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You will never be too old to read a Roald Dahl book!
I really enjoyed this book, it was funny but also sad at times.
Matilda is a young girl of 5 who is ignored and not really wanted by her family, she is very different from them, her father a used car salesman and a dodgy one at that, a mum who plays bingo, self obsessed and dishes up microwavable meals. Matilda has a thirst for knowledge and unknown to her parents she takes herself to the local library and teaches herself to read. Once she has devoured the children’s section she starts on adult books. At 5 years old Matilda has read probably more fiction than most adults.
She is finally sent to school and befriends Lavender and also captivates the heart of her teacher Miss Honey, however school is not all rosy as Matilda was hoping, there is a nasty headteacher called Miss Trunchball, an ex-olympian for the hammer throw, she has a low tolerance for children and practices with some of them.
Me and my daughter both thoroughly enjoyed this book and the favorite scene has to be with Bruce Bogtrotter and the chocolate cake. I love with Roald Dahl books is that the horrible characters i.e Miss Truchball get their comeuppence. The relationship between Miss Honey and Matilda is so lovely, they have such great outlooks on life even though they have been treated fairly poorly as children. Miss Honey is a very gentle character with a lot of love to give, as soon as she realises that Matilda is a gifted child she wants to help her with her studies and get her the level of education that she requires.
The only thing that let this book down was near the end when she is able to use her powers and the fact that her parents are leaving, it didn’t explain why they were leaving and her use of powers was very rushed.
I would have to say on this instance that I do find the movie adaptation to be better than the book, I think it is explained better and not as rushed, however saying that, in the book I found it interesting to read how she felt when using her powers. My Daughter who is 8 really enjoyed this book, she really enjoyed Miss Trunchball and as there is a lot of dialogue in the book, she was reading aloud with a nasty voice.
I really enjoyed this book, it was funny but also sad at times.
Matilda is a young girl of 5 who is ignored and not really wanted by her family, she is very different from them, her father a used car salesman and a dodgy one at that, a mum who plays bingo, self obsessed and dishes up microwavable meals. Matilda has a thirst for knowledge and unknown to her parents she takes herself to the local library and teaches herself to read. Once she has devoured the children’s section she starts on adult books. At 5 years old Matilda has read probably more fiction than most adults.
She is finally sent to school and befriends Lavender and also captivates the heart of her teacher Miss Honey, however school is not all rosy as Matilda was hoping, there is a nasty headteacher called Miss Trunchball, an ex-olympian for the hammer throw, she has a low tolerance for children and practices with some of them.
Me and my daughter both thoroughly enjoyed this book and the favorite scene has to be with Bruce Bogtrotter and the chocolate cake. I love with Roald Dahl books is that the horrible characters i.e Miss Truchball get their comeuppence. The relationship between Miss Honey and Matilda is so lovely, they have such great outlooks on life even though they have been treated fairly poorly as children. Miss Honey is a very gentle character with a lot of love to give, as soon as she realises that Matilda is a gifted child she wants to help her with her studies and get her the level of education that she requires.
The only thing that let this book down was near the end when she is able to use her powers and the fact that her parents are leaving, it didn’t explain why they were leaving and her use of powers was very rushed.
I would have to say on this instance that I do find the movie adaptation to be better than the book, I think it is explained better and not as rushed, however saying that, in the book I found it interesting to read how she felt when using her powers. My Daughter who is 8 really enjoyed this book, she really enjoyed Miss Trunchball and as there is a lot of dialogue in the book, she was reading aloud with a nasty voice.
Darren (1599 KP) rated A Monster Calls (2016) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story – The story here is clear for everyone watching, this is one family a son, mother, grandmother and dad dealing with the impending death of a loved one. We get to see how Conor the son deals with everything in his own way that means he doesn’t get punished for anything, we get to see how the mother must stay strong for her son until the very end and how the grandmother must deal with the upcoming death of her daughter while being the only one there for grandson. This will make you cry it is as simple as that because his is one of the hardest hitting emotional punches you will ever receive.
Fantasy – We are thrown into a fantasy world that Conor creates to help him deal with the tragic events that are happening within his life, we are left to decide for ourselves which side of the story is real or not with the fantasy element too.
Characters/Performance – Conor is a character that we could see in so many situations when a parent is terminally ill, he struggles to find his place when he knows his future but can’t face it. When we look at the adults we get to see the struggling mother with her health, the father who isn’t around and the grandmother who doesn’t really know how to act because she will be losing her daughter but needing to be strong for her grandson. The tree monster is a great character in its own right, even if it is created to help Conor deal with the problems in his life.
