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shaprincess21's review against another edition
5.0
A short but fantastic book. I would love to read more from this author
snekmint's review against another edition
3.0
Well, better than the previous book. Paulsen's lush descriptions of immigrant Canadian farm life in the 50s are on point, but the ending is somewhat abrupt and all the exposition comes in the form of a sudden flash-forward and a revealing box of letters.
This is not a book so much as it is a short story, a novella at best if you want to read very very slowly and give it wiggle room. It took me about half an hour to get through (during work breaks). I could have done with some more place-building, as I am not exactly familiar with life in Chicago in the 50s and the nameless "boy" has so little in common with my own experience I found some details jarring because I didn't know where or when the hell I'm supposed to be imagining myself.
Solid 3 stars, I guess.
This is not a book so much as it is a short story, a novella at best if you want to read very very slowly and give it wiggle room. It took me about half an hour to get through (during work breaks). I could have done with some more place-building, as I am not exactly familiar with life in Chicago in the 50s and the nameless "boy" has so little in common with my own experience I found some details jarring because I didn't know where or when the hell I'm supposed to be imagining myself.
Solid 3 stars, I guess.
pussreboots's review against another edition
4.0
Alida's Song by Gary Paulsen is the sequel to the wonderful Cookcamp. The book begins with a framing story. The boy is now a young man enlisted in the army. He confesses to his grandmother that he's not sure he made the right decision. She then reminds him of the time he came to live with her for a summer at a farm.
The remainder of the novella is set during that summertime. Once again the boy is invited to live with his grandmother. The idea is to give him a safe, loving home during another rough patch in his family is going through. He learns how to run a farm and marvels at how different and sometimes primitive the life of the two brothers is compared to his life at home.
Although the work is hard, his employers are kindly. As the book progresses their friendship with the grandmother and the boy unfolds. It's really a lovely story, something that can easily be read in one sitting over a cup of coffee or cocoa.
I reviewed Cookcamp back around the time I was first evolving my website into a dedicated book blog. I must have put Alida's Song on my wishlist at the same time. In the four years since, I had forgotten why I had added it but I'm glad I did.
I got the book from the library.
The remainder of the novella is set during that summertime. Once again the boy is invited to live with his grandmother. The idea is to give him a safe, loving home during another rough patch in his family is going through. He learns how to run a farm and marvels at how different and sometimes primitive the life of the two brothers is compared to his life at home.
Although the work is hard, his employers are kindly. As the book progresses their friendship with the grandmother and the boy unfolds. It's really a lovely story, something that can easily be read in one sitting over a cup of coffee or cocoa.
I reviewed Cookcamp back around the time I was first evolving my website into a dedicated book blog. I must have put Alida's Song on my wishlist at the same time. In the four years since, I had forgotten why I had added it but I'm glad I did.
I got the book from the library.
snekmint's review
3.0
Well, better than the previous book. Paulsen's lush descriptions of immigrant Canadian farm life in the 50s are on point, but the ending is somewhat abrupt and all the exposition comes in the form of a sudden flash-forward and a revealing box of letters.
This is not a book so much as it is a short story, a novella at best if you want to read very very slowly and give it wiggle room. It took me about half an hour to get through (during work breaks). I could have done with some more place-building, as I am not exactly familiar with life in Chicago in the 50s and the nameless "boy" has so little in common with my own experience I found some details jarring because I didn't know where or when the hell I'm supposed to be imagining myself.
Solid 3 stars, I guess.
This is not a book so much as it is a short story, a novella at best if you want to read very very slowly and give it wiggle room. It took me about half an hour to get through (during work breaks). I could have done with some more place-building, as I am not exactly familiar with life in Chicago in the 50s and the nameless "boy" has so little in common with my own experience I found some details jarring because I didn't know where or when the hell I'm supposed to be imagining myself.
Solid 3 stars, I guess.
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