wintermote's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Absolutely loved this series as a child—unfortunately they haven’t aged well. Very troubling references to native Americans including terms now seen as offensive. Also the beginning pages are very challenging in terms of an angry vengeful view of God.
emmierose_721's review against another edition
3.0
This book was so nostalgic! As I have gotten older, I realize just how problematic this book really is, though I am sure younger readers would enjoy it. This book was good and I did have a lot of fun revisiting it now that I am older.
sarahbliss's review
lighthearted
mysterious
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
3.0
bcbartuska's review against another edition
3.0
A fun trip down into nostalgia. I loved these books as a kid.
melmo2610's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book as a kid and I enjoyed listening to it as an adult. It had been 25 years or more since I first read this story so I didn’t really remember it consciously although the characters did seem familiar but I didn’t remember the ending and I loved it when during my reread of the audio edition. I plan to revisit more of this series!
panda_incognito's review against another edition
1.0
This book, which I think I last read in 2007, is a special kind of terrible. The plot twist at the end filled me with skepticism and disdain even when I was a child, and even though I have entertained myself on countless occasions by imagining what would happen if , the character who did so in this book had such a wildly insufficient reason to do so that the whole affair just made him seem incredibly selfish, short-sighted, and unconcerned with the needs and feelings of other people.
Overall series review:
When I was a kid, I devoured the existing books in this series and looked forward to each new installment, because the Mandie books delighted my appetite for historical fiction, adventures, mysteries, boarding school stories, Native American history and culture [that I now recognize as wildly appropriated and somewhat inaccurate], etc., etc. They fueled my imagination, introduced me to new period details, and entertained me greatly.
However! However! The prose in these books is amazingly awful, and the characterization leaves lots to be desired. The books are also incredibly preachy, and even before I was cultured enough to recognize the books' other flaws, the surface-level Christianity made me squirm. I especially disliked the contrast between each book's Life Lesson about God and the ways that the children would misbehave, break rules, lie, try to coerce each other into marriage, and disobey adults without facing significant consequences.
Whenever my mother would wonder if these books were really any good, I would defend them vociferously, even while acknowledging that yes, it was incredibly disturbing that Joe kept trying to bribe Mandie into agreeing to marry him, and yes, people routinely behaved in profoundly unwise and ethically twisted ways. But still, even that was educational! I learned so much from these books, because as my dad says, "No man is all bad... He can always be used as a bad example." I would never recommend this series to anyone, but if the worst trash that I read as a kid was this educational about both history and life, I can't really complain.
And, besides, I really don't regret having read these. I couldn't suffer through a page of one now, but they kept me fascinated when I was younger, and are one of several series that determined my lifelong passion for turn-of-the-century history and fiction. As terrible as these books are, they played a significant role in my development. Also, I still reference my memories of these books as guides for what not to do in my own writing. If a plot or character idea smacks of something that might have appeared in a Mandie book, it's time to leave that historical fiction trope by the wayside.
Spoiler
I faked my own deathOverall series review:
When I was a kid, I devoured the existing books in this series and looked forward to each new installment, because the Mandie books delighted my appetite for historical fiction, adventures, mysteries, boarding school stories, Native American history and culture [that I now recognize as wildly appropriated and somewhat inaccurate], etc., etc. They fueled my imagination, introduced me to new period details, and entertained me greatly.
However! However! The prose in these books is amazingly awful, and the characterization leaves lots to be desired. The books are also incredibly preachy, and even before I was cultured enough to recognize the books' other flaws, the surface-level Christianity made me squirm. I especially disliked the contrast between each book's Life Lesson about God and the ways that the children would misbehave, break rules, lie, try to coerce each other into marriage, and disobey adults without facing significant consequences.
Whenever my mother would wonder if these books were really any good, I would defend them vociferously, even while acknowledging that yes, it was incredibly disturbing that Joe kept trying to bribe Mandie into agreeing to marry him, and yes, people routinely behaved in profoundly unwise and ethically twisted ways. But still, even that was educational! I learned so much from these books, because as my dad says, "No man is all bad... He can always be used as a bad example." I would never recommend this series to anyone, but if the worst trash that I read as a kid was this educational about both history and life, I can't really complain.
And, besides, I really don't regret having read these. I couldn't suffer through a page of one now, but they kept me fascinated when I was younger, and are one of several series that determined my lifelong passion for turn-of-the-century history and fiction. As terrible as these books are, they played a significant role in my development. Also, I still reference my memories of these books as guides for what not to do in my own writing. If a plot or character idea smacks of something that might have appeared in a Mandie book, it's time to leave that historical fiction trope by the wayside.
shannonreid's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved the books in these series as a child.
sean67's review against another edition
4.0
The first book in the Mandie series sees a young girl deal with grief and mystery.
The Christian aspects were OK, s little light, and more Psalms and talking to God, less on the Christological side and faith in Christ, but maybe that will come in further books.
I was looking at other reviews that complained about it being too preachy, I'm not sure what they were referring to, but I think they are not really correct here, if anything it needed to be a little more preachy, and stronger in correcting some of the bad theology from the people who did not have Mandie's best interest at heart.
