Tamar by Mal Peet
When 15-year-old Tamar inherits a box from her grandfather filled with clues and coded messages, she decides to find out what secrets caused her family to shatter and her father to disappear. The narrative shifts between Tamar's story and that of her namesake grandfather as he and his fellow WWII spy and resistance fighter friend Dart land in Holland, determined to both help win an impossible fight and win the hand of the same woman.
posted by Karrie @ 3:35 PM
5 Comments
5 Comments:
Of the Top 20 titles that I've read since our meeting, this is by far my favorite. I didn't want to put it down. Absolutely brilliant writing!
I loved this book from the moment I read it but...I can't sell it to teens. Other adults seem to like it, too, but I really think it should have been marketed to adults. So though I would love to put this on top, I sadly have to say that it doesn't make it for the thumb's up for me.
Man, I really want to edit my description of this book.. I feel like I gave too much away.
I was not crazy about this book for Thumbs Up. Very little teen appeal. I feel like if there was more story from the teen's perspective that would make it a better "teen book" & the teen perspective didn't start until a good way through the 1940s war story. And she didn't get the box from her grandfather until after 1/2 way through the story. If she got the box in the beginning and somehow learned about each item in it throughout the story through flashbacks to the war era - it would have been so much better.
I also question the teen appeal of this book. I think it will appeal to a small number of kids who like war stories and historical fiction, but it is so slow moving, I don't think the adventure readers will stick with it. It is beautifully written and a truely interesting story for the Dutch kids of Holland, MI.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home