When you look at the performance youngest Lewis MacDougall is brilliant in this role going through the full range of emotions while the bigger name actors let him take the centre stage.
Settings – The settings used make us feel like this is just a normal family that has had to deal with its ups and downs but now it will be taking on the biggest down. We don’t get any iconic settings but we get everything we need to feel the pain the characters go through.
Special Effects – The special effects here are brilliant making us fully believe there is in fact a monster with Conor helping him through this difficult time.
Final Thoughts – This is easily one of the most heart-breaking films of the year but shows just how difficult the situation would be for a young boy.
Overall: Bring your tissues to this film that will leave you emotional exhausted by the end.
https://moviesreview101.com/2017/01/26/a-monster-calls-2016/
Fantasy – We are thrown into a fantasy world that Conor creates to help him deal with the tragic events that are happening within his life, we are left to decide for ourselves which side of the story is real or not with the fantasy element too.
Characters/Performance – Conor is a character that we could see in so many situations when a parent is terminally ill, he struggles to find his place when he knows his future but can’t face it. When we look at the adults we get to see the struggling mother with her health, the father who isn’t around and the grandmother who doesn’t really know how to act because she will be losing her daughter but needing to be strong for her grandson. The tree monster is a great character in its own right, even if it is created to help Conor deal with the problems in his life.
When you look at the performance youngest Lewis MacDougall is brilliant in this role going through the full range of emotions while the bigger name actors let him take the centre stage.
Settings – The settings used make us feel like this is just a normal family that has had to deal with its ups and downs but now it will be taking on the biggest down. We don’t get any iconic settings but we get everything we need to feel the pain the characters go through.
Special Effects – The special effects here are brilliant making us fully believe there is in fact a monster with Conor helping him through this difficult time.
Final Thoughts – This is easily one of the most heart-breaking films of the year but shows just how difficult the situation would be for a young boy.
Overall: Bring your tissues to this film that will leave you emotional exhausted by the end.
https://moviesreview101.com/2017/01/26/a-monster-calls-2016/
EmersonRose (320 KP) rated Hinterland Fortress (Conquest of The Evermore #1) in Books
Nov 20, 2019
“Rhyal was sitting in a wagon. She wriggled her nose. The stench awoke her from her meditation. She opened her eyes to see Ender snoring away. She sensed and knew where she was now. She peered out of the canvas covering to see the dark mountains of Grund Morr. It would be the last known feature she’d see as they passed through the Evermire swampland.”
Conquest of the Evermire: 1. Hinterland Fortress is the first book in the Conquest of the Evermire series by author Ron Smorynski, author of the series Alfred and Knight of the Dead. (See the end of this review for links to reviews of all of those books as well). The novella follows adoptive siblings Rhyal, an elf, and Ender, a human. The two are on a journey to see the world outside of the elven havens. They have heard the stories and myths connected to Evermire, of treasure and glory, and decided to see it for themselves.
The book combines together a lot of my favorite fantasy things. An exciting adventure, interesting renditions of classic magical beings, strong bonds of friendship or family, a well-built world, and a lot of fun and quirky side characters. I found myself very drawn to the connection between Rhyal and Ender, their close bond already formed at the beginning of the book is engaging. I also really appreciated that, while they are trained and talented fighters, they acknowledge the difference physically and mentally in fighting in real life vs. practice. This added some realism and made the fighting more interesting to follow. My favorite side character in the book was Ligo. He is a fun, quirky, snarky gone with very big dreams. He added the lightness that this book needed to balance the dark setting and fights to the death.
What this novella really does is serve as an exciting set-up to the adventure. The book allows us to get to know some of the characters, learn a bit about the Evermire, but perhaps most importantly plant the seeds of several intriguing questions. I know just want to learn more about Rhyal and Ender’s pasts, more about the magic system, what is really hidden in the depth of the Evermire… This was an exciting start to a fun adventure that I look forward to continuing in the sequel: Conquest of the Evermire: 2. The Church.
The book is great for young adults as it is not unnecessarily dark or gory. I thought that this book was really fun and I am excited to see where it goes next!
Conquest of the Evermire: 1. Hinterland Fortress is the first book in the Conquest of the Evermire series by author Ron Smorynski, author of the series Alfred and Knight of the Dead. (See the end of this review for links to reviews of all of those books as well). The novella follows adoptive siblings Rhyal, an elf, and Ender, a human. The two are on a journey to see the world outside of the elven havens. They have heard the stories and myths connected to Evermire, of treasure and glory, and decided to see it for themselves.
