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greene_house_gases's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
darkslinky's review against another edition
5.0
This might just be Isobelle's best book! Such a tragically beautiful portrayal of grief through the eyes of a child; stunning imagery which will gently tug at your heart strings. I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend it.
jdhobbes's review against another edition
4.0
A beautiful, sad fantasy; heartfelt and terrible, but uplifting at the same time.
My only criticism is that I think the story would have been stronger if left to stand on its own, without the interjections of reality as Jack explains to Ellen what it means.
I don't usually read YA fiction, but I had a book of Isobelle Carmody's (The Gathering) that I had read many many years ago and still remember as one of my favorites. I had never read any of her books though, so I decided to seek them out. Her prose is beautifully poetic without ever straying towards purple, and should be accessible to both adults and younger readers, although children may find some of her themes and imagery quite frightening. (I'm pretty sure I was in elementary school when I first read The Gathering, but I always loved horror.)
My only criticism is that I think the story would have been stronger if left to stand on its own, without the interjections of reality as Jack explains to Ellen what it means.
I don't usually read YA fiction, but I had a book of Isobelle Carmody's (The Gathering) that I had read many many years ago and still remember as one of my favorites. I had never read any of her books though, so I decided to seek them out. Her prose is beautifully poetic without ever straying towards purple, and should be accessible to both adults and younger readers, although children may find some of her themes and imagery quite frightening. (I'm pretty sure I was in elementary school when I first read The Gathering, but I always loved horror.)
electricbluesyrup's review against another edition
4.0
It was a little boring at the beginning, but at the end it ended up being such a beautiful metaphor about grief and childhood abuse. I cried while in a zoom meeting because I was reading it at the same time.
stefhyena's review against another edition
5.0
An amazingly sensitive look at mental illness and the trauma young carers may face. It haunted me and made me a better person to read this.
laurenmitchell's review against another edition
4.0
Love Isobelle Carmody. Would have loved the book a whole lot more if I wasn't dealing with depression right now, because I didn't cotton on going in that I was going to be reading about depression and suicide. OOPS. She still deserves four stars though because it's not her fault I read it at a bad time and as usual her prose was fab and the story all fit together beautifully.
maree_k's review against another edition
5.0
Isobelle Carmody is one of my favourite writers, and this speculative fiction novel for children is a beautifully rendered exploration of grief after the loss of a parent.
Greylands tells the story of 12-year-old Jack who is trying to come to terms with the recent death of his mother, as well as deal with the deep grief and depression of his father. The story begins with an "Alice in Wonderland" feel as Jack finds himself drawn into the other side of the mirror, where he meets a mysterious girl who calls herself Alice. Alice is anxious and frightened, running away from the "wolvers" who she claims want to steal her precious package. Throughout the novel, Jack moves in and out of the "real world" and the nightmare world of Greylands, while telling his younger sister, Ellen, about Greylands as a bedtime story, using her favourite book of fairy-tales as a source of inspiration.
A key point that Carmody makes throughout the novel is that some emotions cannot be expressed in concrete terms, or even in words. They must be explored through metaphor, and that for children who are trying to cope with devastating grief, an imagined world provides a way to work through these emotions and move forward from great loss.
Carmody does not shy away from addressing the reality of the death of a parent. Nevertheless this is a gentle story, using beautiful language rich with symbolism, to open up a way into the heart of grief, to face it and move through it. The hopeful ending illustrates that grief, while always present, will fade, and joy in life can be found again. For any child or young teen (or adult for that matter) who is struggling with grief in their lives, no matter what the cause, Greylands is a novel that can help work through and those feelings.
Highly recommended for ages 9 years and up.
Greylands tells the story of 12-year-old Jack who is trying to come to terms with the recent death of his mother, as well as deal with the deep grief and depression of his father. The story begins with an "Alice in Wonderland" feel as Jack finds himself drawn into the other side of the mirror, where he meets a mysterious girl who calls herself Alice. Alice is anxious and frightened, running away from the "wolvers" who she claims want to steal her precious package. Throughout the novel, Jack moves in and out of the "real world" and the nightmare world of Greylands, while telling his younger sister, Ellen, about Greylands as a bedtime story, using her favourite book of fairy-tales as a source of inspiration.
A key point that Carmody makes throughout the novel is that some emotions cannot be expressed in concrete terms, or even in words. They must be explored through metaphor, and that for children who are trying to cope with devastating grief, an imagined world provides a way to work through these emotions and move forward from great loss.
Carmody does not shy away from addressing the reality of the death of a parent. Nevertheless this is a gentle story, using beautiful language rich with symbolism, to open up a way into the heart of grief, to face it and move through it. The hopeful ending illustrates that grief, while always present, will fade, and joy in life can be found again. For any child or young teen (or adult for that matter) who is struggling with grief in their lives, no matter what the cause, Greylands is a novel that can help work through and those feelings.
Highly recommended for ages 9 years and up.
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