Review by helendipietro - Pax

helendipietro 's review for:

Pax by Sara Pennypacker

3.5

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Pax and Peter’s bond will stay with me; this is definitely a memorable book which is told from alternating viewpoints. I’m a huge animal-lover and so I was fully invested, expecting huge things from this story. The quality of the writing is good and I can imagine schools using this one to discuss some difficult themes including the impact of war etc. It’s quite a bleak book but told in a beautiful way.

There were more sad parts than heartwarming parts and I think content warnings are beneficial for younger readers who might find some of this particularly upsetting.

I found the setting to be vague/ confusing and made it difficult for me to picture where they were and what it felt like to be there. Along with an unsatisfying ending, I had to drop another star for that personally!

Content Warnings