mat_tobin's review
3.0
As with most of Almond's stories, this is a tale whose liminality crosses between the reader asking what is and is not real and how much belief they have within and without in travelling between those spaces. At the centre of the liminal space, standing between sand and sea, myth and reality and school and home is Anne Lumsden who lives with her mum in the northeast of England.
Beset by seizures in her teenage years and mocked by her classmates for her learning difficulties, Annie has always felt like she does not fit in and feels closer to the sea and its denizens than people. Her mother, who is creative and caring and deeply loving, weaves stories around her daughter to make her happy and smile. One day, Annie wishes for a fantastical story of her birth and, asking her mum to make it magical, discovers that her heritage and home might be more mysterious than her mother was initially letting on.
A novella brimming with mystery and waves of questions and sumptuously illustrated by Alemagna, it is a tale that celebrates the fantasies and truths that stories can hold.
Beset by seizures in her teenage years and mocked by her classmates for her learning difficulties, Annie has always felt like she does not fit in and feels closer to the sea and its denizens than people. Her mother, who is creative and caring and deeply loving, weaves stories around her daughter to make her happy and smile. One day, Annie wishes for a fantastical story of her birth and, asking her mum to make it magical, discovers that her heritage and home might be more mysterious than her mother was initially letting on.
A novella brimming with mystery and waves of questions and sumptuously illustrated by Alemagna, it is a tale that celebrates the fantasies and truths that stories can hold.
kajh23's review
5.0
I love David Almond. This book is otherworldly and beautiful. It’s a delicious tale of a girl from the sea and her sea shanty loving mother. Just gorgeous.
gen_wolfhailstorm's review
3.0
I enjoyed this much more than the book I read by this author, beforehand (Joe Quinn's Poltergeist).
This story felt magical and gentle and was sweet to read.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
This story felt magical and gentle and was sweet to read.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
graypeape's review
5.0
I'm a bit at a loss for what to say about this story, because I'm not really sure what happened. I can tell you for sure that I enjoyed it quite a bit- it's magical, like a folk tale, and you can't really be sure the magic isn't real. It's dreamy and dreamlike, and there are dreams in the story, but are they dreams, or are they memories? It's sweet, a bit odd, and pretty much confusing, but confusing in a good way. The illustrations throughout add to the quirky, not quite real is this a dream? quality, and I'm not sure how I feel about the ending yet, but I will read this again, and love it again. I know young me would've adored this book! This won't be a book for everyone; it's not tidy, it leaves you pondering, but I hope all who will love this little gem will find it.
ssione55's review
4.0
3.5
This was good, though very strange. I'm not sure what kid to recommend it to, but I did enjoy the fairytale nature and illustrations of it.
This was good, though very strange. I'm not sure what kid to recommend it to, but I did enjoy the fairytale nature and illustrations of it.
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