The Silence Slips in by Alison Hughes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Silence and noise are funny things. Many of us love one over the other.
In today's society it is natural for the average person to like some level of noise. Most of the world lives in human noisy places (like cities) or in naturally noise places (like the rainforest or a farm). In fact there was a study some years ago where a sound-proof room was made. A room where literally being in it you could hear your own heartbeat. Most people could not manage to stand more than 20-30 seconds in the room before freaking out and beginning to lose their mind. If you keep that in mind this becomes an odd book. However I absolutely understand what Alison Hughes is going for and adore it.
The Narrative
Hughes takes us on a journey of a little girl learning where silence can be found. In natural places, like at night while it's dark, after a party, following a storm or when snow gently floats to the ground. These are all very magical types of silence we encounter. Some not very often, and others, like at night in the dark we experience everyday. As a Canadian, who is looking out the window as I type to see snow falling to the ground, I love the page that Hughes has about the snow falling to the ground. One of the most silent moments in urban or rural areas is the morning that snow has covered the ground and is still gently falling. It's like the snow is making this quiet. This is a type of morning that I have trouble explaining as it's so unique in it's own way. So, instead of trying to describe it further I'll just say that Hughes really understands many of the silences of the world that exist.
The Illustration
Without a doubt Ninon Pelletier is an amazing artist. Her children's book art is always wonderful. Pelletier uses colour on each page to evoke certain emotions. Additionally the use of the same fluffy looking silence character on each page is very clever. Giving children a character to think of when they are looking for a moment of silence amongst the noise is very clever. By using this white fluffy character children can imagine it putting it's arms around them (like in the book) and feeling safe. Pelletier does a beautiful job of capturing a moment of silence on the page. Which may seem weird, as pages in books don't make noise; but when you experience the pages of this book I think you would find this to be true yourself.
The Point
I feel very strongly that the best children's book are those that have a point. It doesn't have to be a moving point but it does have to be one that will help teach a child how to handle certain situations or moments they will experience in their life. The Silence Slips In is a perfect book for a child that is quieter. For the toddler that perhaps doesn't like too much noise this is a great story to start helping a child learn and understand that they can create a silence or moment of peace inside themselves. There are places that are naturally quieter in the world and those where you need to be able to enter your head and find silence. This could also be how a child learns to find peace, love or even sanity in this noisy world of ours. A skill that is hard to develop but almost a necessity for life in our loud world.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
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Wizard for Hire by Obert Skye
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Comparisons of Wizard for Hire to Harry Potter would be very appropriate. Especially the first two Harry Potter books that are a little lighter next to the ones later in the series. Obert Skye takes us on a journey to follow a child who is left alone after his parents are taken away. There are some perhaps stretched imagination things that happen at first for our young boy to survive but I quickly got over any of those as I got caught up in the story.
Characters
The absolute best part of Wizard for Hire is the various characters. They are quirky, odd and have very unique personalities. It's difficult to create character who jump off the page from the first moment you meet them; but Skye manages to do just that. Now maybe it's because there are nods to Frodo meeting Aragon (as the Ranger) that happen in the scene that introduces our young boy to a kindly old wizard; but irregardless of a little inspiration for setting I felt like it was just perfect. I love our young gal who gets involved as the story progresses as well! But let's face it the story is all about our young boy and his quirky friend the wizard in the end. Kind of like Harry Potter can be dumbed down to being about Harry and Dumbledore at it's core.
Magic
There are sooo many clever 'magical' things that happen! I don't want to share any of them as they are just too special to spoil. But let's put it this way; things may seem magical from one perspective, and yet from another just be a very clever adult tricking a child. And yet... we do have a talking bird right off the bat which means some magic has to be real right?
Plot
There's a fair bit of plot in this first novel of the series. Not unlike in Harry Potter Skye has to set-up the reasons for the parents being gone, the way the boy is surviving, and subsequently bring in a factor that forces our young lad to venture into the world. However at no time did I ever think this was too much or overwhelming. It felt well paced and there was never any info dumping which I greatly appreciated!
Harry Potter
If you think I've mentioned Harry Potter too many times you may be right. But trust me I haven't said it near as many times as it's referenced in Wizard for Hire. Our young boy has a copy of the books and so there are many, many times where the 'magic' of his world is compared to a concept in Harry Potter. The wizard even goes so far as to say that Rowling got "some things right." but other things "very wrong". Implying that perhaps Rowling built her world of magic off a 'real' magical world.
I think this is very cute; but I did find it tiresome after awhile. That said I was an adult when Harry Potter came out; so I could see someone loving all the references and nods who experience Potter as a child.
Overall
This is a very fun and clever book. It's written for 9-11 children but I think it's worthy of anyone in any age group reading. It could easily be a book where a parent reads it to a child one chapter at a time (just like Harry Potter). I am really looking forward to the next installment and hope that we can learn a little more about 'magic' in this world and what may or may not be real.
There's a lot to still discover in this world. Skye has done a brilliant job of keeping the reader eager for the next book!
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
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Side by Side by Jenni L. Walsh
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
DNF @ 40%
Fiction and Fact; where do the two meet one another? How much of a noveliazation based on real people and real events can be truly believed to be fact?
Usually I go into books like Side by Side, which is about Bonnie and Clyde, knowing that I'm going to be reading a fictionalized version of some real life people. This (generally) allows me to be open minded and allow for the writer to manipulate some dates and character reactions in order for good fiction to come of the novelization. However, I feel Jenni L. Walsh went too far with Side by Side.
Too sympathetic
I stopped reading at 40% after having been super annoyed with Bonnie's excuses for everything. At about the 20% point I remember thinking that Bonnie must come to her sense soon. And yet that never seems to happen. Bonnie is portrayed as being 'innocent' the entire time that the men are knocking off banks, running from the law and even shooting officers dead. There has to be a point at which this woman can no longer use the 'anything for Clyde' BS excuse she has; or so I would have thought. Turns out Walsh doesn't agree and so I gave up on Side by Side as I didn't want to read another word about how Clyde had to do something or was justified in his heinous crimes.
One Great Moment
There is however a scene that is absolutely fantastic and I'd like to give a nod to Walsh for. It's regarding the moment in which the most famous photographs of Bonnie and Clyde are taken. You know the ones where they are all dressed-up and leaning against cars with guns of all kinds in their hands. It includes the infamous photo of Bonnie with a rifle and cigar in her mouth. This was well portrayed and regardless of how it really happened in real life I did enjoy Walsh take on this 'picnic' excursion that turned into exaggerated picture taking.
Overall
I think the story of Bonnie and Clyde is very compelling. It's a little strange but many of us are jealous of the kind of love and devotion that is said to have been between the two of them. What we (as outsiders) to Bonnie and Clyde's relationship need to ask ourselves is, was their love worth the lives of more than 8 police officers?
I'd like to think I'd say no. But then again I do love my husband and I suppose it's hard to say what you will do for the person you love when push comes to shove. At the very least I hope I wouldn't delude myself into believing that all was well as I broke the law with my partner or that it would be just 'one more robbery'. I'd like to think I'd be realistic with myself.
It's too bad this portrayal bothered me so much as there is a story to be told her. Just not from the perspective that Walsh tells it here.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
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