Thornhill by Pam Smy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
As she unpacks in her new bedroom, Ella is irresistibly drawn to the big old house that she can see out of her window. Surrounded by overgrown gardens, barbed wire fences and 'keep out' signs, it looks derelict. But that night, a light goes on in one of the windows. And the next day she sees a girl in the grounds. Ella is hooked. The house has a story to tell. She is sure of it. Enter Thornhill, Institute for Children, and discover the dark secrets that lie within.But once inside, will you ever leave?
When this arrived in the week I was intrigued, to begin with it was a mamouth read, something that can be intimidating, however it looked like a completely different type of read and I was looking forward to read something a little different.
I began this today and finished it in an hour and 20 minutes, so don't be put off of the size of it. I thought this was very cleverly put together, we follow two girls in this story split 30 years apart but linked by one location. You get more into Mary's head, who lived at Thornhill (an orphanage) in 1982, we also meet Ella, who loves opposite 30 years later. We read the thoughts of Mary through a sequence of her diary and follow Ella's story through the illustrations.
Although this is not my normal genre I really, really enjoyed it, it was different and I would love to read more by Smy. I really got into the story and I never saw the ending coming, which I was shocked about and felt a little sad at the same time, I thought I knew Mary quite well through her journal but I began to question my opinion on her at the end. It reminds you the power of illustration and how you can read so much through it. I would recommend this book to middle graders or young adult, however being an adult I enjoyed this and feel the book will stay with me for some time.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
The ACB with Honora Lee by Kate De Goldi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Perry's mother and father are busy people ... they're impatient, they're tired, they get cross easily. And they think that only children, like Perry, should be kept busy. On Saturday mornings Perry and her father visit her gran, Honora Lee, at the Santa Lucia rest home, but Gran never remembers them. 'Who is that man?' Honora Lee asks when Perry's father leaves the room. After movement class is abruptly cancelled, Perry is allowed to go to Santa Lucia on Thursday afternoons. She discovers her Gran has an unconventional interest in the alphabet, so Perry decides to make an alphabet book with the help of Honora and the others. Soon everyone is interested in Perry's book project. The ACB With Honora Lee unfolds with characteristic warmth, quirky, surprising humor and a rich cast of 'residents'. The story is a meditation on kindness and patience and acceptance; that of the very young and the very old. It's a story that will resonate with echoes of recollection for many -- from Perry's endearing perspective on the adult world to the embracing kindness of those who care for the elderly.
This was a really quick read, I read it in two sittings.
This is written from Perry's point of view, an eight year old. It was very easy to pick up on this from the style it was written. She makes weekly visits to her grandmother at a home in Santa Lucia. She is loosing her memory and is not sure who Perry is, as the book goes on she is still not clear on who she is, but seems to enjoy her presence.
During her visits to her grandmothers she decides to create an ABC book of all her grandmothers memories. While she does this many of the other people at the retirement home also get great joy of Perry's visits and manages to entertain them all.
Perry wants to begin at the beginning of her book and work though systematically, but the joys of the grandmother make this impossible and she jumps from letter to letter. The relationship that Perry has with her grandmother is wonderful.
The illustrations through the book are unique and quirky. I can imagine younger readers would be inspired to create their own ABC book, I know this would have been something I would have loved to make with my grandma as a child.
Other than the stoyy of creating the ABC book, the story I felt come to an end rather suddenly and I would have liked this to have been a little better developed. Saying that I would happily recommend this to others to read.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
