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sams84's review against another edition
4.0
A vivid and beautifully written tale that follows Maia as she begins a new life on the banks of the Amazon after the loss of her parents two years previous. At first she is excited and eagerly awaiting her arrival, makes plans and imagining all wonderful things she will do with her new siblings and guardians. However when she and her governess, Miss Minton, arrive at the Carters riverside home, things are not quite how they imagined. Mr Carter is a bit of a recluse, Mrs Carter longs for her home in England and constantly worries about 'the outside' getting into her insecticide covered home and the twins are just down right rotten. However Maia and Miss Minton make the best of their new lives and manage to create their own little piece of heaven in the middle of the Carters hell.
Beautifully written with vivid and descriptive prose that take you right to the heart of a jungle full of exotic plants and animals and local tribespeople that are full of life. The characters are well written with little quirks and mannerisms that you are bound to recognise, either from yourself or those around you, adding that little extra sense of realism and dash of humour that keeps the light-hearted feel of the book going, no matter how bad things get at the Carters. A brilliant book that will appeal to adults and children alike, the only downside is that it has to come to an end (so wanted this book to be longer, it was that good I read it in a day).
Beautifully written with vivid and descriptive prose that take you right to the heart of a jungle full of exotic plants and animals and local tribespeople that are full of life. The characters are well written with little quirks and mannerisms that you are bound to recognise, either from yourself or those around you, adding that little extra sense of realism and dash of humour that keeps the light-hearted feel of the book going, no matter how bad things get at the Carters. A brilliant book that will appeal to adults and children alike, the only downside is that it has to come to an end (so wanted this book to be longer, it was that good I read it in a day).
bikingturtle's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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? No
5.0
what_katie_read_in_ca's review against another edition
5.0
What a wonderful journey to the river sea! I loved this book--it reminded me a bit of Katherine Rundell's stories and I've read others by Eva Ibbotson but I especially loved this one.
hatto's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
paul56's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
wanderingstories's review against another edition
4.0
This book of her's is so much better than The Secret of Platform 13.
Eva Ibbotson's detailed imaginative description of the Amazon River and the inhabitants is so lush and vivid. I felt like I was there with Maia and Mrs Minton
Eva Ibbotson's detailed imaginative description of the Amazon River and the inhabitants is so lush and vivid. I felt like I was there with Maia and Mrs Minton
show_no_mercy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Review for future child. Trigger warnings for injury, fire, violence, bullying by family members. I can absolutely see why Emma Carroll's foreword to the 20th anniversary edition was so glowing. This is a great book for any child probably 10+ and I'm not suprised her pupils were so hooked. Obviously there are some questionable choices about describing native Amazonians as 'indians' but overall I think the message of embracing and learning from cultures other than your own is a good one that, while occassionally overtly stated, is also woven through the story. The ending had me on the verge of getting misty eyed with happiness. I love a children's book that respects its audience and Ibbotson definitely does. You can also tell that she had a keen eye for the little quirks that give her characters, even the cartoonishly villainous ones, that spark of life which lifts them off the page. My only tiny complaint is that I wish we'd had a bit more time on the journeys themselves but most of them have brief descriptions and then are skipped over to the next scene where the characters have arrived.