Scan barcode
A review by michellewords
The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm by Nancy Farmer
2.0
Some books are books to be reread and some are made to stay in fond childhood memory. The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm should have stayed in memory.
I remember the book as something wonderful and hilarious. This time around, it felt corny and disjointed. I didn't fully grasp the point until page 200.
General Matsika's three children seek an adventure outside their highly modern and over bearing home and travel through a metaphoric time line.
The are first captured by the She Elephant and her vlei people in a trash land, mining plastic and garbage from the past with no technology to speak and slave labor is abundant.
Then they find themselves at a primitive reserve void of modern conveniences with a small tribe of people. This society is built on the past, featuring farms and the women are treated as secondary citizens doing most of the work.
Next they are captured by the Mellower's mother in search of a reward from the general. Her home has a few modern inventions but she treats the animals in the home better than the children.
Finally they are recaptured and taken to the street gang of the Man's to be sacrificed to some mask like diety.
While all of this is happening. Three genetically enhanced detectives ( Ear, Eye, and Arm) are hired to find the children. They are the comedic relief through the book doing silly things with their support senses on the path to the children.
When I was 10, I loved this book. I laughed a lot and loved the detectives, but such love doesn't linger into adulthood. I should have left the fond memory where it was. Read this book to your kids, it will be fun, but maybe skip it on your solo time.
I remember the book as something wonderful and hilarious. This time around, it felt corny and disjointed. I didn't fully grasp the point until page 200.
General Matsika's three children seek an adventure outside their highly modern and over bearing home and travel through a metaphoric time line.
The are first captured by the She Elephant and her vlei people in a trash land, mining plastic and garbage from the past with no technology to speak and slave labor is abundant.
Then they find themselves at a primitive reserve void of modern conveniences with a small tribe of people. This society is built on the past, featuring farms and the women are treated as secondary citizens doing most of the work.
Next they are captured by the Mellower's mother in search of a reward from the general. Her home has a few modern inventions but she treats the animals in the home better than the children.
Finally they are recaptured and taken to the street gang of the Man's to be sacrificed to some mask like diety.
While all of this is happening. Three genetically enhanced detectives ( Ear, Eye, and Arm) are hired to find the children. They are the comedic relief through the book doing silly things with their support senses on the path to the children.
When I was 10, I loved this book. I laughed a lot and loved the detectives, but such love doesn't linger into adulthood. I should have left the fond memory where it was. Read this book to your kids, it will be fun, but maybe skip it on your solo time.