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jenbsbooks 's review for:
How to Stay Invisible
by Maggie C. Rudd
I am trying to get some "eye reading" in, and this book didn't have audio, so that was really my only option. It took me a few days to get through, and it was dragging a bit in the end. Perhaps part of the problem is that [book:And Then, Boom!|195888819] was a recent read, and it had so many similarities (young boy abandoned by parents to survive on his own. Contemporary, so still going to school, getting the free breakfast/lunch there. Dumpster diving. Starving. Dog companion. Wanting to avoid social services). Boom was a little more unique (and quick, and memorable) with it's verse set-up, and I think this book suffered a bit in comparison.
Here, there was a little more "survival" in the woods. Fishing and fires and a wild coyote. Despite the days being "normal" at school, this was a little reminiscent of Hatchet (by Gary Paulsen) which is a family favorite. I laughed a little when Raymond checked Hatchet out of the school library.
I struggled a bit with the coyote ... it seemed more like a dog. Would a wild animal be as tame as Hank was? Another recent read was [book:The Tiger Rising|37187] and unfortunately, there was some similarity to that in the end.
The blurb mentions this could be "My Side of the Mountain" meets "How to Steal a Dog" ... I haven't read either of those, although I have heard of the former. I will put them on my list, but I think I need a break from "kid trying to survive" stories. Who knew my #middlegradeMay would be SO tragic?
I did have a couple highlight/notes ....
*It was easier to choose to be alone, rather than have someone force it on you.
*Sometimes there are worse things than being alone.
*** he wished he had an axe, or even a hatchet (aren't they really about the same thing? Hatchet is a small axe). How did he open the cans? I guess they could have been pop-top? There were two "let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding" (this IS a thing, but it's also being mocked in a few Facebook groups, it's in a LOT of books). "racked" his brain ... I think it's written "wracked" most of the time? Caught a "brim" ... is that a fish? I even Googled and it wasn't obvious, just seems obscure, maybe use something more known?
Words I note: riffled, cacophony
Here, there was a little more "survival" in the woods. Fishing and fires and a wild coyote. Despite the days being "normal" at school, this was a little reminiscent of Hatchet (by Gary Paulsen) which is a family favorite. I laughed a little when Raymond checked Hatchet out of the school library.
I struggled a bit with the coyote ... it seemed more like a dog. Would a wild animal be as tame as Hank was? Another recent read was [book:The Tiger Rising|37187] and unfortunately, there was some similarity to that in the end.
The blurb mentions this could be "My Side of the Mountain" meets "How to Steal a Dog" ... I haven't read either of those, although I have heard of the former. I will put them on my list, but I think I need a break from "kid trying to survive" stories. Who knew my #middlegradeMay would be SO tragic?
I did have a couple highlight/notes ....
*It was easier to choose to be alone, rather than have someone force it on you.
*Sometimes there are worse things than being alone.
*** he wished he had an axe, or even a hatchet (aren't they really about the same thing? Hatchet is a small axe). How did he open the cans? I guess they could have been pop-top? There were two "let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding" (this IS a thing, but it's also being mocked in a few Facebook groups, it's in a LOT of books). "racked" his brain ... I think it's written "wracked" most of the time? Caught a "brim" ... is that a fish? I even Googled and it wasn't obvious, just seems obscure, maybe use something more known?
Words I note: riffled, cacophony