The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
paperbackmo's review against another edition
2.0
It's about a quarter of the way through before the story actually gets moving. Quite a boring read for me.
rebeccadanielle's review against another edition
4.0
Another favourite of mine, this book is such a brilliant book. It's so real and heartbreaking as well as hopeful. It's a great book.
alstra's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
ailsareads's review against another edition
3.0
I wasn’t sure how I felt about this book at first - I thought it offered quite a reductive portrait of Tanzania, but further into the book it expanded this and showed the author really loved the country. My one real criticism is that Rosa is supposed to be thirteen, yet she has the emotional maturity of an eight year old. It was a little bit jarring, as were the constant changes in narrator mid-chapter. I did get sucked into it at the end though, and really grew to love Abela. I would recommend this book for children learning about Tanzania or immigration - it would stimulate some great classroom discussion about other countries, and how it would feel for a child moving to a new country. I just wish that Rosa was as young as she sounds!
(I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review)
(I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review)
ijustkindalikebooks's review against another edition
4.0
This is a great story.
What I really liked from the start how the story is constructed, showing the two perspectives of the girls in the book. Abela and Rosa’s contrasting stories are throughout this book written perfectly, and how the writer threads similar themes through each girl’s story (for example, the starting chapter’s references to shadows) really show just how the characters tie but contrast.
This book quickly does become a page turner as the story begins to grow, particularly Abela’s story as her life quickly changes in this book. For both characters you see development as Rosa adapts to the idea of having a sister, but also you see Abela finally get the ending she deserves after going through so much.
A story that covers an array of social issues too through two great characters, The Girl Who Saw Lions is a book that puts an important focus on adoption, trafficking, AIDS and privilege (maybe the last less consciously) that no matter what age you are I think you would gain something from reading it.
Side note: The artwork for this edition is beautiful!
(I got an ARC from Netgalley for a review).
What I really liked from the start how the story is constructed, showing the two perspectives of the girls in the book. Abela and Rosa’s contrasting stories are throughout this book written perfectly, and how the writer threads similar themes through each girl’s story (for example, the starting chapter’s references to shadows) really show just how the characters tie but contrast.
This book quickly does become a page turner as the story begins to grow, particularly Abela’s story as her life quickly changes in this book. For both characters you see development as Rosa adapts to the idea of having a sister, but also you see Abela finally get the ending she deserves after going through so much.
A story that covers an array of social issues too through two great characters, The Girl Who Saw Lions is a book that puts an important focus on adoption, trafficking, AIDS and privilege (maybe the last less consciously) that no matter what age you are I think you would gain something from reading it.
Side note: The artwork for this edition is beautiful!
(I got an ARC from Netgalley for a review).
shariq312's review against another edition
4.0
It's one of those books, you start and keep on reading until you devour it to the end. Not because of best-selling tag or somebody loved it so you would too, but because it's simple, uncomplicated and carries a smooth pace throughout.
Abela, a Tanzanian (a country in Africa) girl suffers from absolute poverty and loses her beloved parents one by one. This girl is hard-working and enjoys every moment of life, and combat the trauma for losing her father at an early age, and then her mother to HIV.
Rosa, on the other side, belongs to a stable family lives in northern England city called Sheffield. She loves to skate along with her mother. Her life becomes a bit numb when she listens to the urge of her mother to adopt a child, especially from Tanzania.
Abela moves to England through illicit immigration foster by her Uncle Thomas and her illegal wife Sussie. In order to get the British Passport Thomas performs this risk and gets nothing, but curse from intelligence forces when Abela innocently spills all the matter to one of the School's principal in England. Her matter gets worse when she receives a letter from Sussie who now faces the accuse. The letter is about the pardon from Sussie to mistreating Abela and the news of her Grandmother demise to Malaria.
Later on, Rosa agreed to have an adopted child and he was Anthony, a fluffy boy. He later finds his father and he moves away from Rosa's house. Now the fate of Abela was to meet them and it did happen in the end.
It was a straightforward read. I loved the cute character of Poor Abela who speaks broken English and I am sure you will love it too listening to the vague sentences she tries to speak the pain she hides. â– I SO LOVED THE COVERâ–
Abela, a Tanzanian (a country in Africa) girl suffers from absolute poverty and loses her beloved parents one by one. This girl is hard-working and enjoys every moment of life, and combat the trauma for losing her father at an early age, and then her mother to HIV.
Rosa, on the other side, belongs to a stable family lives in northern England city called Sheffield. She loves to skate along with her mother. Her life becomes a bit numb when she listens to the urge of her mother to adopt a child, especially from Tanzania.
Abela moves to England through illicit immigration foster by her Uncle Thomas and her illegal wife Sussie. In order to get the British Passport Thomas performs this risk and gets nothing, but curse from intelligence forces when Abela innocently spills all the matter to one of the School's principal in England. Her matter gets worse when she receives a letter from Sussie who now faces the accuse. The letter is about the pardon from Sussie to mistreating Abela and the news of her Grandmother demise to Malaria.
Later on, Rosa agreed to have an adopted child and he was Anthony, a fluffy boy. He later finds his father and he moves away from Rosa's house. Now the fate of Abela was to meet them and it did happen in the end.
It was a straightforward read. I loved the cute character of Poor Abela who speaks broken English and I am sure you will love it too listening to the vague sentences she tries to speak the pain she hides. â– I SO LOVED THE COVERâ–
andreiaoh's review
4.0
This is a tentative 4 stars...In all honestly closer to 3.5 but I really loved the story and the message of this book that I could look past things that would lower its rating.
Namely, the writing wasn't fantastic but I am not the target age to be reading this - this is more middle grade, if not less, definitely made for children. I am not a child and therefore it was a really easy read for me.
But Abela's story was incredible and really made me think a lot about the world. In comparison, Rosa's story was much less interesting but I understand the comparison that is needed there.
Namely, the writing wasn't fantastic but I am not the target age to be reading this - this is more middle grade, if not less, definitely made for children. I am not a child and therefore it was a really easy read for me.
But Abela's story was incredible and really made me think a lot about the world. In comparison, Rosa's story was much less interesting but I understand the comparison that is needed there.
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