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2busyreading's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Chronic illness and Animal death
linesiunderline's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
For a young reader who loves fairy tales, Narnia, adventure, friendship stories, Breadcrumbs would be a great recommendation.
Ursu is a fine writer. I appreciated how she brought more complex and sometimes challenging issues into this story without making them the primary focus: adoption, divorce, parental depression. To me she paid enough attention to these topics to introduce them respectfully while allowing her young characters to have concerns / joys in their day to day lives that they were also focused on.
I am not sure that the balance of the sections of book worked. Part One, in the ordinary present world, was too long for my taste. I understand that Ursu needed to set the stage for us to understand Hazel and Jack and their lives, but Part Two, when Hazel went to the woods, was so full of creativity and tension and action but it felt rushed.
Also, I can’t decide if this book relied too closely on the stories that inspired it - Narnia and The Snow Queen specifically. It was sometimes distracting how some of elements were almost too familiar.
I will try more by this author and admired that she conveyed so many emotions and layers of experience in the two main characters. It was a convincing and moving friendship story.
Ursu is a fine writer. I appreciated how she brought more complex and sometimes challenging issues into this story without making them the primary focus: adoption, divorce, parental depression. To me she paid enough attention to these topics to introduce them respectfully while allowing her young characters to have concerns / joys in their day to day lives that they were also focused on.
I am not sure that the balance of the sections of book worked. Part One, in the ordinary present world, was too long for my taste. I understand that Ursu needed to set the stage for us to understand Hazel and Jack and their lives, but Part Two, when Hazel went to the woods, was so full of creativity and tension and action but it felt rushed.
Also, I can’t decide if this book relied too closely on the stories that inspired it - Narnia and The Snow Queen specifically. It was sometimes distracting how some of elements were almost too familiar.
I will try more by this author and admired that she conveyed so many emotions and layers of experience in the two main characters. It was a convincing and moving friendship story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Chronic illness
Minor: Blood
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