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A review by namedines
Com os Olhos do Coração by Virginia Macgregor
3.0
What Milo Saw by Virginia Mcgregor
3.5 stars
This was such a lovely and moving book! And, though I was able to sort of figure out where the story was going, it was, nonetheless, an enjoyable read, that kept me entertained, and it still managed to have some surprising features.
Nine-year-old Milo has retinitis pigmentosa: his eyes are slowly failing and he will eventually go blind. But for now he sees the world through a pin hole and notices things other people don't. When Milo's beloved ninety-two-year-old great grandmother (who he calls Gran) succumbs to dementia and moves into a nursing home, Milo soon realises there's something wrong at the home. The grown-ups won’t listen when he tries to tell them, so with some friends to help, Milo sets out on a mission to expose the nursing home.
One of the main focus of this book is the nursing home and its residents, as well as Milo's relationship with his Gran, Lou.
It tackles what I like to believe only happens with some nursing homes, because it's needed to keep in mind that, sometimes, they're the only and best opinion. That being said, I do think, even with what was happening, the writing was respectfully, and, for that reason, I did really like that each resident of the nursing home had their own individual personality.
As someone whose grandmothers are older than others I know, and with whom I don't have a really close and affectionate relationship, it was extremely charming to read about Milo and his Gran's one. So sweet and pure, Milo has this sort of extreme need to take care of her, that is absolutely incredible to read about.
I felt like there was respect in the way Milo's disability was written and addressed throughout the story. He was aware of his struggles and we (readers) were exposed to such, but it never stopped him from living and doing whatever he wanted to do.
However, I don't know to what extent Milo was a believable nine-year-old boy. Maybe, I no longer remember nor know how kids behave. He seemed too expeditious to a child, especially with his eye problem, because he always walked from one place to the other alone, without adult supervision. Also, his perseverance and the extreme need to take care of his Gran seemed, to me, too much. I mean, it shouldn't be his job. He's just a kid, he should play and be with people of his age, which was something we didn't get to see.
My favorite aspect of this book, and the one that surprised me the most, was the character of Tripi, a Syrian refugee who is looking for his sister who got lost when they were escaping their country. It was so interesting to read about, and it’s a strong feature that definitely adds a new layer and dimension to the book and the story.
There's also Sandy, Milo's mother, which brings some more adult life issues, like financial struggles or the spilt of the family.
The book is all written in third person, but, throughout it, we get the perspectives of Milo, Lou, Tripi and Sandy. These multiple points of view help us understand the story of all the characters and their view on what's happening. If it only had Milo's perspective, it wouldn't have the depth that the adults' ones bring. They're the various sides of the story. A character leads us to believe that an event happened a certain way, but with the different perspectives we get the full picture. Thus contributes to the multidimensionality of the intervening characters.
The ending is satisfying; everything is all nicely wrapped up and all the characters get what you wished for them and expected . Recently, I've actually been growing to really enjoy this sort of writing formula for the ending where we get to see sort of the characters’ future. It conveys that feeling of remaning with them, even after the story itself is over, because we continue to know about their lives.
3.5 stars
This was such a lovely and moving book! And, though I was able to sort of figure out where the story was going, it was, nonetheless, an enjoyable read, that kept me entertained, and it still managed to have some surprising features.
"Milo curled his thumb and forefinger together to make a small hole and held his fingers up to Al’s eyes. 'Look through here. That’s what I see. Kind of, only worse.'
'Wow, that must be amazing.'
Milo shrugged. 'Not really.'
'I mean, it makes you focus, doesn’t it? I bet you see all kinds of stuff that other people miss.'"
Nine-year-old Milo has retinitis pigmentosa: his eyes are slowly failing and he will eventually go blind. But for now he sees the world through a pin hole and notices things other people don't. When Milo's beloved ninety-two-year-old great grandmother (who he calls Gran) succumbs to dementia and moves into a nursing home, Milo soon realises there's something wrong at the home. The grown-ups won’t listen when he tries to tell them, so with some friends to help, Milo sets out on a mission to expose the nursing home.
One of the main focus of this book is the nursing home and its residents, as well as Milo's relationship with his Gran, Lou.
It tackles what I like to believe only happens with some nursing homes, because it's needed to keep in mind that, sometimes, they're the only and best opinion. That being said, I do think, even with what was happening, the writing was respectfully, and, for that reason, I did really like that each resident of the nursing home had their own individual personality.
As someone whose grandmothers are older than others I know, and with whom I don't have a really close and affectionate relationship, it was extremely charming to read about Milo and his Gran's one. So sweet and pure, Milo has this sort of extreme need to take care of her, that is absolutely incredible to read about.
I felt like there was respect in the way Milo's disability was written and addressed throughout the story. He was aware of his struggles and we (readers) were exposed to such, but it never stopped him from living and doing whatever he wanted to do.
However, I don't know to what extent Milo was a believable nine-year-old boy. Maybe, I no longer remember nor know how kids behave. He seemed too expeditious to a child, especially with his eye problem, because he always walked from one place to the other alone, without adult supervision. Also, his perseverance and the extreme need to take care of his Gran seemed, to me, too much. I mean, it shouldn't be his job. He's just a kid, he should play and be with people of his age, which was something we didn't get to see.
"'I’m not a kid, you know,' said Milo, standing up.
'Of course not. That’s why you’re going to do the adult thing and go home – you are going to go the extra mile.'
'The extra mile?'
'Make an effort.'"
My favorite aspect of this book, and the one that surprised me the most, was the character of Tripi, a Syrian refugee who is looking for his sister who got lost when they were escaping their country. It was so interesting to read about, and it’s a strong feature that definitely adds a new layer and dimension to the book and the story.
There's also Sandy, Milo's mother, which brings some more adult life issues, like financial struggles or the spilt of the family.
The book is all written in third person, but, throughout it, we get the perspectives of Milo, Lou, Tripi and Sandy. These multiple points of view help us understand the story of all the characters and their view on what's happening. If it only had Milo's perspective, it wouldn't have the depth that the adults' ones bring. They're the various sides of the story. A character leads us to believe that an event happened a certain way, but with the different perspectives we get the full picture. Thus contributes to the multidimensionality of the intervening characters.
The ending is satisfying; everything is all nicely wrapped up and all the characters get what you wished for them and expected . Recently, I've actually been growing to really enjoy this sort of writing formula for the ending where we get to see sort of the characters’ future. It conveys that feeling of remaning with them, even after the story itself is over, because we continue to know about their lives.
"As Milo shifted his head and focused in on the images through the small 'O' of his vision, he felt kind of lucky that he didn’t have to see it all. At least he only got a bit of the grey sky and the grey pavements and the grey leafless trees. People who saw everything at once must feel drowned by the world. All Milo had to do was to move his head and focus on something else and pretend the bad bits weren’t there."