The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket by John Boyne

Author: John Boyne
Original title: The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket

Pages: 197
Edition Language: Russian
Series: no
Format: e-book
Genres: Middle Grade
Goodreads

Blurb:    
   Barnaby Brocket is an ordinary 8-year-old boy in most ways, but he was born different in one important way: he floats. Unlike everyone else, Barnaby does not obey the law of gravity. His parents, who have a horror of being noticed, want desperately for Barnaby to be normal, but he can't help who he is.

My thoughts: 
    My second book for the Irish Readathon and 4th for Middle Grade March 

Not the best read, I confess. This is my second John Boyne's children's book, and I do not find both of them either captivating or educating.

The main topic is the gap between parents' expectations and children's desires. How it breaks up the families, pulling relatives apart. And it seems that there is no family in the world that would not have a disappointed parent and a child driven to a point of negation.

I would not try any John Boyne's books for children. I would probably try an adult novel and see if I enjoy it.

 Rating:  

    3/5  

The Old Jest by Jennifer Johnston

Author: Jennifer Johnston

Original title: The Old Jest
Edition Language: English
Series: no
Genres: Historical Fiction
Format: Audio book

Read by: Heather O'Neill

Duration: 5h15m

Goodreads

Blurb:
      This is a compelling story of young woman from a crumbling Protestant Ascendancy family caught up in the turmoil of the Irish troubles around 1920.  

My thoughts:
      I really had no idea I would ever pick up this book. I was made by the Irish readathon. It was difficult to find a book set in the 20s, as I do not have many Irish writers on my shelf. I was even complaining (mostly to myself) about the difficulty of this year's challenge prompts. And I am so glad I ended up with this book. It made me think, it made me feel, it made me want to read more Irish literature.

      The book has the simple narrations line, but complex emotional background. The characters are well developed through small details and short dialogues. I liked the language of the novel, as it was descriptive and precise at the same time.

       It is impressive, how much emotion, tension and colours are put in a such short book. It all started as a light story of a 18 year old girl, who is on the edge of beginning her exciting journey in life. And one by one, the threads of the bigger world, of more cruel and unfair world are starting to entwine into the narration, building up the depressive and hopeless picture. 

      I guess that I enjoyed the book more as I used audio format with Heather O'Neill as a narrator.

Rating: 

        4/5