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A review by thecontrarybookworm
Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier
5.0
I’m not going to lie, I did not want to read this book at first. I’m not a fan of historical fiction, and a story about monsters and chimney sweeps in England does not sound very appealing. But it’s highly rated and recommended, so I decided to give it a try.
To be honest, this was one of the very best historical fiction books I’ve read. Auxier creates a cold world of struggling characters trying to make a home amidst the cruelties of child labor, yet it’s one you don’t want to leave.
Nan Sparrow is a climber — a girl owned by a chimney sweep and forced to climb up tiny flues all day. Her master, Wilkie Crudd, is cruel, and she and the other children have barely enough to eat. But this is the only thing she’s ever known, sweeping. And she is desperate to find a man, one who cared for her until she was six years old until she found herself alone.
The Sweep made her see the magic in everything, keeping the two of them lighthearted. Indeed, they kept each other alive for half a dozen years until he vanished.
One day, Nan nearly dies in a chimney fire but awakes unharmed in a room with her char — a tiny piece of the Sweep’s love — miraculously alive. Together, Nan and her monster find a home together and realize the truth about love.
This book made me smile, it made me (almost) cry, and I loved Nan’s character, how brave and kind she was.
Ages: 9-14. There is some violence and related elements.
To be honest, this was one of the very best historical fiction books I’ve read. Auxier creates a cold world of struggling characters trying to make a home amidst the cruelties of child labor, yet it’s one you don’t want to leave.
Nan Sparrow is a climber — a girl owned by a chimney sweep and forced to climb up tiny flues all day. Her master, Wilkie Crudd, is cruel, and she and the other children have barely enough to eat. But this is the only thing she’s ever known, sweeping. And she is desperate to find a man, one who cared for her until she was six years old until she found herself alone.
The Sweep made her see the magic in everything, keeping the two of them lighthearted. Indeed, they kept each other alive for half a dozen years until he vanished.
One day, Nan nearly dies in a chimney fire but awakes unharmed in a room with her char — a tiny piece of the Sweep’s love — miraculously alive. Together, Nan and her monster find a home together and realize the truth about love.
This book made me smile, it made me (almost) cry, and I loved Nan’s character, how brave and kind she was.
Ages: 9-14. There is some violence and related elements.