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A review by donasbooks
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.
I found a digital copy of Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls on Libby. This is book #13 in the Kill My TBR project. All views are mine.
It seems that the worries and wants of a young boy never cease. p61
This book makes me so grateful for contemporary middle grade fiction. Here's another classic middle grade book that I pointedly dislike for reasons of anachronism and writing down to the audience.
I had to stop reading at the point that the narrator's recklessness gets one of his dogs hurt, and he immediately blames someone who isn't even present, his grandfather, for believing in the narrator's trapping ability. The whole, "if it wasn't for that guy I wouldn't even be here" excuse.
Three (or more) things I loved:
1. At the time this book was written, first person POV was very unusual, and it really works well here.
2. I love that this whole thing is about the love of animals. Hounds, in this case. What a great story that a young boy would travel great distances and sleep rough for the love of his dogs. *edit ironically, I'm DNFing this book for animal cruelty.
3. Nice touches of magical realism all throughout. The whole family followed me out on the porch. There we all got a surprise. My dogs were sitting on the steps, waiting for me. I heard Papa laugh. “Why, they know you’re going hunting,” he said, “know it as well as anything.” ...“Sure they know Billy’s going hunting,” piped the little one, “and I know why.” “How do you know so much, silly?” asked the oldest one. “Because I told Little Ann, that’s why,” she said, “and she told Old Dan. That’s how they know.” p82
Three (or less) things I didn't love:
This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.
1. There is some terrible toxic masculinity and misogyny in this book.
2. Trigger warning for animal cruelty and animal death.
3. How do you turn a simple raccoon hunt into a 300p novel? Well if you're Wilson Rawls, you repeat yourself a great deal.
4. This is purely subjective, but I do not like the child narrator: Little Ann came over and started rolling in the leaves. The way I was feeling toward her, I couldn’t even smile at her playful mood. “Of course you feel good,” I said in an irritated voice, “and it’s no wonder, you had a good night’s sleep in a nice warm doghouse, but Old Dan didn’t. He was down here in the cold all by himself, watching the tree. The way you’re acting, I don’t believe you care if the coon gets away or not.” I would have said more but just then I noticed something. I walked over for a better look. There, scratched deep in the soft leaves were two little beds. One was smaller than the other. Looking at Little Ann, I read the answer in her warm gray eyes. Old Dan hadn’t been alone when he had gone back to the tree. She too had gone along. There was no doubt that in the early morning she had come home to get me. Besides being impatient and nasty to his dogs, whom he loves, he's also sort of awful about killing animals. This is a side of life I can't relate to.
Rating: DNF 38%
Recommend? Maybe
Finished: Sep 27 '24
It seems that the worries and wants of a young boy never cease. p61
This book makes me so grateful for contemporary middle grade fiction. Here's another classic middle grade book that I pointedly dislike for reasons of anachronism and writing down to the audience.
I had to stop reading at the point that the narrator's recklessness gets one of his dogs hurt, and he immediately blames someone who isn't even present, his grandfather, for believing in the narrator's trapping ability. The whole, "if it wasn't for that guy I wouldn't even be here" excuse.
Three (or more) things I loved:
1. At the time this book was written, first person POV was very unusual, and it really works well here.
2. I love that this whole thing is about the love of animals. Hounds, in this case. What a great story that a young boy would travel great distances and sleep rough for the love of his dogs. *edit ironically, I'm DNFing this book for animal cruelty.
3. Nice touches of magical realism all throughout. The whole family followed me out on the porch. There we all got a surprise. My dogs were sitting on the steps, waiting for me. I heard Papa laugh. “Why, they know you’re going hunting,” he said, “know it as well as anything.” ...“Sure they know Billy’s going hunting,” piped the little one, “and I know why.” “How do you know so much, silly?” asked the oldest one. “Because I told Little Ann, that’s why,” she said, “and she told Old Dan. That’s how they know.” p82
Three (or less) things I didn't love:
This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.
1. There is some terrible toxic masculinity and misogyny in this book.
2. Trigger warning for animal cruelty and animal death.
3. How do you turn a simple raccoon hunt into a 300p novel? Well if you're Wilson Rawls, you repeat yourself a great deal.
4. This is purely subjective, but I do not like the child narrator: Little Ann came over and started rolling in the leaves. The way I was feeling toward her, I couldn’t even smile at her playful mood. “Of course you feel good,” I said in an irritated voice, “and it’s no wonder, you had a good night’s sleep in a nice warm doghouse, but Old Dan didn’t. He was down here in the cold all by himself, watching the tree. The way you’re acting, I don’t believe you care if the coon gets away or not.” I would have said more but just then I noticed something. I walked over for a better look. There, scratched deep in the soft leaves were two little beds. One was smaller than the other. Looking at Little Ann, I read the answer in her warm gray eyes. Old Dan hadn’t been alone when he had gone back to the tree. She too had gone along. There was no doubt that in the early morning she had come home to get me. Besides being impatient and nasty to his dogs, whom he loves, he's also sort of awful about killing animals. This is a side of life I can't relate to.
Rating: DNF 38%
Recommend? Maybe
Finished: Sep 27 '24
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Moderate: Violence