Whew, where do I start? Well, I suppose I could start out with saying that 'The Yearling' is one chunk of a book! I think the only reason that I finished it in less than a week is because I was able to read 100 pages of that book in one day.
Even though 'The Yearling' is really long (between 450 and 500 pages, depending on your publisher) a lot happens in it. The story is about a young boy (Jody) and his mother and father (Ory and Penny Baxter) living in the scrub of Florida. There is no exact date, but certain hints let the reader know that it takes place sometime shortly after the Civil War. The book is about the Baxter's fight to survive, along with how Jody matures in response to their many adventures and disasters.
The titular yearling is a baby fawn that Jody adopts. Despite being the source of the title for the book, the fawn and Jody's relationship with it are not really what constitute the main plot of the book. The main plot is (as I mentioned above) Jody's experiences as he crosses the line between being a boy and being a man. In fact, Jody doesn't find the fawn until almost halfway through the book, and the fawn is mentioned in passing most of the time after that. The fawn does have an effect on the Baxter's struggle though, and the tragic ending is the result of a collision between the fawn and the need to survive.
I really like Rawlings' way of writing. It's very descriptive, however, unlike most books, I think Rawlings was able to walk the fine line when it came to descriptions and actual stuff happening. The book is written from Jody's point of view, but it's still in the third person, which I think works well with Jody's character, because Jody sometimes has trouble putting what he feels into words.
As for characters, I have to say I really like most of the characters in the book. Even with the characters that Jody actually meets with once or twice you can get a really good feel for who and what they are. My favorite character is probably Jody's father, Penny. Penny isn't his real name, it's just a nickname that he got from his neighbors because he is so short and thin. His real name is Ezra. Penny is a good man, a fair man, and a just man. He lets Jody play as often as he can because when he was a boy he didn't get much time to be a boy. He is also very kind towards animals, only killing when he needs to and when there's a fair chance for the animal, meaning he won't shoot a doe and her fawn, or an animal that is mating, etc. Penny is one of those characters that I wish I could meet in real life. I'm not going to go through all the characters here, just the ones I really liked. Jody is a good boy, sometimes a slacker, but he still wants to please his parents (especially his father). Jody also has a longing for something "with dependence to it" as he says. This is part of the reason why he eventually adopts the fawn, which he names Flag. Jody also has a strong dislike for girls, which ends up being funny. Jody really does change at the end of the book. All of his experiences help to change him into more than a boy.
I just though of something. Maybe the fawn isn't the reason for the book's title. Jody is somewhat like a yearling himself. A yearling is technically a wild animal that is a year old, and generally the animal can take care of itself and leaves its parents around that age. In a sense, the animal is 'all grown up'. By the end of the book, Jody definitely fits that description, taking on most of the work while his father is laid up with an injury. His disposition is also more mature.
Verdict: B+
I would give this an A, I don't want to seem like I give A's to everything? Honestly I haven't really read a lot of books that I didn't like. There are a few, but not a lot. Anyways, this is not the book for you if you don't like stories about living off of the land and hunting and camping, etc. I like those things, so I liked this book. Even if you don't like those things you might like the way that Rawlings wrote the book, which I really like. I would recommend this book to people who are used to a book that's an inch and half thick and who enjoy reading a good story.
This is my interview with my dear friend Monica, who lives somewhere on planet Earth. We decided a while ago that we would interview each other and post the interviews on our blogs, and of course, being as cool as she is, Monica got there first :) If you don't already follow her at her blog 'Spilled Ink', please do so now!
