rosalita's review
1.0
(Note: I received a review copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This review also appears on my blog: http://www.juliegilbertbooks.com/2016/03/29/review-corner-bairdston/)
This one didn't do much for me. The description caught my attention - orphaned Moroccan siblings sent to a remote, forbidding boarding school in Scotland, where they encounter racism and bullying. I love boarding school novels. I love seeing diverse characters. Sadly, Bairdston squanders all of this potential, thanks to lack of plot, poor characterization, wooden dialogue, heavy-handed writing and lines like this: "It was unusual for a woman's intellect to flourish in the shade of great beauty, if only because beauty could demand priority service without art or artifice." Huh?
Cook writes thrillers - and from what I gleaned by reading other reviews - the characters in this book are spinoffs from another series. Maybe the thrillers are better? Skip this one.
1 star
This one didn't do much for me. The description caught my attention - orphaned Moroccan siblings sent to a remote, forbidding boarding school in Scotland, where they encounter racism and bullying. I love boarding school novels. I love seeing diverse characters. Sadly, Bairdston squanders all of this potential, thanks to lack of plot, poor characterization, wooden dialogue, heavy-handed writing and lines like this: "It was unusual for a woman's intellect to flourish in the shade of great beauty, if only because beauty could demand priority service without art or artifice." Huh?
Cook writes thrillers - and from what I gleaned by reading other reviews - the characters in this book are spinoffs from another series. Maybe the thrillers are better? Skip this one.
1 star
munleigh's review
2.0
Bairdston is about two young kids named Karim and Salima Kufdani who were living on the streets of Tangier when they come across a man who takes care of them in exchange they have to do something for him in return. After learning several things from the man named Alejandro Mohammed Cuchulain known as Cooch, Dr. Caitlin O'Connor known as Doctor and Tang, Karim and Salima are sent to Bairdston in Scotland to learn and acclimate with the kids there.
The author touches on subjects such as bullying and racism in children and in adults. We learn more about the cultural divide between the Westerners and the Middle Easterners. I wanted to care about the characters and the story but unfortunately, I could not. I admit it was tough to finish this book and only did so because of the review. Note, I did appreciate the details that went into writing the the boxing scenes as well as the football scenes.
Considering this is for teens and young adults, I'm not quite sure the author hit the mark on this one.
Review is also posted here: http://wp.me/p4Pp9O-74
I was given a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
The author touches on subjects such as bullying and racism in children and in adults. We learn more about the cultural divide between the Westerners and the Middle Easterners. I wanted to care about the characters and the story but unfortunately, I could not. I admit it was tough to finish this book and only did so because of the review. Note, I did appreciate the details that went into writing the the boxing scenes as well as the football scenes.
Considering this is for teens and young adults, I'm not quite sure the author hit the mark on this one.
Review is also posted here: http://wp.me/p4Pp9O-74
I was given a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
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