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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
This story was a hard one for me to finish. Andersen's fairy tale of the Nightingale is one I remember from my childhood - and it was never one of my favorites, because it made me sad. Nightingale' Nest did the same thing. There is so much sadness packed into Little John's life - the death of his little sister, his mother's depression and delusional state, his father's drinking, the constant worry about money and being evicted...it seems like it never lets up. And there is this poor boy trying to deal with all of it, like telling his best friend that he has outgrown video games because he doesn't want to admit his father pawned his Nintendo to pay bills. Meeting the foster girl, Gayle, he is reminded of his little sister and wants to protect her, to have a second chance. But kids are often powerless to change the circumstances they find themselves in, especially when they are up against the most wealthy man in town. Mr. King's obsession with Gayle's voice is just one more thing for Little John to deal with. Despite the magical appeal of Gayle's singing, the rest of the characters and setting are very believable. You have to persevere to the end of the book to see how the tangle of needs and desires plays out, but you will probably find yourself satisfied with the ending. And you might just spend a bit more time appreciating the birdsong around you this spring.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
I would give this 4 stars but I am unsure how many kids will like it and stick with it. I really enjoyed this fairy tale spin- off but wonder if kids are familiar with the original story. This would make for a good book club book- to analyze and dissect.
Oh my goodness, I love fairy tale retellings aimed at middle graders. When I saw a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Nightingale pop up on Netgalley, I knew I had to read it, even though I am not totally entirely familiar with the origin story.
Read the rest of my review here
Read the rest of my review here
This poor kid's life sucks. I'm sure the ending was supposed to inspire hope, but the fantasy element for the happy ending left me feeling even more despair for kids with shitty lives who will most likely never have that Magical happy ending.
Sometimes the writing felt overblown, too teenage-angsty, but I'm giving it a pass because I think there was real grief and frustration for these characters. (Though Mr. King's "cage" and other metaphors WERE overblown, what!) There wasn't a single one-dimensional character, even the clearly "bad man," was written with some sympathy--and that made the tension all the more potent. The bad choices, broken promises, and badly-handled grief were pretty real, and I could feel the same hopeless tearing Little John faced. I'm proud of him.
I DID like this book. I feel compelled to say that upfront because for a long time through the book, I was plagued with that uneasy feeling one gets with certain allusions to certain situations involving vulnerable children. I wondered how the book was going to explain what really happened. It does, and it doesn't. Although this doesn't detract from the sheer quality of this book, it still left the pit of stomach feeling wobbly even if the ending righted the world again. I shouldn't be surprised. It was based off a Hans Christian Anderson tale, and those old tales are lined with stuff not for the faint of heart.
http://librarianosnark.blogspot.com/2014/06/review-nightingales-nest.html
Within a few pages of this book, I could feel the emotion of the story. There are some books that you just know will touch you and will make you feel. Loftin's Nightingale's Nest is certainly one of them. The writing in this book is spectacular and demands to be read not only silently but aloud to a whole group. This is a book that I found myself thinking about reading it to a class and discussing it with them. I do not feel this way about all books. Additionally there is a timeless quality to this story. Though there are some things that hint at a present day world, much of the story could pass for any time. There is a classic feel to the story.
Little John and his grieving family. The Emperor or Mr. King and his greed. Gayle and her song. The Cutlins - Gayle's foster family. Ernest and his sister, Isabelle. Such great characters and everyone plays a role in this story.
My favorite lines:
"You can't....really fix all the hurt things in the world. That's not your job, Gayle."
She sighed, that broken sound again. "I know it's not.".......But I heard Gayle's voice as I left, five words that stayed with me the rest of that week.
"It's not your job either."
Hurt, loss, forgiveness, healing, and all the decisions and consequences that build on one another. Just powerful!
Little John and his grieving family. The Emperor or Mr. King and his greed. Gayle and her song. The Cutlins - Gayle's foster family. Ernest and his sister, Isabelle. Such great characters and everyone plays a role in this story.
My favorite lines:
"You can't....really fix all the hurt things in the world. That's not your job, Gayle."
She sighed, that broken sound again. "I know it's not.".......But I heard Gayle's voice as I left, five words that stayed with me the rest of that week.
"It's not your job either."
Hurt, loss, forgiveness, healing, and all the decisions and consequences that build on one another. Just powerful!