Q. 1: What inspired you to start your blog?
A.: Somebody told me that my Chibi comics were funny, and my Mom suggested that I start a blog to post them on. I also wanted a place to ramble and not worry about bugging anybody. ;) And really, I enjoy the power-trip that comes from having a blog. XD
Q. 2: Even though you haven't read all the books yet, which do you prefer, The Lord of the Rings Movies or Books?
A.: Um... I like certain elements from both! Overall I'd say that I like the books better, but I did like a few of the things they changed in the movies. Like the Helm's Deep part in the movie, I know it wasn't so big and dramatic in the books, but I just loved that part of the movie! "Where is the horse and the rider..." [dreamy sigh] But then again, I dislike what the Two Towers movie did to Faramir. >:(
Q. 3: You're homeschooled, I'm homeschooled, and we both know that homeschooling rocks (no disrespect to all you public schoolers and private schoolers out there), but tell us why it rocks?
A.: Well, for me the biggest advantage is that I don't have to deal with all that peer pressure stuff. Not like I would abandon my beliefs, but I would seriously be having trouble dealing with the whole world screaming at me that I'm wrong. I'm also glad I don't have to sit through Planned Parenthood contraception talks. They give those at high-schools. And really, I just like the freedom.
Q. 4: If you could only have one, what superpower would you have?
A.: Telekinesis! Moving stuff with my mind, eventually going crazy and turning into energy... Yeah. All the supers with Telekinesis end up going crazy! I wonder why that is...
Q. 5: Favorite author of all time?
A.: Aaaaaahhhh! Why? I like a lot of authors [sniff]. Well, Charles Dickens is awesome, and A Tale of Two Cities is my favorite book at the moment. Victor Hugo is also terrific, what with all that rambling. My favorite modern author is Dean Koontz, he writes horror/suspense. I suppose that overall, I'd say Fulton J. Sheen. He was a Catholic philosopher, and his writing has really helped me understand The Bible and the life of Jesus.
Q. 6: If you could vacation anywhere on Earth, where would it be?
A.: Japan! More specifically, Nikko, Japan. It's in the Tochigi prefecture, and it's beautiful! If I couldn't go to Japan, I'd go to France or the Guadalupe Shrine in Mexico. Viva Mexico!
Q. 7: What is your most viewed post?
A.: For whatever reason it's my review of The Phantom of the Opera. XD It's got close to 100 views.
Q. 8: Would you rather tell us your deepest, darkest secret, or fall over Niagara Falls in a wooden barrel?
A.: Fall off Niagara Falls in a wooden barrel, that way I could at least reenact the Barrel Escape scene from The Desolation of Smaug. :D
Q. 9: Now do whatever you picked in the last question. Just kidding! :D Tell us how long you've been drawing chibi comics and why you started?
A.: I've been drawing them since September of 2012, and trust me, they have GREATLY improved since then! They used to be so tall and skinny, with perfectly round, creepy eyes! Anyway, I don't know why I started. I think I wanted to draw comics like Bill Watterson and Jim Davis. I'm finally inventing some characters to start my own kind of strip. :)
Q. 10: The final most important question, favorite flavor of Ice Cream?
A.: CHERRY!! Cherry is divine, Cherry is wonderful.
Thanks so much for answering these questions! Reading them gave me that feeling that you get when you open a present on your birthday or Christmas :D
Again to all you people who don't already follow Monica! Go do it, now!!!
This is something that I just wanted to put up because, well, this is my blog and I can put up what I want!
Well anyways, reading through The Shadow of the Bear I noticed some things about the book that I never really noticed before. Or maybe I had and I just don't remember, but in any case, onward!
Okay, so in the beginning of the book Rose, Blanche, and Bear are talking, and Rose mentions that she believes that everyone (or at least most people) are really something other than what they seem, and that either they have forgotten their true form, or secretly know. She says, "Ugh, imagine being a princess and not knowing it!" That (like lots of other things in books) started me on the following train of thought:
Wait, when you're baptized, that makes you a child of God and heir to the kingdom of Heaven, which in turn makes you a prince or princess. Well, really, we're all children of God, but some of us don't know, or have forgotten that fact. So a lot of people in this world really are princes and princesses, but don't know it. That really is sad.
