This is a place for books that I didn't fully review.
Maybe I listed my likes and dislikes, had a little short paragraph, or a few sentences to convey my feelings on the book, but whatever the "review" is, all of them are short and simple. (hence the clever name)
Evvy Hoffmeister is thirteen years old when her family brings her to Loon Lake Sanatorium to get cured of tuberculosis (TB). Evvy is frightened by her new surroundings; the rules to abide are harsh and the nurses equally rigid. But Evvy soon falls into step with the other girls in her ward. There’s Sarah, quiet but thoughtful; Pearl, who adores Hollywood glamour; and Dena, whose harshness conceals a deep strength. Together, the girls brave the difficult daily routines. Set in 1940 at a time of political unrest throughout the U.S. and Europe, this thought-provoking novel sheds light on a much-feared worldwide illness. Hundreds of thousands of people died each year of TB, and many ill children were sent away to sanatoriums to hopefully recover.
This is a masterful novel—both eloquent and moving—that gives voice to those who fought hard to overcome the illness.
Review
This was a wonderfully written book. Once I started reading it I couldn't stop and finished it very quickly. The book takes place in the 1940s and focuses on a 13-year-old year with TB as she spends her time in a sanatorium. I have only read one other fiction book about TB, Extraordinary Means, and that one was an alternate world rather than historical. We sometimes forget the fear of TB in the past and how common it sometimes was. This book very much felt based in history, but it read as a survival story of a young girl. It may sound strange to call this a survival story because we expect survival stories to have a lot of action, but that was what this was, it's just the kind of survival story we don't often get to see, the quiet kind. The story hurts, there are a lot of difficult moments, but I loved seeing Evvy strike up friendships with the other girls in the room. Overall, this was a great book.
I hereby give this book
4 Stars
Meaning: I really liked it!
When Jack meets his new foster brother, he already knows three things about him:
Joseph almost killed a teacher.
He was incarcerated at a place called Stone Mountain.
He has a daughter. Her name is Jupiter. And he has never seen her.
What Jack doesn’t know, at first, is how desperate Joseph is to find his baby girl.
Or how urgently he, Jack, will want to help.
But the past can’t be shaken off. Even as new bonds form, old wounds reopen. The search for Jupiter demands more from Jack than he can imagine.
This tender, heartbreaking novel is Gary D. Schmidt at his best.
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Review
I needed a short audiobook to read and this seemed like a great choice. I ended up being completely absorbed into the book. I expected to listen to this just on the way to and from places, but once I started I didn't want to stop. I ended up just sitting down and listening to this story. It went by quickly, and it feels like the book focuses on some quiet moments, but now I just can't stop thinking about this book. This book is absolutely HEARTBREAKING. My eyes still tear up when I think about this story. It tells us that we can't judge a person by a single action. The story was incredibly realistic, raw, and it was just authentic in itself. My heart's hurting again just typing this review, but I'll leave with this: do read this book. As sad as the book made me feel, I am glad that I picked this book up.
I hereby give this book
5 Stars
Meaning: A new favorite!
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The story of eight boys stranded on a rock in the middle of the sea, left to fight for their survival.
Every time a lad went fowling on the stacs, he came home less of a boy and more of a man. If he went home at all, that is.
Every summer Quill and his friends are put ashore on a remote sea stac to hunt birds. But this summer, no one arrives to take them home. Surely nothing but the end of the world can explain why they’ve been abandoned—cold, starving and clinging to life, in the grip of a murderous ocean. How will they survive such a forsaken place of stone and sea?
Review
I picked this book up solely because it got the Printz Honor this year. I am trying to make my way through every Printz Award Winner and Honor book. If it weren't for it winning the prize, I wouldn't have picked up this book.
This book tells the story of a group of boys stranded on a rock island. I don't really like reading books about people getting stranded. Mainly because those stories tend to drag. There's not a whole lot characters can get up to while stranded on an island (I am realizing as I am typing this that I am currently reading another book featuring characters stranded on an island. Will I ever learn?). This book did have this problem. I struggled to get into this book early on because I wasn't yet attached to the characters. I don't think I was ever fully attached to the characters, but I did eventually become invested in their story. I do think that this book was written extraordinarily well. Their environment was incredibly described, as was the sometimes surrealist language. I did like that this book was based on true events, events that I never knew about. I wasn't that fond of the narration, though. It mainly followed Quill in third person [highlight to view spoiler] but in the final chapter, it switches to first person from another perspective. This was supposed to create a frame story of sorts, telling the reader that this whole thing was a story being retold. It's a common frame story, and maybe it was done because of the storytelling done in the book, or maybe it was done because this frame was more common in 18th-century storytelling. Whatever the reason, it felt off and now it reads cliche. [end of spoiler]
Overall, I did like it, but I struggled to get into the book. The history behind this book is fascinating and it was written well, but the story dragged and was sometimes hard to follow. I'm not sure if I agree with the Printz committee's decision. Mainly because this book seems like yet another Printz book that appeals more to adults than teens.
This book tells the story of a group of boys stranded on a rock island. I don't really like reading books about people getting stranded. Mainly because those stories tend to drag. There's not a whole lot characters can get up to while stranded on an island (I am realizing as I am typing this that I am currently reading another book featuring characters stranded on an island. Will I ever learn?). This book did have this problem. I struggled to get into this book early on because I wasn't yet attached to the characters. I don't think I was ever fully attached to the characters, but I did eventually become invested in their story. I do think that this book was written extraordinarily well. Their environment was incredibly described, as was the sometimes surrealist language. I did like that this book was based on true events, events that I never knew about. I wasn't that fond of the narration, though. It mainly followed Quill in third person [highlight to view spoiler] but in the final chapter, it switches to first person from another perspective. This was supposed to create a frame story of sorts, telling the reader that this whole thing was a story being retold. It's a common frame story, and maybe it was done because of the storytelling done in the book, or maybe it was done because this frame was more common in 18th-century storytelling. Whatever the reason, it felt off and now it reads cliche. [end of spoiler]
Overall, I did like it, but I struggled to get into the book. The history behind this book is fascinating and it was written well, but the story dragged and was sometimes hard to follow. I'm not sure if I agree with the Printz committee's decision. Mainly because this book seems like yet another Printz book that appeals more to adults than teens.
I hereby give this book
3 Stars
Meaning: I liked it
I have heard good things about Orbiting Jupiter. I have a hold for it at the library right now, and should be listening to it soon. I had put it off, because I heard how heartbreaking it was. I need to be prepared for books like that.
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