It was an engaging story, and it was nice to see not everything wrapped up in a neat bow.
I look forward to working through the series, I think I have all of them, and seeing how it progresses, and how the Christian side progresses as well.
The Christian aspects were OK, s little light, and more Psalms and talking to God, less on the Christological side and faith in Christ, but maybe that will come in further books.
I was looking at other reviews that complained about it being too preachy, I'm not sure what they were referring to, but I think they are not really correct here, if anything it needed to be a little more preachy, and stronger in correcting some of the bad theology from the people who did not have Mandie's best interest at heart.
It was an engaging story, and it was nice to see not everything wrapped up in a neat bow.
I look forward to working through the series, I think I have all of them, and seeing how it progresses, and how the Christian side progresses as well.
kainicole's review against another edition
4.0
I have read many many of these books and love them all.
deenashoemaker's review against another edition
1.0
Yikes.
These were my favorite books when I was a small child and all I had left were vague nostalgic memories of them. So upon finding my old collection in a box at my grandparents house, I decided to give a few of them a quick re-read.
The stereotypes of Native Americans and black Americans ran rampant and offensive. I understand the historical accuracy of segregation in this time period, but anyone who was black in the book spoke in exaggerated Ebonics and were servants. The author tried to gloss over the real issues by making it seem like they all just LOVED living in the attic and cooking and cleaning up after everyone all the time. And the Native Americans all spoke broken English, using stereotypical terms like “happy hunting ground” and “papoose” and “squaw.” all of these are homogenous Anglo words, used to paint a broad brush over all native cultures and none of the terms even have Cherokee origins, so why any of the Cherokees in the book use these terms regularly - including the ones who don’t speak English- is beyond me.
And it used the Bible to justify blatant child abuse and neglect by using the verse “honor your father and mother.” Despite acknowledging that “your mother bad squaw, do bad things. But big God say honor mother. Papoose honor mother.” When Mandie was sold into literal servitude and pulled from school and church and is literally beaten with a stick on a regular basis just for existing, nobody comes to ask questions everyone is like, “yep. This is super normal.”
And do NOT get me started on Joe, for the love. She promised to marry him when she was 11 years old in a moment of desperate grief after the death of her father and he’s literally holding that promise over her head alllllllll the time. He’s jealous and possessive and doesn’t like her having male friends, he also contradicts himself a lot, “You better learn stuff at that school, I don’t want a dumb wife.” And then at a different time “don’t learn too much, I don’t want a wife that’s smarter than me.” BRUH SHES TWELVE CALM DOWN. And who cares if she’s smart.
Then her mother married her uncle after her father died despite telling him first, “I don’t love you.” She has enough money to support herself and her daughter independently so… WUT? But her 11 year old kid wants her to marry the uncle so she does it. (Again, WUT?)
Look. I understand this was 1900 and it was a very different time in the world. But overall, reading this made me extraordinarily uncomfortable all around. I can’t believe these books added any teaching value to my childhood, and I’m glad I’ve learned enough since then to see the harmful stereotypes and ideals that were being taught via those books.
These were my favorite books when I was a small child and all I had left were vague nostalgic memories of them. So upon finding my old collection in a box at my grandparents house, I decided to give a few of them a quick re-read.
The stereotypes of Native Americans and black Americans ran rampant and offensive. I understand the historical accuracy of segregation in this time period, but anyone who was black in the book spoke in exaggerated Ebonics and were servants. The author tried to gloss over the real issues by making it seem like they all just LOVED living in the attic and cooking and cleaning up after everyone all the time. And the Native Americans all spoke broken English, using stereotypical terms like “happy hunting ground” and “papoose” and “squaw.” all of these are homogenous Anglo words, used to paint a broad brush over all native cultures and none of the terms even have Cherokee origins, so why any of the Cherokees in the book use these terms regularly - including the ones who don’t speak English- is beyond me.
And it used the Bible to justify blatant child abuse and neglect by using the verse “honor your father and mother.” Despite acknowledging that “your mother bad squaw, do bad things. But big God say honor mother. Papoose honor mother.” When Mandie was sold into literal servitude and pulled from school and church and is literally beaten with a stick on a regular basis just for existing, nobody comes to ask questions everyone is like, “yep. This is super normal.”
And do NOT get me started on Joe, for the love. She promised to marry him when she was 11 years old in a moment of desperate grief after the death of her father and he’s literally holding that promise over her head alllllllll the time. He’s jealous and possessive and doesn’t like her having male friends, he also contradicts himself a lot, “You better learn stuff at that school, I don’t want a dumb wife.” And then at a different time “don’t learn too much, I don’t want a wife that’s smarter than me.” BRUH SHES TWELVE CALM DOWN. And who cares if she’s smart.
Then her mother married her uncle after her father died despite telling him first, “I don’t love you.” She has enough money to support herself and her daughter independently so… WUT? But her 11 year old kid wants her to marry the uncle so she does it. (Again, WUT?)
Look. I understand this was 1900 and it was a very different time in the world. But overall, reading this made me extraordinarily uncomfortable all around. I can’t believe these books added any teaching value to my childhood, and I’m glad I’ve learned enough since then to see the harmful stereotypes and ideals that were being taught via those books.