book review – Page 16 – trippingdifferently

February 7, 2014

Book Review: The World According to Bob by James Bowen…

So roughly 6 months after we read the first Bob book (that’s what it’s now known as in our home now), i have finished reading the second one (Tobias still has not read it yet cos i only bought one copy, there is no children’s edition for the second book).

And it is as good as the first one. It is still that same honest humble voice of James, simply telling you his adventures with Bob on the streets of London. This one is a little more reflective than the first, i feel.

The second book takes us from where the first left off (James was on his final step to being completely clean) through the next few months as they cope with being a bit more known, to the book (the first Bob book) coming out and how different people reacted to their new “status” as “stars”. It isn’t all sunshine and roses. And that is what is sad about it; that people can be so jealous of someone else’s good fortune as to be cruel and even try to take “legal” action against them.

My favourite parts are when Bob plays doctor and nurse to James. It is amazing how sensitive pets are to their owners’ health condition and what they try to do to help. (i won’t give more away.)

It ends on a happy note with both James and Bob looking forward to the future which is now a little brighter for each of them as they will always have each other.

So if you have read the first book, i recommend getting this one. If you have not read ‘A Street Cat Name Bob’, get both and enjoy!

syc

January 10, 2014

Book Review – Wonder… by R.J. Palacio…

This book is WONDERFUL!

i thoroughly enjoyed getting to know August and his family (his parents and sister) and learning about how difficult life can be and what strange assumptions we have about a person who is different from the accepted “normal”.

August has a condition which is one in a billion… there is no one else quite like him… and unfortunately for him, his condition leaves him with a face that people stare at, turn away from and make fun of.

Having been home-schooled for all his life, he could hide from people if he chose to. But NOW he is going to a regular school with loads of other kids! At age 10, that is a huge challenge!

As i follow his journey through the school year, it is heart-breaking to see some of the terrible attitudes of some children and even worse to realise they get it from their parents. However, as in every story there are nice characters too. Characters who make me smile and feel that the world isn’t so bad after all.

The best part of it is watching August discover even though there will always be people who will be mean to him just because of a condition he is born with, there will also be people who will be kind and stand up for a friend.

And it isn’t just August’s journey we get to follow, we also get to follow along with his sister, some of his friends from school and even his sister’s boyfriend and best friend.

This multi-perspective way of story-telling gives such a well-rounded look into the life of a boy who is indeed a wonder!

This quote is my favourite in the whole book (there are also many others i like too):

If you want to know kindness in practical ways, have a read. If you would like your children to have an insight into kindness in action and how to treat people who are different, then have them read this book or read it to them.

syc

PS: i have also reviewed another book (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) about a person who is different intellectually – see here.

November 18, 2013

Book Review: Inkspell by Cornelia Funke…

So a month after i reviewed Inkheart, the first book in the Inkheart Trilogy by Cornelia Funke, i have finished reading Inkspell, the second book. And what a reverting read it was! It was captivating, magical, thrilling and spellbinding! i literally could not put it down and every time i had to (daily life needs to be lived) i would try to find every opportunity possible to get back to reading it.

At the end of the first book, i was left wishing that poor lost Dustfinger would get his wish and be returned to his own world and that wish came true in the second book but not without major complications and a mysterious new character called Orpheus whom i greatly dislike (maybe even hate!). Mo, Resa, Meggie and Farid get pulled into Inkworld and have to defeat the evil Prince of the Castle of the Night, Adderhead.

We get to meet all the unique and wonderful characters of Inkworld and see how Fenoglio (the author/creator of Inkworld) truly loves them to a fault. We learn more about Dustfinger’s wife, Roxane and his best friend, the Black Prince. We get to walk through the Wayless Wood, be startled by the fairies, see the streets of Ombra, watch the Strolling Players show off their tricks and sink deep into Inkworld. It was such an amazing world, i completely understood why Resa and Meggie talked about it often and wanted to see it – i wish i could see it with my own eyes too.

The story takes many unexpected turns; some very sad, some frightening, others hoped for. Death plays a big role in this book and it is most definitely darker than the first one. And the pace of the story doesn’t let up, even at the end, and much is still unresolved, which sets the stage for the third book.

My recommendation is if you have read Inkheart and liked it, most definitely read Inkspell. If you have not read Inkheart, do so before reading Inkspell because the cast of characters grows and you don’t wanna get lost.

i’m a little fearful of reading Inkdeath… reviews have not been great for that third and final instalment of this trilogy. But i want to know the very end so stay tuned for the third review of this series.

syc