JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Berlin, 1942: When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move to a new house far, far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people in the distance.

But Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and circumstances are very different from his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences.

This is such a heartbreaking novel, not just for children but for adults. It captures perfectly the absurdity of the Nazi concentration camps, and the innocence that was lost.

The story moves forward quite quickly. Bruno and his family move to Poland because of his father’s new job, and he struggles to settle into his new life. His sister is cruel and it is quite obvious that she – unlike her brother – really does understand what Auschwitz is. Bruno feels isolated and learns to explore, and it is this that propels the story forward at a seemingly fast pace.

John Boyne has written this story through the eyes of a young child – Nazi Germany is seen through Bruno, who is trying to grow up within such a harsh and unrelenting time in history. He befriends a boy of the same age in the concentration camp next to his house, and the two become friends.

Their friendship is sweet – he brings food for his friend and they talk about trivial things. They learn to enjoy each other’s time, but throughout the entire novel, there’s a sense of dread. Somehow, you know that this story won’t end well and John Boyne achieves this by writing the main character as an extremely naive young boy. Bruno does not catch on to what Auschwitz really is, and does not understand why his new friend wears striped pajamas. Bruno does not really understand what his father’s job is, or why his friend is so skinny and doesn’t get fed.

This novel shows Nazi Germany in a subtle way because Bruno does not understand what he’s experiencing, therefore he does not dwell on it. Particular aspects of his life are described in short paragraphs because Bruno does not think them to be important, and it is this kind of storytelling that makes this novel so powerful and eye-opening.

My Score: 8/10
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The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell

A thrillingly reimagined fairy tale from the truly magical combination of author Neil Gaiman and illustrator Chris Riddell – weaving together a sort-of Snow White and an almost Sleeping Beauty with a thread of dark magic, which will hold readers spellbound from start to finish. On the eve of her wedding, a young queen sets out to rescue a princess from an enchantment. She casts aside her fine wedding clothes, takes her chain mail and her sword and follows her brave dwarf retainers into the tunnels under the mountain towards the sleeping kingdom. This queen will decide her own future – and the princess who needs rescuing is not quite what she seems. Twisting together the familiar and the new, this perfectly delicious, captivating and darkly funny tale shows its creators at the peak of their talents. Lavishly produced, packed with glorious Chris Riddell illustrations enhanced with metallic ink, this is a spectacular and magical gift.

This children’s book is a fairytale retelling of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty but with subtly and elegant literary integration. I should start by addressing the STUNNING JACKET. It’s hardcover and the see-through dust jacket allows the reader to see the illustrated sleeping beauty underneath the cover flap (on the hardcover). I also think that in this case, the illustrations actually trump the story/writing. All of the illustrations are in black and gold, which gives the book a really elegant look. And the book feels like one of those stories you read as a child that was your favourite and you kept the book for years because it felt so special.

The layout is beautiful. Some pages have full-page illustrations, but others have a picture strip down the side and a fairly big block of text. It helps break up the book so the reader doesn’t feel bogged down by the fairly small font size. On most pages, a certain sentence (usually the final sentence on the page) is repeated as an illustration in gold letters, and it is really striking against the black and white sketches/drawings next to it. The re-telling of these two fairytales is unique and there’s a slight twist at the end with sleeping beauty and the old lady. There’s no stereotypical ‘Prince Charming’ in this book, which is a nice change. Instead, there’s a Queen who is determined to wake Sleeping Beauty and save the sleeping city. The book is a quick read, and fans of Neil Gaiman will love this tale. This would make a lovely gift for someone because of its unique, pretty packaging.

My Score: 9/10

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Awful Auntie by David Walliams

A page-turning, rollicking romp of a read, sparkling with Walliams’ most eccentric characters yet and full of the humour and heart that all his readers love, Awful Auntie is simply unmissable!

From larger than life, tiddlywinks obsessed Awful Aunt Alberta to her pet owl, Wagner – this is an adventure with a difference. Aunt Alberta is on a mission to cheat the young Lady Stella Saxby out of her inheritance – Saxby Hall. But with mischievous and irrepressible Soot, the cockney ghost of a chimney sweep, alongside her Stella is determined to fight back… And sometimes a special friend, however different, is all you need to win through.

Sometimes it’s hard to read a novel that’s aimed at an audience much younger than you. I’m pretty much triple the age of someone who would read Awful Auntie (that math only really works if the reader is, like, 8). And although I read a lot of Roald Dahl growing up, it was a little hard to accept that storyline. For example, when the ghost appeared in the story, I was like:

And when the BOLD CAPITAL LETTERS appeared in every second line of the story, I was like:

But perhaps I’m too old to understand the appeal.

David Walliams does know how to enclose the setting so the characters are confined and secluded – and he manages to do it for 300 pages. And the Auntie is an interesting and unique character. There’s dark issues that are briefly explored in the text (death, murder, poison etc), which is more than I can say for most children’s novels.

Stella Saxby doesn’t seem to change at all in the story. And come to think of it, none of the characters do (except perhaps Wagner). In any novel, the characters have to evolve or adapt, even in children’s novels. It’s fine for Stella to stay the same, but someone else needs to change (excluding Wagner, because he’s an animal and he doesn’t count). I was half expecting the ‘Awful Auntie’ to momentarily change her ways, but David Walliams surprised me there (sorry for the spoiler).

My Score: 7/10
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