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becca_osborn
NOTE: I am reading these for the first time as an adult.
I really liked hearing about Almanzo's life, and I'm interested to see how he and Laura end up meeting! I also liked the tone/pacing of this book a lot better. The first two books were slow, IMHO, but this one really picked up the pace.
I really liked hearing about Almanzo's life, and I'm interested to see how he and Laura end up meeting! I also liked the tone/pacing of this book a lot better. The first two books were slow, IMHO, but this one really picked up the pace.
I can't remember who recommended this book to me, but I am forever grateful - it was definitely one of those "right books at the right time" situations.
Coriander records the story not only of how her parents met and the mystery of her mother, but also about the discovery of the silver shoes that changed everything. Gardner uses fantasy combined with a unique time period to weave a beautiful story about what happens when the world changes in an instant and all seems to be lost. This story is about courage in unlikely places, coming into one's own, and the power of a good group of friends in your corner.
Note: I first read this book near the end of the 2016 US election, and it fit my worries and fears for my country perfectly. I could feel the fear of how the world could change in an instant.
I hope to read more by Sally Gardner. Though the writing in this particular novel was a little confusing at times (but I think this was purposeful, and I thought it still flowed well), I was captivated by her style and her crazy-vivid imagery.
Pairings: Book of Lost Things, Poisonwood Bible, The Awakening,
Coriander records the story not only of how her parents met and the mystery of her mother, but also about the discovery of the silver shoes that changed everything. Gardner uses fantasy combined with a unique time period to weave a beautiful story about what happens when the world changes in an instant and all seems to be lost. This story is about courage in unlikely places, coming into one's own, and the power of a good group of friends in your corner.
Note: I first read this book near the end of the 2016 US election, and it fit my worries and fears for my country perfectly. I could feel the fear of how the world could change in an instant.
I hope to read more by Sally Gardner. Though the writing in this particular novel was a little confusing at times (but I think this was purposeful, and I thought it still flowed well), I was captivated by her style and her crazy-vivid imagery.
Pairings: Book of Lost Things, Poisonwood Bible, The Awakening,
The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook: Practical DBT Exercises for Learning Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation, and Distress Tolerance
Jeffrey Brantley, Jeffrey C. Wood, Matthew McKay
The fourth book in The Giver Quartet series takes us back to the village where we first met Jonas. We meet Claire, a young birthmother in the society, and we see an "average person" perspective of the village. We get a lot of answers to the questions we had about the society, and Son does a great job of tying the other three villages together.
SPOILER POINTS:
-It's been awhile since I read "Gathering Blue," but I wanted to know more about Kira's escape. This is probably addressed in the book and I just don't remember.
-The middle was by far my favourite part of the book. Claire's journey through the water and training, (which I thought wasn't explained well, but IMHO, this was a literary device) along with the fascinating, subtle love story between her and Einar were well-written and kept me reading. Lowry paints a beautiful, compassionate-yet-empowering picture of those with special needs.
-One of the two weaknesses I found: I'm not sure if I bought the Trademaster's standoff and defeat. I wanted Gabe to wrestle with his trade more, and I thought the Trademaster would know what Gabe's desire really was. I liked her personification of Evil–she nailed Evil's hunger–but ultimately, it seemed the last few pages were done in a rush. I was also skeptical that Gabe believed Jonas and the Schoolmaster's testimonies about the Trademaster so quickly when he seemed more ambivalent at first...however, since the book was already long, I can see why this is the part she/the editor chose to cut.
-The other weakness was more personal: I don't like "wrapped in a bow" endings. "Beyond" felt like a rush to tie all the ends. One of my favourite things about The Giver was not knowing whether Jonas and Gabe survive, and I'm pretty sure I was assigned an essay to write my opinion. However, I like that Lowry gave us insight into those of us who were more hopeful–that they did survive–but this ending, though fantastic (meaning good and veering into fantasy - no pun on "veering" intended! ;)), feels a little too neat. I was also skeptical that Jonas would lose his "powers" around age 25-30 (I think that's how old he was supposed to be).
That being said, Lowry is still an amazing writer, and this was a fantastic conclusion to an already amazing series. She personified hope in darkness, hope amidst adversity–and made it accessible to children. Her story was fantastic, and to my surprise, I completely lost it at the last sentence (I don't really have maternal instincts, so this was unusual). I'm so thankful for her contribution to literature, and I'd love to have a cup of tea with her sometime. <3
I'd love to read this with a junior high English class sometime!
Pairings: any other dystopia, The Ocean at the End of the Lane.
SPOILER POINTS:
-It's been awhile since I read "Gathering Blue," but I wanted to know more about Kira's escape. This is probably addressed in the book and I just don't remember.
-The middle was by far my favourite part of the book. Claire's journey through the water and training, (which I thought wasn't explained well, but IMHO, this was a literary device) along with the fascinating, subtle love story between her and Einar were well-written and kept me reading. Lowry paints a beautiful, compassionate-yet-empowering picture of those with special needs.
-One of the two weaknesses I found: I'm not sure if I bought the Trademaster's standoff and defeat. I wanted Gabe to wrestle with his trade more, and I thought the Trademaster would know what Gabe's desire really was. I liked her personification of Evil–she nailed Evil's hunger–but ultimately, it seemed the last few pages were done in a rush. I was also skeptical that Gabe believed Jonas and the Schoolmaster's testimonies about the Trademaster so quickly when he seemed more ambivalent at first...however, since the book was already long, I can see why this is the part she/the editor chose to cut.
-The other weakness was more personal: I don't like "wrapped in a bow" endings. "Beyond" felt like a rush to tie all the ends. One of my favourite things about The Giver was not knowing whether Jonas and Gabe survive, and I'm pretty sure I was assigned an essay to write my opinion. However, I like that Lowry gave us insight into those of us who were more hopeful–that they did survive–but this ending, though fantastic (meaning good and veering into fantasy - no pun on "veering" intended! ;)), feels a little too neat. I was also skeptical that Jonas would lose his "powers" around age 25-30 (I think that's how old he was supposed to be).
That being said, Lowry is still an amazing writer, and this was a fantastic conclusion to an already amazing series. She personified hope in darkness, hope amidst adversity–and made it accessible to children. Her story was fantastic, and to my surprise, I completely lost it at the last sentence (I don't really have maternal instincts, so this was unusual). I'm so thankful for her contribution to literature, and I'd love to have a cup of tea with her sometime. <3
I'd love to read this with a junior high English class sometime!
Pairings: any other dystopia, The Ocean at the End of the Lane.
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