A review by ettegoom
The Girl with the Red Balloon by Katherine Locke
2.0
I really wanted to like this, but it was so clumsy in places that I just couldn't.
Normally, I read young adult books because they do a better job of character and scene building than adult books, with more nuanced writing.
But this book just didn't.
I particularly hated the romance, which was awkward, repetitive and forced.
All of the characters were 'othered' in some obvious way, but I found the way that Mitzi talked about her identity was particularly artificial.
I'm really interested in the Berlin wall and wanted to know more about what it was like to live during this time, but I feel like the book just grabbed the cliches and superficial beliefs that are presented about it being a dull, suspicious and terrible place with no sense of community and shoved them in here and there. But a lot of what I've read suggests that this was only a small part of the experience... I wasn't convinced by the treatment of the setting at all, sadly. And really feel like this story could have been set anywhere, with very few changes required.
I guess, not having lived at this time and in this place, maybe I am missing something that would make the aspects of the story that grated badly, make more sense. But overall, despite the concept being really cool, and some of the characters potentially interesting, I couldn't like the story.
Also, how did Ellie's hair NOT get burned at all! She talks about it burning! And yet she still has 'long brown curls strewn over the white pillow'. Ugh.
Normally, I read young adult books because they do a better job of character and scene building than adult books, with more nuanced writing.
But this book just didn't.
I particularly hated the romance, which was awkward, repetitive and forced.
All of the characters were 'othered' in some obvious way, but I found the way that Mitzi talked about her identity was particularly artificial.
I'm really interested in the Berlin wall and wanted to know more about what it was like to live during this time, but I feel like the book just grabbed the cliches and superficial beliefs that are presented about it being a dull, suspicious and terrible place with no sense of community and shoved them in here and there. But a lot of what I've read suggests that this was only a small part of the experience... I wasn't convinced by the treatment of the setting at all, sadly. And really feel like this story could have been set anywhere, with very few changes required.
I guess, not having lived at this time and in this place, maybe I am missing something that would make the aspects of the story that grated badly, make more sense. But overall, despite the concept being really cool, and some of the characters potentially interesting, I couldn't like the story.
Also, how did Ellie's hair NOT get burned at all! She talks about it burning! And yet she still has 'long brown curls strewn over the white pillow'. Ugh.