shayaan's review against another edition
4.0
A quick and enjoyable read recommended by me for those who need to read something new.
hdean's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
proffy's review against another edition
3.0
The Short and Sweet of It
Lila wants nothing more than to follow in her father's footsteps and become a fully fledged firework-maker. Unfortunately, her father has other plans for her, mostly involving becoming someone's wife. Through a bit of trickery, she finds out that to become a true firework-maker she must travel to Mount Merapi and face down the Fire-Fiend for some Royal Sulphur. She runs away to fulfill her destiny, but what she doesn't know about the trip could end her.
A Bit of a Ramble
The Firework-Maker's Daughter struck me as a funny, cute story about the power of friendship and the importance of individual choice. Lila's success - her very life - depends upon her her good friend Chulak and the white elephant he takes care of aka Hamlet. The relationship between Chulak and Hamlet also illustrates the role of friendship in that both are lost without the other. Simultaneously, the book focuses on acceptance of individual choice. Had Lila's father accepted her decision to become a firework-maker, a lot of drama could have been avoided. If Chulak accepted Hamlet's love for Frangipani, time would have been saved. If the king...okay, I'll stop now so I don't ruin any more of the story than I already have!
Memorable Quote: Illusions, Lila. Fire burns away all our illusions. The world itself is all illusion. Everything that exists flickers like a flame for a moment, and then vanishes. The only thing that lasts is change itself.
Quotes like this simultaneously intrigue me and worry me. I'm fascinated by the relationship between Illusion and Reality and the ability of individual people to modify and manipulate Reality in order to create their own particular version. At the same time, part of me wants to lock myself in a room, hug myself, and rock back and forth while humming when I start thinking too hard about all of it.
Lila wants nothing more than to follow in her father's footsteps and become a fully fledged firework-maker. Unfortunately, her father has other plans for her, mostly involving becoming someone's wife. Through a bit of trickery, she finds out that to become a true firework-maker she must travel to Mount Merapi and face down the Fire-Fiend for some Royal Sulphur. She runs away to fulfill her destiny, but what she doesn't know about the trip could end her.
A Bit of a Ramble
The Firework-Maker's Daughter struck me as a funny, cute story about the power of friendship and the importance of individual choice. Lila's success - her very life - depends upon her her good friend Chulak and the white elephant he takes care of aka Hamlet. The relationship between Chulak and Hamlet also illustrates the role of friendship in that both are lost without the other. Simultaneously, the book focuses on acceptance of individual choice. Had Lila's father accepted her decision to become a firework-maker, a lot of drama could have been avoided. If Chulak accepted Hamlet's love for Frangipani, time would have been saved. If the king...okay, I'll stop now so I don't ruin any more of the story than I already have!
Memorable Quote: Illusions, Lila. Fire burns away all our illusions. The world itself is all illusion. Everything that exists flickers like a flame for a moment, and then vanishes. The only thing that lasts is change itself.
Quotes like this simultaneously intrigue me and worry me. I'm fascinated by the relationship between Illusion and Reality and the ability of individual people to modify and manipulate Reality in order to create their own particular version. At the same time, part of me wants to lock myself in a room, hug myself, and rock back and forth while humming when I start thinking too hard about all of it.
dudsquad's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.0
sharnibee's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
lucyhollerer's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
slahive's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
palsayfara's review against another edition
5.0
uuuh...uda cape2 bikin review tadi...ilang begitu saja...tdk ke save..huhuhuhu...
pokonya buku ini bagus sekali, buku anak2 tapi dengan pemahaman luar biasa.
bahasanya a la story teller tapi menyenangkan, berisi isu2 gender, animal care, friendship, mix-ras, kasih sayang antara ayah & anak...wah lengkap banget.
yang paling memorable & inspirasional adalah mengenai 3 bekal yang harus dibawa oleh Lila, pemeran utamanya, untk mendapatkan sulfur bangsawan guna menjadi pembuat kembang api hebat.
3 bekal: bakat, keberanian & nasib baik.
sulfur bangsawan: kebijaksanaan
yg hebatnya, nasib baik disini bukanlah berarti lila selalu beruntung dalam perjalanannya, tetapi salah satu nasib baik yg dimiliki lila adalah bahwa ia memiliki teman2 baik yang siap membantunya pada saat dibutuhkan. menarik ya?
fortune=good friend
very entertaining lah dengan harga yg terjangkau..Rp. 18 rb di gramedia. My kids are definitely MUST read this book.
pokonya buku ini bagus sekali, buku anak2 tapi dengan pemahaman luar biasa.
bahasanya a la story teller tapi menyenangkan, berisi isu2 gender, animal care, friendship, mix-ras, kasih sayang antara ayah & anak...wah lengkap banget.
yang paling memorable & inspirasional adalah mengenai 3 bekal yang harus dibawa oleh Lila, pemeran utamanya, untk mendapatkan sulfur bangsawan guna menjadi pembuat kembang api hebat.
3 bekal: bakat, keberanian & nasib baik.
sulfur bangsawan: kebijaksanaan
yg hebatnya, nasib baik disini bukanlah berarti lila selalu beruntung dalam perjalanannya, tetapi salah satu nasib baik yg dimiliki lila adalah bahwa ia memiliki teman2 baik yang siap membantunya pada saat dibutuhkan. menarik ya?
fortune=good friend
very entertaining lah dengan harga yg terjangkau..Rp. 18 rb di gramedia. My kids are definitely MUST read this book.
i_will_papercut_a_bish's review against another edition
4.0
A charming, very funny chapter book read that isn't short on beautiful language and well-developed characters. A good novel for precocious readers who are looking for something ambitious but not boring/overwhelming in length.
Pullman pours the same sort of delicious detail into his shorter works as his did in His Dark Materials. Recommend highly.
Pullman pours the same sort of delicious detail into his shorter works as his did in His Dark Materials. Recommend highly.
pumpkincore's review against another edition
2.0
From the summary I read (I borrowed this through my library's e-borrowing service), I didn't realize this was a script rather than a novel, so that was a bit disorienting.
Pullman has long been a favorite author, and I've been hunting down some more of his obscure-to-me works (The Golden Compass is his only popular work where I live.) and I remain infatuated with his world building, his dialogue, and his general cleverness. But I really would have preferred a novelized version of this story, where I could be shown more of the world in words, and get deeper into his characters.
For what it was, though, it was an enjoyable afternoon read. Gotta love those troublemaking girls~
Pullman has long been a favorite author, and I've been hunting down some more of his obscure-to-me works (The Golden Compass is his only popular work where I live.) and I remain infatuated with his world building, his dialogue, and his general cleverness. But I really would have preferred a novelized version of this story, where I could be shown more of the world in words, and get deeper into his characters.
For what it was, though, it was an enjoyable afternoon read. Gotta love those troublemaking girls~