Scan barcode
A review by timnuoa
Cog by Greg Van Eekhout
5.0
What a fresh, unique, and utterly charming book. It handles some seriously heavy stuff with a deft touch, taking on themes of freedom, autonomy, obedience, purpose, and a few other things I don't want to spoil. The pacing is strong, the story is exciting, and it quickly establishes a great group of characters with a really fun dynamic.
The plot gets moved along at several points by some very convenient happenstance, and the book does stray into didactic territory in a handful of spots, but it's so good on balance that I wasn't bothered at all.
This is exactly what I'm looking for from a middle grades book: it has real substance without sacrificing an ounce of fun, tackles big issues in a way that will be both relatable to kids and push their thinking, and made me laugh out loud numerous times.
I'm excited to add it to my (6th grade) classroom shelf, and I'm already trying to think through how to build a unit around reading it aloud. Read it!
The plot gets moved along at several points by some very convenient happenstance, and the book does stray into didactic territory in a handful of spots, but it's so good on balance that I wasn't bothered at all.
This is exactly what I'm looking for from a middle grades book: it has real substance without sacrificing an ounce of fun, tackles big issues in a way that will be both relatable to kids and push their thinking, and made me laugh out loud numerous times.
I'm excited to add it to my (6th grade) classroom shelf, and I'm already trying to think through how to build a unit around reading it aloud. Read it!