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ljutavidra's review against another edition
2.0
Videh ovu knjigu (sa lepšim koricama) na Vulkanovom sajtu u odeljku sa knjigama na engleskom, i pošto su me te lepše korice asocirale na Bellweather Rhapsody, odlučila sam da ovome dam šansu.
Preletela sam preko sinopsisa (mnogo glupo s moje strane) i odlučila da odmah počnem s čitanjem (još jedna glupa odluka).
Čim sam pročitala prvu stranu, shvatila sam da je ovo za čitaoce znatno mlađeg uzrasta. Vratim se ovde i vidim YA. Pomislim, a šta sad, nije ni prva ni poslednja YA knjiga koju ću pročitati, šta ima veze. Nastavim ja dalje, kad shvatim da je sve toliko bolno pojednostavljeno. Previše je i ovo za YA. I posle shvatim da je ovo zapravo "middle grade", tačnije za mlađe maloletnike. Ali pošto ima motive Alchajmerove bolesti i usputno prelaženje preko silovanja, strpano je brže-bolje u YA kategoriju. Tako da ne znam za koga je ova knjiga jer je svojim sadržajem za stariju publiku, a stilom za mlađu.
Takođe je radnja bila vrlo spora i pored fantastičnog elementa. Glavni lik Kozmo (šta je sa nebuloznim imenima u YA knjigama??) ima 16 godina, a ponaša se kao razmaženo derle od recimo navršenih 8.
Sve u svemu, ovo je bilo razočaravajuće u svakom pogledu i naučite na mojoj grešci, čitajte kojim sve žanrovima knjige pripadaju u onoj listi žanrova sa strane na profilu knjige.
Preletela sam preko sinopsisa (mnogo glupo s moje strane) i odlučila da odmah počnem s čitanjem (još jedna glupa odluka).
Čim sam pročitala prvu stranu, shvatila sam da je ovo za čitaoce znatno mlađeg uzrasta. Vratim se ovde i vidim YA. Pomislim, a šta sad, nije ni prva ni poslednja YA knjiga koju ću pročitati, šta ima veze. Nastavim ja dalje, kad shvatim da je sve toliko bolno pojednostavljeno. Previše je i ovo za YA. I posle shvatim da je ovo zapravo "middle grade", tačnije za mlađe maloletnike. Ali pošto ima motive Alchajmerove bolesti i usputno prelaženje preko silovanja, strpano je brže-bolje u YA kategoriju. Tako da ne znam za koga je ova knjiga jer je svojim sadržajem za stariju publiku, a stilom za mlađu.
Takođe je radnja bila vrlo spora i pored fantastičnog elementa. Glavni lik Kozmo (šta je sa nebuloznim imenima u YA knjigama??) ima 16 godina, a ponaša se kao razmaženo derle od recimo navršenih 8.
Sve u svemu, ovo je bilo razočaravajuće u svakom pogledu i naučite na mojoj grešci, čitajte kojim sve žanrovima knjige pripadaju u onoj listi žanrova sa strane na profilu knjige.
lawbooks600's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Representation: N/A
Score: Five points out of ten.
What a disappointment. I wanted to read Back to Blackbrick for a while even though it's around a decade old now (and it shows) but never got around till now. I picked it up from the library and immediately started reading it. However, when I closed the final page, Back to Blackbrick underwhelmed me.
It starts with the first character I see, Cosmo, living with his grandfather, who has memory loss. Grief afflicts Cosmo since his brother died but who knows how much time has passed since then? If Cosmo still grieves over him, it implies that the event happened only recently. Back to Blackbrick takes an intriguing when Cosmo unexpectedly travels backward in time to Blackbrick Abbey, with his grandfather's fate hanging in the air. I spend the middle of the narrative on Cosmo's experience living in Blackbrick Abbey in its glory days, most likely in the 19th or 20th centuries.
I found it challenging to read Back to Blackbrick in more ways than one. The pacing is slow for a story under 250 pages with nothing much happening, and I couldn't connect or relate to Cosmo. He was monotonous at first but soon grew insufferable when he spoke some offensive terms. Cosmo calls a website launched in 2005 'recent.' That would be a stretch now. Also, one can tell Back to Blackbrick is antediluvian when Cosmo recounts tragedies that occurred in the 2000s, like the 2004 tsunami or the 2001 attacks. If the author tried to publish Back to Blackbrick now, the publisher would either reject it or edit it more thoroughly. The conclusion had character development but it wasn't enough to save the entire fictional composition. I'm done with this author.
