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hannahmayreads's review
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
kellysrambles's review
4.0
I am always quite wary about reading anthologies as there are always stories I really dislike but Make More Noise was a really pleasant surprise because it delivered in so many different ways. These stories all have their own special moment within them and although I liked some more than others, on the whole I thought the whole collection was brilliant and the stories complimented each other too.
I love that this anthology was created to celebrate 100 years of woman’s suffrage because young readers will pick up these stories and they will learn so much. Even as a 27 year old I learnt things from these short stories that I never expected too. I think it will make young female readers feel empowered whilst giving them reason to stop, think and be grateful for what our ancestors went through for us to have what we have today. And we are still on the journey.
There are several stories in here that are historical fiction but written in a really accessible way for younger readers. There are also stories with a contemporary feel, those with a touch of fantasy, those that explore relationships with family and friends, the dynamics of different social classes, race and inequality. For such a quick selection of stories, they really do cover a lot and I think there is something in here for everyone.
My personal favourite stories were The Bug Hunters by M.G. Leonard, The Green-Hearted Girl by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, On Your Bike by Jeanne Wills and The Race by Ally Kennen. But I really did find something to like about all the stories in this anthology which is really rare for me. This is definitely a special collection of short stories that I really want to share with all the young readers I know. Fantastic!
I love that this anthology was created to celebrate 100 years of woman’s suffrage because young readers will pick up these stories and they will learn so much. Even as a 27 year old I learnt things from these short stories that I never expected too. I think it will make young female readers feel empowered whilst giving them reason to stop, think and be grateful for what our ancestors went through for us to have what we have today. And we are still on the journey.
There are several stories in here that are historical fiction but written in a really accessible way for younger readers. There are also stories with a contemporary feel, those with a touch of fantasy, those that explore relationships with family and friends, the dynamics of different social classes, race and inequality. For such a quick selection of stories, they really do cover a lot and I think there is something in here for everyone.
My personal favourite stories were The Bug Hunters by M.G. Leonard, The Green-Hearted Girl by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, On Your Bike by Jeanne Wills and The Race by Ally Kennen. But I really did find something to like about all the stories in this anthology which is really rare for me. This is definitely a special collection of short stories that I really want to share with all the young readers I know. Fantastic!
kathrynkaupa's review
5.0
A great read for a younger YA audience - some of these stories I’d love to read as a full novel!
autumnal_daydreams's review
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
alyce6d980's review
3.0
The Make More Noise! anthology was released to celebrate the 100th anniversary of (some) women getting the right to vote, but that doesn’t mean that all of the stories are politically focused.
In fact, it’s a rather conflicting collection: some of the stories are set in the present day, while some are set many years ago; some of them are set in England, while some of them are set in different countries (and one is set in a mystical realm). The settings are often ambiguous, making it impossible to know which time period you’re supposed to be reading until the story is almost at a close. I found it disorienting as an adult reader, so I can’t imagine how the children this collection is aimed at figured things out!
Here are my thoughts on each of the ten stories individually, with the rating for the collection as a whole being the average rating:
Out For The Count by Sally Nicholls – 5/5: I hadn’t heard of the 1911 census boycott before, but that’s what this short story focuses upon. Peeking into an unknown aspect of the suffrage movement was a lot of fun, so Out For The Count was probably my favourite story of the entire collection.
The Bug Hunters by M.G. Leonard – 2/5: A girl is bullied for being fascinated by bugs. Had a nice moral about appreciating who your true friends are but I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing style.
All Things Bright and Beautiful by Patrice Lawrence – 3/5: Based on a true story, which I appreciated, but it felt unfinished and a little bit bland. This was the most forgettable story in the collection, so I can’t really say anything else about it!
The Green-Hearted Girl by Kiran Millwood Hargrave – 3/5: I’ve never been a huge fan of magical realism, but I loved Hargrave’s The Girl of Ink and Stars. Her writing style doesn’t really work in short story form. There are too many aspects that are unexplored, which leaves the reader with a lot of questions, but if she ever decided to expand this story I’d buy it in a heartbeat.
Tea and Jam by Katherine Woodfine – 5/5: A girl explores the idea of freedom after her employer’s friend teaches her about libraries. The bookworm in me was drawn to the protagonist – even though it was left on a cliffhanger and felt unfinished, I was absorbed and couldn’t resist giving it such a high rating.
On Your Bike by Jeanne Willis – 2/5: A mother decides to cycle around the world, only cutting a few corners on the way. This was told through diary entries, which I liked, but they’re far too close together at the beginning and extremely spaced out at the end, making the story feel rushed and hard to follow.
The Tuesday Afternoon Ghost by Ella Risbridger – 1/5: My least favourite story in the collection. The voices are unrealistic – the adults sound like children, while the child protagonist sounds ancient – and the ghost but not a ghost plotline was cliched.
The Otter Path by Emma Carroll – 5/5: Beautifully written, making me want to read more of Carroll’s stories. The otters have strong personalities, while the English countryside is so realistically described that it threw me back in time to my childhood. Delightful from beginning to end.
