable 189 pages to read on a lazy afternoon.
The level of writing is not much of challenge to read, but I think that fits the context of it being from a twelve year old's point-of-view.
While my Uncle and Aunt were not hidden from me in my childhood, I didn't know something was wrong with until my late teens. On that side of the family I have three Uncles and two Aunts; plus a history of divorce. I will refer to them as my Uncle J and my Aunt B. They both had bipolar disorder that didn't show up until later in their life. It ruined my Aunt B's marriage and alienated her from her two children. My Uncle J also had marriage problems (he's been married twice, now divorced) but unlike my Aunt B he never really took medication to help him. He believed that the "highs would get him through the lows," and has hurt a lot of people around him. We just have to take a deep breath and remember that it's not their fault.
Adam's issues are different, but having someone wih a mental disability in the family is still pretty trying. Don't get me wrong, I love my Uncle J and Aunt B a lot, but they try my patience like no other.
I really like how Hattie questions why Adam was kept hidden from her, when did her Mom last see her brother before him coming to live with them, and if a person exists if they aren't mentioned. She is very much a twelve year old, but a wise one at that. I like how she goes on to thin, "Now that is really something to think about," (p. 34) when she realizes that her Mom grew up with her grandparents. She's really glad she doesn't live with them herself, but I laughed out loud when I read that.
This is an easy, enjoyable 189 pages to read on a lazy afternoon.
The level of writing is not much of challenge to read, but I think that fits the context of it being from a twelve year old's point-of-view.