Score: Five points out of ten.
What a disappointment. I wanted to read Back to Blackbrick for a while even though it's around a decade old now (and it shows) but never got around till now. I picked it up from the library and immediately started reading it. However, when I closed the final page, Back to Blackbrick underwhelmed me.
It starts with the first character I see, Cosmo, living with his grandfather, who has memory loss. Grief afflicts Cosmo since his brother died but who knows how much time has passed since then? If Cosmo still grieves over him, it implies that the event happened only recently. Back to Blackbrick takes an intriguing when Cosmo unexpectedly travels backward in time to Blackbrick Abbey, with his grandfather's fate hanging in the air. I spend the middle of the narrative on Cosmo's experience living in Blackbrick Abbey in its glory days, most likely in the 19th or 20th centuries.
I found it challenging to read Back to Blackbrick in more ways than one. The pacing is slow for a story under 250 pages with nothing much happening, and I couldn't connect or relate to Cosmo. He was monotonous at first but soon grew insufferable when he spoke some offensive terms. Cosmo calls a website launched in 2005 'recent.' That would be a stretch now. Also, one can tell Back to Blackbrick is antediluvian when Cosmo recounts tragedies that occurred in the 2000s, like the 2004 tsunami or the 2001 attacks. If the author tried to publish Back to Blackbrick now, the publisher would either reject it or edit it more thoroughly. The conclusion had character development but it wasn't enough to save the entire fictional composition. I'm done with this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Minor: Ableism, Bullying, Child death, Slavery, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Full trigger warnings: Mass death in a terrorist attack, plane crash and building collapse, earthquake, tsunami and cyclone mentioned, slavery, pregnancy, death of a brother and child from a fall and other relatives in the past, grief and loss depiction, physical assault and injury, bullying, ableism, ableist slursrowananne's review against another edition
5.0
Wauw wat vond ik dit een bijzonder boek! Niet alleen het tijdreisaspect was leuk, maar alles zat heel goed in elkaar, de hoofdpersoon en andere karakters waren interessant én de manier waarop Alzheimer besproken wordt is heel mooi gedaan.
forever_day's review against another edition
3.0
Actual Rating: 3.5
I expected a novel in which Alzheimer's has such a prominent role to be a lot sadder. Instead I found a sweet (and yet still bittersweet) tale about a boy who goes time travelling. Memory loss and loss in general are a big theme, but Cosmo is such a sweet, (although a little naive) narrator that it is still a pleasure to read.
It does feel a little unresolved at the end but only in the same way that real life feels unresolved. Things we sad about and people don't always get better but those left behind just have to keep plodding on and doing there best.
I also liked the image that we're partly made up of people we've never met. Maybe we learnt a skill or an expression or response from someone who learnt that from someone else, maybe we just have physical features and personality traits from our great-grandparents. I like the idea of being a collage of different people (albeit a collage with the ability to make decisions and not blindly turn into a copy of any one person).
I expected a novel in which Alzheimer's has such a prominent role to be a lot sadder. Instead I found a sweet (and yet still bittersweet) tale about a boy who goes time travelling. Memory loss and loss in general are a big theme, but Cosmo is such a sweet, (although a little naive) narrator that it is still a pleasure to read.
It does feel a little unresolved at the end but only in the same way that real life feels unresolved. Things we sad about and people don't always get better but those left behind just have to keep plodding on and doing there best.
I also liked the image that we're partly made up of people we've never met. Maybe we learnt a skill or an expression or response from someone who learnt that from someone else, maybe we just have physical features and personality traits from our great-grandparents. I like the idea of being a collage of different people (albeit a collage with the ability to make decisions and not blindly turn into a copy of any one person).
thesarahstory's review against another edition
3.0
Handlung & Stil.
