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katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
A 'road trip' with a difference. Moving, funny and with a pairing you root for.
Davy David lives in a small town, alone, making pictures in the dirt and keeping under the radar of the town's religious leaders by escaping to the library. He's an artist, but still very young and when the library closes down he is justifiably worried about his options.
Accidentally meeting an old lady when he follows a ball into a known witch's house, he is soon after offered work, driving the 80-something woman to her childhood home, where she plans to die. Needing the money, but also an escape, Davy sets out with Miss Elizabeth Flint on a road trip of sorts, one with a lot of surprises ahead.
The destination and intention will keep readers keen to find out what happens, and the series of misadventures takes turns that aren't too common in children's books.
It was rather fascinating, Young's portrayal of the old woman as her journey progresses. We see her backstory and are able to watch the loyal Davy do his best to fulfil his promise.
The aspects of the story that remind you of 'Benjamin Button' are well handled, and it's a touching tale that children keen on stories of death and afterlives will lap up.
For ages 10-14.
Davy David lives in a small town, alone, making pictures in the dirt and keeping under the radar of the town's religious leaders by escaping to the library. He's an artist, but still very young and when the library closes down he is justifiably worried about his options.
Accidentally meeting an old lady when he follows a ball into a known witch's house, he is soon after offered work, driving the 80-something woman to her childhood home, where she plans to die. Needing the money, but also an escape, Davy sets out with Miss Elizabeth Flint on a road trip of sorts, one with a lot of surprises ahead.
The destination and intention will keep readers keen to find out what happens, and the series of misadventures takes turns that aren't too common in children's books.
It was rather fascinating, Young's portrayal of the old woman as her journey progresses. We see her backstory and are able to watch the loyal Davy do his best to fulfil his promise.
The aspects of the story that remind you of 'Benjamin Button' are well handled, and it's a touching tale that children keen on stories of death and afterlives will lap up.
For ages 10-14.
vielzitrone's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
carolineroche's review against another edition
5.0
This was a magical book by [a:Moira Young|4487674|Moira Young|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/authors/1417463549p2/4487674.jpg] Quite unlike the [b:Blood Red Road|13372638|Blood Red Road (Dust Lands, #1)|Moira Young|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1341521422s/13372638.jpg|14692536] series, this book is more like Skellig. Thirteen year old Davy David is an orphan who loves drawing angels - and is curiously drawn to them as well, one painting in particular. When recluse Miss Flint demands that Davy drive her to her old house so that she can die there, Davy is reluctant to go. What happens on that journey is magical, fantastical, and beautiful. Davy is more than a boy, and he is conducting Miss Flint's soul on a journey of forgiveness and healing. I cannot recommend this book highly enough - you must read it!
bookslucyking's review against another edition
4.0
Lovely story, heart-warming, funny, a bit sad but happy in the same moment...beautiful book.
jademelody's review against another edition
3.0
Do you ever read something and it kind of makes sense while you're reading it, but as soon as you're done, you say "What Did I Just Read?"
That is what this book was to me
I really enjoyed the beginning where Davy was just a boy in the town who made angels in the dirt and went to the library. I liked where I thought it wash headed at that point, but it lost me somewhere after that with Miss Flint.
They went somewhere, she was dead, but she wasn't dead, she was getting younger, people couldn't see her, she needed to reunite with her brother and then it was over.
It was interesting, but I'm unsure of what I read. It makes sense, but at the same time it doesn't make sense. Like, what was this about? I don't know. Friendship? Loss? Both? I don't know.
But I do know it's a book toward my reading goal, so I'm happy about that
That is what this book was to me
I really enjoyed the beginning where Davy was just a boy in the town who made angels in the dirt and went to the library. I liked where I thought it wash headed at that point, but it lost me somewhere after that with Miss Flint.
They went somewhere, she was dead, but she wasn't dead, she was getting younger, people couldn't see her, she needed to reunite with her brother and then it was over.
It was interesting, but I'm unsure of what I read. It makes sense, but at the same time it doesn't make sense. Like, what was this about? I don't know. Friendship? Loss? Both? I don't know.
But I do know it's a book toward my reading goal, so I'm happy about that
mat_tobin's review against another edition
4.0
It's been such a long time since I have read a book and come away unsure as to 'why' or even 'if' I really liked it or not. Because the book is many things and tells many stories beneath the surface of the words and carries many themes within the narrative, I left with more questions that I started off with and, ultimately, knew may never get answered. This is not to say that Young fails to leave the story with a satisfying ending: she closes it rather beautifully. Instead, there is much that goes unsaid; actions that go unexplained, leaving it for the reader to deduce much.
