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A review by leighryks
The Kite Rider by Geraldine McCaughrean
4.0
I’m giving this four stars with a bit a reservation.
I purchased this as an audiobook sometime ago. I’m quite sure the I purchased for ME to listen to with the impression that it was a YA novel. I’ve found that I prefer my listening material to have much less explicit sex and violence than what I might be fine with in a text format. I expected this story to be about a teenager and written for teenagers. However, I feel that this novel is more suitable for children probably in the late elementary age if they were reading it themselves. In fact, part of the reason I am giving it four stars is that there is a strong possibility I will listen to it again--with my six year old.
With that in mind, I will note that Hanyou’s father does die at the beginning of the novel. However, while it was a somewhat bizarre death, I did not find it anymore gruesome than the parental deaths found at the beginning of many Disney movies. In fact, the set-up had a very Disney-like aspect to it, with the father’s death providing the introductions of the Evil Stepfather type figure(s) and the motivation to Hanyou to start his adventure. While there is some violent action, I never felt that it was overly graphic. He is beaten and put in danger--but not in graphic detail. And again, this is really nothing worse or more disturbing than anything done to Cinderella or Harry Potter. There is really no sexual content at all except some barest hints that an adult would read between the lines.
In a tale full of man-carrying kites, Monguls, mediums and secret princes, the hardest thing I had believing was Hanyou’s age. I strongly recommend that anyone planning to listen or read it just ignore it when it is mentioned (briefly). You will know his age by how he acts and how he is treated--my guess is somewhere between 7 and 10. And, even for that, he is a bit dense. He is treated as a child through out, and I believe remains a child at the end though I can see that he has become more mature and worldly. The audiobook version that I listened to was multi-cast production and reinforced this further by using a child’s voice for him.
I did think that the book had some interesting things to say about tolerance and blind obedience. Though blind obedience is not something that applies to anyone in my household, including the dog, I would be curious to know what my son would think especially in the the context of this story. I would also like to hear what his thinks of Hanyou flying even though he is very frightened and made sick and see whether my son has anymore insight into the other characters actions than Hanyou does. (I hope so.)
And it was a good adventure tale set in a strange land. I think the Falcon would find it interesting and exciting. So, don’t be surprised to see this return to the “currently reading list” maybe while on a summer road trip.
I purchased this as an audiobook sometime ago. I’m quite sure the I purchased for ME to listen to with the impression that it was a YA novel. I’ve found that I prefer my listening material to have much less explicit sex and violence than what I might be fine with in a text format. I expected this story to be about a teenager and written for teenagers. However, I feel that this novel is more suitable for children probably in the late elementary age if they were reading it themselves. In fact, part of the reason I am giving it four stars is that there is a strong possibility I will listen to it again--with my six year old.
With that in mind, I will note that Hanyou’s father does die at the beginning of the novel. However, while it was a somewhat bizarre death, I did not find it anymore gruesome than the parental deaths found at the beginning of many Disney movies. In fact, the set-up had a very Disney-like aspect to it, with the father’s death providing the introductions of the Evil Stepfather type figure(s) and the motivation to Hanyou to start his adventure. While there is some violent action, I never felt that it was overly graphic. He is beaten and put in danger--but not in graphic detail. And again, this is really nothing worse or more disturbing than anything done to Cinderella or Harry Potter. There is really no sexual content at all except some barest hints that an adult would read between the lines.
In a tale full of man-carrying kites, Monguls, mediums and secret princes, the hardest thing I had believing was Hanyou’s age. I strongly recommend that anyone planning to listen or read it just ignore it when it is mentioned (briefly). You will know his age by how he acts and how he is treated--my guess is somewhere between 7 and 10. And, even for that, he is a bit dense. He is treated as a child through out, and I believe remains a child at the end though I can see that he has become more mature and worldly. The audiobook version that I listened to was multi-cast production and reinforced this further by using a child’s voice for him.
I did think that the book had some interesting things to say about tolerance and blind obedience. Though blind obedience is not something that applies to anyone in my household, including the dog, I would be curious to know what my son would think especially in the the context of this story. I would also like to hear what his thinks of Hanyou flying even though he is very frightened and made sick and see whether my son has anymore insight into the other characters actions than Hanyou does. (I hope so.)
And it was a good adventure tale set in a strange land. I think the Falcon would find it interesting and exciting. So, don’t be surprised to see this return to the “currently reading list” maybe while on a summer road trip.