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dramagirl2003's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
a childhood favourite of mine. doesn’t quite pack the same satisfaction reading as an adult, but still an amazing book
age rating — 8+
age rating — 8+
thoughts while rereading
p12: slay miss minton 👑 a whole trunk full of books 📚
p153: oh miss minton was the maid that helped bernard , that’s how finn knows her!
p167: i’m not sure i fully picked up on this before, but if the crows no longer care about getting finn then that means he probably could’ve just waited them out and carried on with his expedition after they left
p188: well done everyone, exemplary work. nice touch gifting finn back his dad’s watch
p232: i know what happens, he keels over and dies
p296: SLAY
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation
Minor: Grief and Death of parent
simomo's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Beautiful story; the writing is tight, eloquent, funny and sentimental without any wallowing. A thoughtful exploration of bereavement and search for one's place in the world outside of expected or 'proper' roles. I read this book as a young kid and loved it— it really opened my eyes to the wonder and beauty of the Amazon jungle, as well as to looking past stereotypes and colonial expectations. It was written after the author lost her husband, who was a naturalist. Journey to the River Sea is so clearly both an expression of the author's loss, as well as a love letter to both her late husband and what brought him joy.
Reading it again as an adult, I was concerned about the historical racist and bigoted rhetoric, violence, and inappropriate terminology the characters encounter, as the story is set in the early 20th century and the main cast is predominantly English. But I found the way Eva Ibbotson used the above as teachable plot devices, showing the readers how misguided and dangerous a colonial mindset is, quite pleasantly surprising. That being said, it is very much written from an English perspective, and I am not from Brazil nor do I know much about the Indigenous peoples of the Amazon. There are possibly things that I am missing or overlooking due to ignorance.
I would recommend this book to both youth and adults! It's such a fast paced and expansive story, but so cozy, and the ending is incredibly heartwarming. A definite favourite of mine. This book motivated me go outside and really try to observe the incredible beauty of our natural world.
Reading it again as an adult, I was concerned about the historical racist and bigoted rhetoric, violence, and inappropriate terminology the characters encounter, as the story is set in the early 20th century and the main cast is predominantly English. But I found the way Eva Ibbotson used the above as teachable plot devices, showing the readers how misguided and dangerous a colonial mindset is, quite pleasantly surprising. That being said, it is very much written from an English perspective, and I am not from Brazil nor do I know much about the Indigenous peoples of the Amazon. There are possibly things that I am missing or overlooking due to ignorance.
I would recommend this book to both youth and adults! It's such a fast paced and expansive story, but so cozy, and the ending is incredibly heartwarming. A definite favourite of mine. This book motivated me go outside and really try to observe the incredible beauty of our natural world.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Classism
Mentions of violence against indentured workersruthmoog's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
4.0
I ended up enjoying this story in spite of myself! The author really knew how to write some obnoxious characters, and the way the plot came together was v pleasing.
However, as much as the story was a good romp, I have a problem with how the white characters were clearly divided into 'good' colonists, who you are supposed to be on side with, and bad colonists, who are mean and horrid, and, _aren't the good colonists good_ because they're not horrid like the bad ones.
However, as much as the story was a good romp, I have a problem with how the white characters were clearly divided into 'good' colonists, who you are supposed to be on side with, and bad colonists, who are mean and horrid, and, _aren't the good colonists good_ because they're not horrid like the bad ones.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Colonisation
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Deportation
Use of pesticides
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