Davy David, an orphaned boy cast out of the local children's home because they could accommodate the residents no more, is the main protagonist *possibly* who spends his life within a small town drawing angels in the dust with a bag full of brooms. Unbeknownst to him, he has a calling, a purpose although he does not know what it is and where it will take him. Only when he encounters the elderly, grumpy Miss Flint and embark on a journey with her does he begin to understand.
The blurb of the copy I have compares the book to It's a Wonderful Life and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button but, for me, this is not only missing the point but giving things away. It's more like Irving's [b:A Prayer for Owen Meany|4473|A Prayer for Owen Meany|John Irving|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1260470010s/4473.jpg|1734019] to me with a touch of[b:Oscar And The Lady In Pink|565629|Oscar And The Lady In Pink|Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1175843195s/565629.jpg|1064288]. It took me a long time to place the book, geographically, but I went for a small town in a semi-rural part of America. All its characters are well crafted as is the landscape. Young weaves a very clever story in which a LOT of talk would be welcomed as we decide whether we, as readers, are willing to accept miracles or not.
Davy David, an orphaned boy cast out of the local children's home because they could accommodate the residents no more, is the main protagonist *possibly* who spends his life within a small town drawing angels in the dust with a bag full of brooms. Unbeknownst to him, he has a calling, a purpose although he does not know what it is and where it will take him. Only when he encounters the elderly, grumpy Miss Flint and embark on a journey with her does he begin to understand.
The blurb of the copy I have compares the book to It's a Wonderful Life and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button but, for me, this is not only missing the point but giving things away. It's more like Irving's [b:A Prayer for Owen Meany|4473|A Prayer for Owen Meany|John Irving|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1260470010s/4473.jpg|1734019] to me with a touch of[b:Oscar And The Lady In Pink|565629|Oscar And The Lady In Pink|Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1175843195s/565629.jpg|1064288]. It took me a long time to place the book, geographically, but I went for a small town in a semi-rural part of America. All its characters are well crafted as is the landscape. Young weaves a very clever story in which a LOT of talk would be welcomed as we decide whether we, as readers, are willing to accept miracles or not.
ashleylm's review against another edition
2.0
A frustrating blend of lovely and incompetent writing (whether through ignorance, or deliberate bad choices, it's hard to tell).
Others have sung its praises, so I'll focus on what bothered me.
Unbelievable, inconsistent characters, who don't behave the way humans behave. This is sometimes acceptable (say, in a fairy tale, or very stylized picture book) but in a novel I expect some semblance of reality. Almost every single character, no matter how big or small, ended up overacting to some extent.
Unbelievable, unacceptable plot contrivances, like a 13 year old who has never driven before (or even been in a car, given his circumstances) magically knowing how to drive a motorcycle, for God's sake.
Unnecessary, pointless, unexplained passages--the first 70 pages is essentially filler--just such a waste.
This irritated me to no end. It felt like the author was aiming for some beautifully-written touching evocation of Peter S. Beagle and Ray Bradbury, and they got the Smaller Dumpling Amateur Theatrical Society's presentation of the director's 8 year old's dramatization of War and Peace instead. It's just so far off the mark.
(I was this close to stopping reading, but I had to wonder if anything paid off eventually--maybe the main character, say, turned out to be in a video game and that's why he could magically do everything, and why the NPCs were so unconvincing, etc., but no.)
Not for me.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).
Others have sung its praises, so I'll focus on what bothered me.
Unbelievable, inconsistent characters, who don't behave the way humans behave. This is sometimes acceptable (say, in a fairy tale, or very stylized picture book) but in a novel I expect some semblance of reality. Almost every single character, no matter how big or small, ended up overacting to some extent.
Unbelievable, unacceptable plot contrivances, like a 13 year old who has never driven before (or even been in a car, given his circumstances) magically knowing how to drive a motorcycle, for God's sake.
Unnecessary, pointless, unexplained passages--the first 70 pages is essentially filler--just such a waste.
This irritated me to no end. It felt like the author was aiming for some beautifully-written touching evocation of Peter S. Beagle and Ray Bradbury, and they got the Smaller Dumpling Amateur Theatrical Society's presentation of the director's 8 year old's dramatization of War and Peace instead. It's just so far off the mark.
(I was this close to stopping reading, but I had to wonder if anything paid off eventually--maybe the main character, say, turned out to be in a video game and that's why he could magically do everything, and why the NPCs were so unconvincing, etc., but no.)
Not for me.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).
summeri94's review against another edition
I thought it was something else. No interest.
melduro's review against another edition
3.0
3,5/5
C’était doux comme histoire. Une belle histoire d’amitié. C’était un peu long avant d’embarquer complètement dans l’histoire par contre.
C’était doux comme histoire. Une belle histoire d’amitié. C’était un peu long avant d’embarquer complètement dans l’histoire par contre.