The book combines together a lot of my favorite fantasy things. An exciting adventure, interesting renditions of classic magical beings, strong bonds of friendship or family, a well-built world, and a lot of fun and quirky side characters. I found myself very drawn to the connection between Rhyal and Ender, their close bond already formed at the beginning of the book is engaging. I also really appreciated that, while they are trained and talented fighters, they acknowledge the difference physically and mentally in fighting in real life vs. practice. This added some realism and made the fighting more interesting to follow. My favorite side character in the book was Ligo. He is a fun, quirky, snarky gone with very big dreams. He added the lightness that this book needed to balance the dark setting and fights to the death.
What this novella really does is serve as an exciting set-up to the adventure. The book allows us to get to know some of the characters, learn a bit about the Evermire, but perhaps most importantly plant the seeds of several intriguing questions. I know just want to learn more about Rhyal and Ender’s pasts, more about the magic system, what is really hidden in the depth of the Evermire… This was an exciting start to a fun adventure that I look forward to continuing in the sequel: Conquest of the Evermire: 2. The Church.
The book is great for young adults as it is not unnecessarily dark or gory. I thought that this book was really fun and I am excited to see where it goes next!
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BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Snow Angel in Books
Sep 24, 2020
It tells a story of 11-year-old girl Makena, who lives in Nairobi, Kenya. Her parents died because of a cruel disease, leaving Makena an orphan. Due to some events, she ends up in the slum, where she meets her one true friend Snow.
I really enjoyed this book and its complex characters. The protagonist in this novel is Makena. She is a very smart person for an eleven-year-old. Her thoughts about life, survival and friendship were so inspiring to me, that’s why, I think, this book is superb for young readers. Makena teaches so many great values and shows great appreciation for things that matter in life. I really loved that the author chose such unique and original characters. They all had very intriguing personalities and their input in the story was irreplaceable. The story was mostly told from Makena’s perspective, and it was fully sufficient for me.
The narrative was absolutely gorgeous. It has a lot to offer to the reader, it is serious, educational but at the same time playful and magical. I think the author has done a great research for this book, and her personal experience was very well utilized in this novel. There is plenty of surprises in this story, which kept me glued to this book. I really loved the topics which the author was discussing, such as Ebola and its effects on the families they left behind, poverty and fight for survival, charity workers and their lives, and many more. The setting and atmosphere always change in this book, from Mount Kenya to slums, to the Scottish Highlands, so, your imagination will not be bored and will be taking you to various places…
I really enjoyed the writing style of this novel, I think it was very well crafted and I found it easy, and pleasant to read. The chapters are not very short, but for me, they just flew by because I was absorbed by the story itself. It has absolutely stunning illustrations by Catherine Hyde, and it makes the whole reading experience even more pleasant. I did enjoy the ending of this book, I think it rounded the story very nicely and gave the closure which left me very satisfied.
So, to conclude, this is a very beautiful story, filled with inspiring and motivating characters, who made me smile and cry on multiple occasions, and I do strongly recommend this book not only to children but to adults as well. There are plenty of things to learn from little Makena.
I really enjoyed this book and its complex characters. The protagonist in this novel is Makena. She is a very smart person for an eleven-year-old. Her thoughts about life, survival and friendship were so inspiring to me, that’s why, I think, this book is superb for young readers. Makena teaches so many great values and shows great appreciation for things that matter in life. I really loved that the author chose such unique and original characters. They all had very intriguing personalities and their input in the story was irreplaceable. The story was mostly told from Makena’s perspective, and it was fully sufficient for me.
The narrative was absolutely gorgeous. It has a lot to offer to the reader, it is serious, educational but at the same time playful and magical. I think the author has done a great research for this book, and her personal experience was very well utilized in this novel. There is plenty of surprises in this story, which kept me glued to this book. I really loved the topics which the author was discussing, such as Ebola and its effects on the families they left behind, poverty and fight for survival, charity workers and their lives, and many more. The setting and atmosphere always change in this book, from Mount Kenya to slums, to the Scottish Highlands, so, your imagination will not be bored and will be taking you to various places…
I really enjoyed the writing style of this novel, I think it was very well crafted and I found it easy, and pleasant to read. The chapters are not very short, but for me, they just flew by because I was absorbed by the story itself. It has absolutely stunning illustrations by Catherine Hyde, and it makes the whole reading experience even more pleasant. I did enjoy the ending of this book, I think it rounded the story very nicely and gave the closure which left me very satisfied.
So, to conclude, this is a very beautiful story, filled with inspiring and motivating characters, who made me smile and cry on multiple occasions, and I do strongly recommend this book not only to children but to adults as well. There are plenty of things to learn from little Makena.
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