Das Buch ist insgesamt ein sehr ruhiges und eine sehr zarte Geschichte. Sie ist nicht gerade facettenreich und bietet keine großen Abenteuer. Aber wenn man sich auf die Geschichte einlässt, die Cosmo erzählt und erlebt, dann kann man eine schöne Zeit damit haben.
Es ist etwas, das mein Herz zwar nicht berührt hat, aber an der Oberfläche gekratzt hat es schon. Es ist eine Geschichte, die man gut jetzt zur Weihnachtszeit lesen kann. Es ist wie ein kleines Märchen, etwas das einem vielleicht nicht gerade Hoffnung gibt, aber ein Stück Liebe, ein Stück Zeit und ein Stück Mut, die Dinge anzupacken und etwas aus dem zu machen, was man hat.
Der Schreibstil ist ruhig und angenehm, es ist leicht zu lesen, aber für mich persönlich etwas, mit dem nur etwas ältere Leser etwas anfangen können. Lesen können es natürlich alle, da es für jedes Alter gerecht geschrieben wurde, wenn man von einer Szene absieht, die ich Kindern nicht unbedingt vorlesen würde oder sie lesen lassen würde, weil so etwas für mich nicht in Kinderohren gehört. Die Welt ist grausam und das werden Kinder schon noch früh genug erfahren. Da müssen wir sie mit solchen Aspekten in Geschichten nicht noch zusätzlich füttern. Geschichten für Kinder sollen eine heile Welt beinhalten, in der nicht viel Böses geschieht und wenn schon, dann nicht in dieser Form.
Erwachsene oder Menschen in meinem Alter können mit dieser Geschichte noch mal auf einer ganz anderen Ebene verschwinden, ganz andere Denkansätze ausleben und einfach viel mehr damit anfangen.
Charaktere & Schauplatz.
Mir wurde der Schauplatz nicht genug beschrieben. Allerdings hätte es die Geschichte in dieser Form auch nur noch in die Länge gezogen. Die Geschichte ist recht kurz und trotzdem ist sie lang genug. Die Charaktere helfen nicht gerade dabei, dass es spannend wird. Sie sind gut bearbeitet und sind authentisch und wundervoll, aber es blieben für mich einfach ein paar Märchenfiguren. Leider nicht mehr. Eine Geschichte, die ich sofort abschließe, wenn ich das Buch wieder zuklappe.
Cosmo war ein lieber Junge, über den man aber auch hätte einiges mehr erfahren können. Seine Gefühlswelt hätte sich noch weiter ausprägen lassen und es hätte der Geschichte noch etwas mitgegeben, was meiner Meinung nach wertvoll gewesen wäre. Somit blieben die Charaktere aber weitgehend neblig. Detailreich, aber neblig.
Der Schauplatz war an sich recht interessant und auch die ganze Atmosphäre im Buch wurde von Seite zu Seite dichter und man fühlt sich wirklich beim Lesen wie von einer Zeitschleife umhüllt. Als wäre man tatsächlich in einer anderen Welt, einer Traumwelt, etwas Unwirklichem. Ich habe mich zeitweise wirklich so gefühlt, als würde ich träumen... Das Buch vermittelt schon etwas Besonderes.
Sonstiges.
Ich würde das Buch auf jeden Fall Lesern ans Herz legen, die Lust auf etwas ruhiges, märchenhaftes wollen, das einem etwas über das Leben lehrt und wirklich irgendetwas hinterlässt. Das Buch beinhaltet ein doch tiefgründiges, ernstes und gesellschaftliches Thema, das eben heutzutage viele Familien mit älteren Menschen betrifft. Ein paar schöne Sätze zum Merken sind ebenfalls in der Geschichte enthalten und alleine dafür lohnt es sich schon, mal einen Blick zu riskieren.
Das Buch ist insgesamt ein sehr ruhiges und eine sehr zarte Geschichte. Sie ist nicht gerade facettenreich und bietet keine großen Abenteuer. Aber wenn man sich auf die Geschichte einlässt, die Cosmo erzählt und erlebt, dann kann man eine schöne Zeit damit haben.
