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A review by hayleybeale
The Children of the King by Sonya Hartnett
2.0
Cecily, her mother and brother leave London to go to stay with her uncle in the North of England just before the start of the Blitz, and they take in an evacuee, May. The two girls explore the surrounding countryside and find the ruins of Snow Castle, where they meet two boys dressed in curiously old-fashioned clothing.
What a strange book. It has a really old-fashioned description heavy style - some of the writing is wonderfully evocative, though much of it feels over-written. But I don't recall reading another book in which the author appears to not only dislike her protagonist, the hapless Cecily, but actively feels contempt for her - it makes for a very uncomfortable read. May isn't much more sympathetic as she appears to be aloof and rather snooty towards Cecily. The only character I warmed to was Jeremy, Cecily's older brother, and his intense frustration at not being old enough to participate in the war effort is really well conveyed. The story of Richard III (though unnamed) is woven in and is presented as 'true', though seems to follow the Shakespearean version somewhat more than the revisionist one - I think an author's note would have been helpful here.
I can't think of many kids who would enjoy this and I can't imagine myself recommending it to any.
What a strange book. It has a really old-fashioned description heavy style - some of the writing is wonderfully evocative, though much of it feels over-written. But I don't recall reading another book in which the author appears to not only dislike her protagonist, the hapless Cecily, but actively feels contempt for her - it makes for a very uncomfortable read. May isn't much more sympathetic as she appears to be aloof and rather snooty towards Cecily. The only character I warmed to was Jeremy, Cecily's older brother, and his intense frustration at not being old enough to participate in the war effort is really well conveyed. The story of Richard III (though unnamed) is woven in and is presented as 'true', though seems to follow the Shakespearean version somewhat more than the revisionist one - I think an author's note would have been helpful here.
I can't think of many kids who would enjoy this and I can't imagine myself recommending it to any.