Hello there guys!
Things are getting crazy once again because juggling everything with very few days off is complicated and I cannot wait till I get some more days off soon so I can do stuff at the apartment and have time to post a bit more!
Today for Saturday Pages I have two mini reviews for two books that are part of The Midnight Garden Classic MG & YA Readalong Challenge! They're May and July books (because I haven't yet managed to finish June's book...).
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
3.5 stars. The narrative style and Brian's voice threw me a lil bit at first and it took me a while to get used to it and to his stream of consciousness mixed with his narration of current events style of writing. Even when I thought I had managed to get into the book, sometimes an event will jar me out of it because it was a bit difficult to keep events and feelings separate and making sense of both.
But I really liked how he was resourceful but nothing that he did seemed too far-fetched or impossible with some knowledge of basic survival, even if I know I'd fail at starting fire with the hatchet as Brian did!
His small failures and triumphs felt very well balanced but also made you think about for how long can he keep up with his limited supplies and knowledge? Small in a scale, but such a big thing because they could be the difference between life and death.
There was quite a strong message about how very poorly prepared we are to deal with the outdoors and how frail humans are left to their own devices and having to confront wild animals, not even counting the carnivores!
And even if it was a bit obvious, the message about appreciating what we have and thinking about where our food comes from would be a good message for all of us, food doesn't come in neat wrappers at a supermarket only, and we ought to remember what's behind it all!
The Secret of the Mansion by Julie Campbell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was such a fun sweet book! And it reminded me of one of my fave series as a child, The Happy Hollisters! Oh, how I devoured their adventures!
A perfect summer read and even if it'll be a bit of a different read for younger kids these days, given how old timey it can read at times, it was full of charm and reminded me a lot of both very loved books I read when I was Trixie's age and also of the summers of my childhood, that I also spent under very little supervision, safely roaming and playing around in a small village, far from the rest-of-the-year-life-in-the-city!
Trixie was both an endearing and irritating character at the same time, because she was sweet and enthusiastic but could also be a bit too quick to judge and rather prone to act first and think later! Often rash and always determined she was also a very honest and open girl that was the best kind of influence for the very city girl and sheltered Honey (also, that name?).
They both form a team that keeps each other on balance and once they find a very unexpected friend that they want to help and a mysterious inheritance to find. I was expecting a lil bit more of the house mystery but I wasn't really disappointed because the book was full of summer goodness and the mystery was just another part of it!
3.5 stars to this one and I'm curious to give a try to more books in the series, if I can get my hands on them!
View all my reviews
Things are getting crazy once again because juggling everything with very few days off is complicated and I cannot wait till I get some more days off soon so I can do stuff at the apartment and have time to post a bit more!
Today for Saturday Pages I have two mini reviews for two books that are part of The Midnight Garden Classic MG & YA Readalong Challenge! They're May and July books (because I haven't yet managed to finish June's book...).
Hatchet by Gary PaulsenMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
3.5 stars. The narrative style and Brian's voice threw me a lil bit at first and it took me a while to get used to it and to his stream of consciousness mixed with his narration of current events style of writing. Even when I thought I had managed to get into the book, sometimes an event will jar me out of it because it was a bit difficult to keep events and feelings separate and making sense of both.
But I really liked how he was resourceful but nothing that he did seemed too far-fetched or impossible with some knowledge of basic survival, even if I know I'd fail at starting fire with the hatchet as Brian did!
His small failures and triumphs felt very well balanced but also made you think about for how long can he keep up with his limited supplies and knowledge? Small in a scale, but such a big thing because they could be the difference between life and death.
There was quite a strong message about how very poorly prepared we are to deal with the outdoors and how frail humans are left to their own devices and having to confront wild animals, not even counting the carnivores!
And even if it was a bit obvious, the message about appreciating what we have and thinking about where our food comes from would be a good message for all of us, food doesn't come in neat wrappers at a supermarket only, and we ought to remember what's behind it all!
The Secret of the Mansion by Julie CampbellMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was such a fun sweet book! And it reminded me of one of my fave series as a child, The Happy Hollisters! Oh, how I devoured their adventures!
A perfect summer read and even if it'll be a bit of a different read for younger kids these days, given how old timey it can read at times, it was full of charm and reminded me a lot of both very loved books I read when I was Trixie's age and also of the summers of my childhood, that I also spent under very little supervision, safely roaming and playing around in a small village, far from the rest-of-the-year-life-in-the-city!
Trixie was both an endearing and irritating character at the same time, because she was sweet and enthusiastic but could also be a bit too quick to judge and rather prone to act first and think later! Often rash and always determined she was also a very honest and open girl that was the best kind of influence for the very city girl and sheltered Honey (also, that name?).
They both form a team that keeps each other on balance and once they find a very unexpected friend that they want to help and a mysterious inheritance to find. I was expecting a lil bit more of the house mystery but I wasn't really disappointed because the book was full of summer goodness and the mystery was just another part of it!
3.5 stars to this one and I'm curious to give a try to more books in the series, if I can get my hands on them!
View all my reviews
I think I read Hatchet, a million years ago! Hopefully I'm thinking of the same book o.O It was a loooong time ago, back when I was in the single-digit years. In any case, it doesn't matter, because I remember very little of the book! But oh, the nostalgia. I'm glad you liked it - and this other book you reviewed as well! :D
ReplyDeleteAlyssa @ The Eater of Books!
It's probably the same one, since it's a very old book! I'm quite enjoying discovering all these classics I missed!
DeleteI wouldn't immediately have thought Hatchet was a MG novel, but it's great that Brian was focused on survival throughout. Definitely an interesting premise and it sounds like it was done well! The Secret of the Mansion sounds really charming, with Trixie's enthusiasm and everything. The friendship and mystery sound like a driving force of the book! Lovely reviews hun!
ReplyDeleteBoth were very interesting reads in their own ways! Thank you Jeann!
DeleteOh yeah, Hatchet is great for reminding you (and when I say "you" I mean "me") that survival in the wild would be close to impossible. (I could not even start a fire. I would have lost it at the porcupine episode).
ReplyDeleteAnd yessss times a million re: Trixie's character. She's a lovely human but she does rush into things without thinking and luckily, everyone is mostly alive and well at the end of the book, but man, so many of those episodes could have been disastrous for her. How she manages to escape death as much as she does is beyond me, really.
Trixie only survives because she's fictional I'm sure, no one in real life is so lucky! ;)
DeleteThank you for visiting the blog Layla!
Gorgeous reviews Pili :D Thank you for sharing your thoughts about these two books. <3 I don't think they would be for me, though I do like that you are enjoying reading so many classics :D Though I had never heard of any of them, lol. But then, I'm 22, and I didn't read much as a child :p But anyway. Love your thoughts on them :)
ReplyDeleteThank you sweetie! I missed so many classics in English as a child!
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