Es ist etwas, das mein Herz zwar nicht berührt hat, aber an der Oberfläche gekratzt hat es schon. Es ist eine Geschichte, die man gut jetzt zur Weihnachtszeit lesen kann. Es ist wie ein kleines Märchen, etwas das einem vielleicht nicht gerade Hoffnung gibt, aber ein Stück Liebe, ein Stück Zeit und ein Stück Mut, die Dinge anzupacken und etwas aus dem zu machen, was man hat.
Der Schreibstil ist ruhig und angenehm, es ist leicht zu lesen, aber für mich persönlich etwas, mit dem nur etwas ältere Leser etwas anfangen können. Lesen können es natürlich alle, da es für jedes Alter gerecht geschrieben wurde, wenn man von einer Szene absieht, die ich Kindern nicht unbedingt vorlesen würde oder sie lesen lassen würde, weil so etwas für mich nicht in Kinderohren gehört. Die Welt ist grausam und das werden Kinder schon noch früh genug erfahren. Da müssen wir sie mit solchen Aspekten in Geschichten nicht noch zusätzlich füttern. Geschichten für Kinder sollen eine heile Welt beinhalten, in der nicht viel Böses geschieht und wenn schon, dann nicht in dieser Form.
Erwachsene oder Menschen in meinem Alter können mit dieser Geschichte noch mal auf einer ganz anderen Ebene verschwinden, ganz andere Denkansätze ausleben und einfach viel mehr damit anfangen.
Charaktere & Schauplatz.
Mir wurde der Schauplatz nicht genug beschrieben. Allerdings hätte es die Geschichte in dieser Form auch nur noch in die Länge gezogen. Die Geschichte ist recht kurz und trotzdem ist sie lang genug. Die Charaktere helfen nicht gerade dabei, dass es spannend wird. Sie sind gut bearbeitet und sind authentisch und wundervoll, aber es blieben für mich einfach ein paar Märchenfiguren. Leider nicht mehr. Eine Geschichte, die ich sofort abschließe, wenn ich das Buch wieder zuklappe.
Cosmo war ein lieber Junge, über den man aber auch hätte einiges mehr erfahren können. Seine Gefühlswelt hätte sich noch weiter ausprägen lassen und es hätte der Geschichte noch etwas mitgegeben, was meiner Meinung nach wertvoll gewesen wäre. Somit blieben die Charaktere aber weitgehend neblig. Detailreich, aber neblig.
Der Schauplatz war an sich recht interessant und auch die ganze Atmosphäre im Buch wurde von Seite zu Seite dichter und man fühlt sich wirklich beim Lesen wie von einer Zeitschleife umhüllt. Als wäre man tatsächlich in einer anderen Welt, einer Traumwelt, etwas Unwirklichem. Ich habe mich zeitweise wirklich so gefühlt, als würde ich träumen... Das Buch vermittelt schon etwas Besonderes.
Sonstiges.
Ich würde das Buch auf jeden Fall Lesern ans Herz legen, die Lust auf etwas ruhiges, märchenhaftes wollen, das einem etwas über das Leben lehrt und wirklich irgendetwas hinterlässt. Das Buch beinhaltet ein doch tiefgründiges, ernstes und gesellschaftliches Thema, das eben heutzutage viele Familien mit älteren Menschen betrifft. Ein paar schöne Sätze zum Merken sind ebenfalls in der Geschichte enthalten und alleine dafür lohnt es sich schon, mal einen Blick zu riskieren.
foreverday's review against another edition
3.0
Actual Rating: 3.5
I expected a novel in which Alzheimer's has such a prominent role to be a lot sadder. Instead I found a sweet (and yet still bittersweet) tale about a boy who goes time travelling. Memory loss and loss in general are a big theme, but Cosmo is such a sweet, (although a little naive) narrator that it is still a pleasure to read.
It does feel a little unresolved at the end but only in the same way that real life feels unresolved. Things we sad about and people don't always get better but those left behind just have to keep plodding on and doing there best.
I also liked the image that we're partly made up of people we've never met. Maybe we learnt a skill or an expression or response from someone who learnt that from someone else, maybe we just have physical features and personality traits from our great-grandparents. I like the idea of being a collage of different people (albeit a collage with the ability to make decisions and not blindly turn into a copy of any one person).
