melbsreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Trigger warnings: death of a parent, kidnapping, enslavement, animal death, homelessness, death of a child, blood, violence.
I picked this up purely because it's set in Ethiopia so I knew it would tick a box for my Read Around the World challenge. And it definitely did that. But that aside, I found the story somewhat disjointed with what was on the back of the book. Yes, it's about two boys from very different worlds who meet and end up living on the streets of Addis Ababa. But it's also the story of one boy's sister and the other's father and the boys that they end up living on the streets with, and as a result I kind of found that I was losing track of all the different threads going on in the story.
I also would have found it handy to have a map of Ethiopia in the front of the book just to give me some kind of idea of the distances we're talking about when people leave Addis Ababa for the country and vice versa.
I picked this up purely because it's set in Ethiopia so I knew it would tick a box for my Read Around the World challenge. And it definitely did that. But that aside, I found the story somewhat disjointed with what was on the back of the book. Yes, it's about two boys from very different worlds who meet and end up living on the streets of Addis Ababa. But it's also the story of one boy's sister and the other's father and the boys that they end up living on the streets with, and as a result I kind of found that I was losing track of all the different threads going on in the story.
I also would have found it handy to have a map of Ethiopia in the front of the book just to give me some kind of idea of the distances we're talking about when people leave Addis Ababa for the country and vice versa.
isobe_lw's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
3smallsalsmum's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
tehpengpls's review against another edition
4.0
4.5*!!
I couldn't put it down for very long!! I was very invested in the story and the ending was very realistic. The characters were also relatable and made you feel for them. The afterword was very strong too :)
I couldn't put it down for very long!! I was very invested in the story and the ending was very realistic. The characters were also relatable and made you feel for them. The afterword was very strong too :)
cavereads's review against another edition
4.0
Moving read of suffering and trials and how strength is found and people can overcome.
hummykk's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
analyticali's review against another edition
3.0
I might describe this book as charming if I didn't live in Addis. Instead, it's given me a fresh perspective on all the levels of poverty in Ethiopia. Addis is a world with many many tiers, and while nothing is zoned (and cows meander down my street) people can live simultaneously in completely different worlds. It's a thoughtful and insightful book by an outsider who clearly loves Ethiopia. Best of all (compared to plenty of serious Africa books that I find myself reading) it has a happy ending.
janebranson's review against another edition
5.0
I recently had the privilege of hearing Elizabeth Laird speak at a conference. What a woman. She had her audience spellbound with stories of her life and times in virtually every war-torn corner of the globe. When she recounted her meeting with Karate, the boy who didn't know his own name, the room teared up and I left with a signed copy of The Garbage King, in which Karate plays a minor but important role. It's a great story, managing to combine a moving exploration of some of the most challenging issues of our world - child slavery and kidnap, prostitution, AIDS, poverty - without at any time feeling like an issues-led book. The plot cracks along at an exciting pace, the interwoven narratives mirror each other most satisfyingly, and despite the horror, there is hope and an upbeat ending.
stephb413's review against another edition
4.0
This is a beautiful story inspired by actual kids living on the streets in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Worlds of two different boys merge as they work together to survive. Running away, families, finding and using skill-sets, joining family, poverty, and human trafficking are all themes, and although mature are still appropriate for young-ish readers. A page turning and gripping read for any age. I will certainly seek out more books by Laird. Highly recommended.
etu_e's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0