The Race by Ally Kennen – 4/5: Another very fun story. A girl goes to stay with distant relatives while her parents go on holiday without her, racing against them to try to prove that girls are just as good as boys at riding horses. Wasn’t perfect – the time period was ambiguous and the ending was a little disappointing – but was one of the most enjoyable stories in the collection.
Discuss, Decide, Do by Catherine Johnson – 3/5: Another story with an ambiguous time period. The beginning of the story feels very modern, but it’s eventually established that it takes place in the past. It smoothly combines real historical events with fictional characters, making it a solid end to the collection.
Taking all of that into consideration, I’m giving Make More Noise! a rating of 3.3/5 stars, which rounds down to 3 stars. It’s certainly a fun collection and some of the stories do a great job of informing younger readers of events that occurred during the suffrage movement and how girls felt when women were still unable to vote. Sadly some of the inclusions just don’t feel necessary, no matter how popular the author is in their field.
This review was originally posted on The Bumbling Blogger.
In fact, it’s a rather conflicting collection: some of the stories are set in the present day, while some are set many years ago; some of them are set in England, while some of them are set in different countries (and one is set in a mystical realm). The settings are often ambiguous, making it impossible to know which time period you’re supposed to be reading until the story is almost at a close. I found it disorienting as an adult reader, so I can’t imagine how the children this collection is aimed at figured things out!
Here are my thoughts on each of the ten stories individually, with the rating for the collection as a whole being the average rating:
Out For The Count by Sally Nicholls – 5/5: I hadn’t heard of the 1911 census boycott before, but that’s what this short story focuses upon. Peeking into an unknown aspect of the suffrage movement was a lot of fun, so Out For The Count was probably my favourite story of the entire collection.
The Bug Hunters by M.G. Leonard – 2/5: A girl is bullied for being fascinated by bugs. Had a nice moral about appreciating who your true friends are but I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing style.
All Things Bright and Beautiful by Patrice Lawrence – 3/5: Based on a true story, which I appreciated, but it felt unfinished and a little bit bland. This was the most forgettable story in the collection, so I can’t really say anything else about it!
The Green-Hearted Girl by Kiran Millwood Hargrave – 3/5: I’ve never been a huge fan of magical realism, but I loved Hargrave’s The Girl of Ink and Stars. Her writing style doesn’t really work in short story form. There are too many aspects that are unexplored, which leaves the reader with a lot of questions, but if she ever decided to expand this story I’d buy it in a heartbeat.
Tea and Jam by Katherine Woodfine – 5/5: A girl explores the idea of freedom after her employer’s friend teaches her about libraries. The bookworm in me was drawn to the protagonist – even though it was left on a cliffhanger and felt unfinished, I was absorbed and couldn’t resist giving it such a high rating.
On Your Bike by Jeanne Willis – 2/5: A mother decides to cycle around the world, only cutting a few corners on the way. This was told through diary entries, which I liked, but they’re far too close together at the beginning and extremely spaced out at the end, making the story feel rushed and hard to follow.
The Tuesday Afternoon Ghost by Ella Risbridger – 1/5: My least favourite story in the collection. The voices are unrealistic – the adults sound like children, while the child protagonist sounds ancient – and the ghost but not a ghost plotline was cliched.
The Otter Path by Emma Carroll – 5/5: Beautifully written, making me want to read more of Carroll’s stories. The otters have strong personalities, while the English countryside is so realistically described that it threw me back in time to my childhood. Delightful from beginning to end.
The Race by Ally Kennen – 4/5: Another very fun story. A girl goes to stay with distant relatives while her parents go on holiday without her, racing against them to try to prove that girls are just as good as boys at riding horses. Wasn’t perfect – the time period was ambiguous and the ending was a little disappointing – but was one of the most enjoyable stories in the collection.
Discuss, Decide, Do by Catherine Johnson – 3/5: Another story with an ambiguous time period. The beginning of the story feels very modern, but it’s eventually established that it takes place in the past. It smoothly combines real historical events with fictional characters, making it a solid end to the collection.
Taking all of that into consideration, I’m giving Make More Noise! a rating of 3.3/5 stars, which rounds down to 3 stars. It’s certainly a fun collection and some of the stories do a great job of informing younger readers of events that occurred during the suffrage movement and how girls felt when women were still unable to vote. Sadly some of the inclusions just don’t feel necessary, no matter how popular the author is in their field.
This review was originally posted on The Bumbling Blogger.
aoife26935's review
4.0
A fairly quick read book of short stories. From the description, I expected all the stories to be about suffragettes or suffrage, but in fact most of them aren't; they're just about girls standing up and doing things. It's probably the better way to have it.
My favourite story was The Green Hearted Girl, followed by The Otter Path. I wish more of the stories had explanatory notes like Discuss, Decide, Do, which talks about the 43 group in a short note. For instance, The Otter Path has two characters from the Land Army, which I know only the basics of; it would have been nice to have it explained a little.
That's a minor quibble, though, and I enjoyed the book very much apart from that.
My favourite story was The Green Hearted Girl, followed by The Otter Path. I wish more of the stories had explanatory notes like Discuss, Decide, Do, which talks about the 43 group in a short note. For instance, The Otter Path has two characters from the Land Army, which I know only the basics of; it would have been nice to have it explained a little.
That's a minor quibble, though, and I enjoyed the book very much apart from that.
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