I expected a novel in which Alzheimer's has such a prominent role to be a lot sadder. Instead I found a sweet (and yet still bittersweet) tale about a boy who goes time travelling. Memory loss and loss in general are a big theme, but Cosmo is such a sweet, (although a little naive) narrator that it is still a pleasure to read.
It does feel a little unresolved at the end but only in the same way that real life feels unresolved. Things we sad about and people don't always get better but those left behind just have to keep plodding on and doing there best.
I also liked the image that we're partly made up of people we've never met. Maybe we learnt a skill or an expression or response from someone who learnt that from someone else, maybe we just have physical features and personality traits from our great-grandparents. I like the idea of being a collage of different people (albeit a collage with the ability to make decisions and not blindly turn into a copy of any one person).
chiaragiselle's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
littlereads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
4.75 stars!! So sad but so good. Definitely my favourite out of the two books by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald I’ve read.
caroleheidi's review against another edition
5.0
Back to Blackbrick is a magnificently clever book that was both heart warming and heart breaking in the same breath.
Alzheimer’s disease is something that affects an awful lot of people and is difficult for the people around them to deal with and Blackbrick handles this with a sensitive touch and a twist of fantasy.
Cosmo, the narrator of the story, hasn’t had the easiest of starts in life – his brother died when he was ten and his mother has vanished to another country to ‘work’, leaving him to live with his grandparents. The development of his Grandfather’s Alzheimer’s is the final straw and Cosmo refuses to accept it. At first he does what any young teenager would do when faced with a problem he doesn’t know how to fix – he asks the internet and believes every word he reads.
It is touchingly funny as Cosmo does his best to follow the instructions on a ‘Memory Cure’ website and you can’t help but chuckle at the outcomes of his endeavours (such as sticking post-it notes to everything so his Grandad won’t forget what they are called).
Then the book takes an almost fantastical turn as Cosmo follows a bizarre instruction from his Grandfather – to take an old key and visit Blackbrick Abbey, via the South Gates.
I loved the magic of this story, the relationship between Cosmo and his young Grandfather in Blackbrick was brilliantly funny as Cosmo struggled to try and shape the future without letting on everything he knew and making himself look like a lunatic.
Sensitively handling everything from Alzheimer’s through to death and childbirth, Back to Blackbrick manages to balance comedy and tragedy perfectly and had me crying and laughing in equal measure.
The only problem I had with this book was that for the first few chapters I managed to convince myself that Cosmo was a girl. I’m not sure what triggered this but I was really confused when I realised I was wrong and it threw me for a few pages. By half way through though I had completely forgotten my previous confusion and it didn’t detract from the story at all.
Alzheimer’s disease is something that affects an awful lot of people and is difficult for the people around them to deal with and Blackbrick handles this with a sensitive touch and a twist of fantasy.
Cosmo, the narrator of the story, hasn’t had the easiest of starts in life – his brother died when he was ten and his mother has vanished to another country to ‘work’, leaving him to live with his grandparents. The development of his Grandfather’s Alzheimer’s is the final straw and Cosmo refuses to accept it. At first he does what any young teenager would do when faced with a problem he doesn’t know how to fix – he asks the internet and believes every word he reads.
It is touchingly funny as Cosmo does his best to follow the instructions on a ‘Memory Cure’ website and you can’t help but chuckle at the outcomes of his endeavours (such as sticking post-it notes to everything so his Grandad won’t forget what they are called).
Then the book takes an almost fantastical turn as Cosmo follows a bizarre instruction from his Grandfather – to take an old key and visit Blackbrick Abbey, via the South Gates.
I loved the magic of this story, the relationship between Cosmo and his young Grandfather in Blackbrick was brilliantly funny as Cosmo struggled to try and shape the future without letting on everything he knew and making himself look like a lunatic.
Sensitively handling everything from Alzheimer’s through to death and childbirth, Back to Blackbrick manages to balance comedy and tragedy perfectly and had me crying and laughing in equal measure.
The only problem I had with this book was that for the first few chapters I managed to convince myself that Cosmo was a girl. I’m not sure what triggered this but I was really confused when I realised I was wrong and it threw me for a few pages. By half way through though I had completely forgotten my previous confusion and it didn’t detract from the story at all.
gatonolivro's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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