Now I don't know if I'm coming up with things that the author never meant to be there, or what, but that's just my train of thought. You can get on the train, or let it pass, your choice! Oh, and by the way, I won't judge you based on your choice :)
Well, here I go, trying my hand at this review thing. I would have typed this out and posted it a while ago except our family computer crashed and while a Nook works well for viewing blogs, it does not work nearly as well for typing out posts and posting them. Anyways, moving on!
I have to warn you, I am a huge fangirl of these books, not only because they are so well written and action packed, but also because they are very Catholic. Personal opinions aside, I will try my best to provide some reasons why this book is not perfect. First though, a quick sketch of the storyline:
The book is a retelling of the Fairy Tale 'Snow White and Rose Red' by the Brothers Grimm. The retold story is set in modern day New York, where Blanche and Rose Brier live with their widowed mother Jean Brier. One snowy night Jean is coming home from work, and as she steps out of her car, a crazy driver swerves toward her. A young man (nicknamed Bear) saves her just in time. Mrs. Brier invites the young man inside and so begins a friendship between Bear and the Briers. Bear, however, is in some sort of trouble, and even though he visits the Briers multiple times, the girls are never able to figure out what the trouble is. Until one day... But that would be spoiling the story :) I won't hand out spoilers now. Let me just say that it leaves you wondering whether or not they will make it to the end alive!
I really like the plot of the story, it's definitely cool and makes for an interesting story. It is a little, how do I say this, extreme? The story is one that I suppose could happen in real life, but it's definitely not something that seems likely to happen. Drug gangs, mean teenagers, kidnappers, murderers, they're all real, but roll them all together (SPOILERS!!!!!) and add a guy who's so obsessed with beautiful church vessels that he's willing to murder a priest and frame the priest's two young friends (yep, that's Bear and his younger brother Fish), and that's when it gets a bit extreme. (SPOILERS end here, you can look now)
The characters are definitely people that you can imagine are real. They've got their high points and their low points, their good qualities and their quirks. Rose and Blanche remind me of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility. Both sisters share a love of books and poetry, and Rose loves to quote poetry at any given time. Rose also mentions that Blanche has read more of the classics, while Rose prefers poetry. Blanche is the more down to earth of the two, and tends to be a bit less rash than her sister Rose. Blanche is very shy and believes that she lacks in courage, although at the end of the book she disproves that theory. She is also a little more profound in her thoughts, and despairs a bit more easily. Rose on the other hand is extremely optimistic, brave (or is the right word silly? A bit of both I guess), a lover of adventure, and imaginative. She mentions to Bear in the beginning of the book that she believes most people are really something else, a prince, a princess, a witch, a wizard, a dwarf, a knight, a king, etc., and that they have either forgotten who they really are, or secretly know. She also believes that her eyes are similar to a chameleon in that they can change color when she wants them to. At one point in time Rose gets mad at a boy at her highschool for bullying her sister and when she goes to confront him she cues her eyes to change to a stone grey color XD I've always thought that was really funny. She does have something of a temper, and like I said, is too brave for her own good. Bear is an interesting character, sweet, protective of Rose and Blanche (especially Blanche). He is unwilling to draw the girls into his secret danger, but enjoys their friendship too much to just let them go. You get a much better picture of the girls' characters then his or his brother's, because, as I forgot to mention, the book is told from the sister's point of view. More about that in a minute. Bear's brother Fish is okay, he doesn't really enter the story until the end, but he is referenced to and ( HUGE SPOILER!!!) Rose meets up with him while venting her feelings through playing violin in a park. (end of Spoilers). He's a very detached person, and quite sarcastic. He is also an escape artist, and very smart and resourceful. You never see much deeper into his character than that, at least in this book (Waking Rose, the 3rd in this series, centers on Fish and Rose and is told from their viewpoints). Mr. Freet, the antagonist, is quite a character (I keep misspelling character, as charactar, why????). He is theologically and philosophically messed up, believing that beauty has its source in itself, beauty, and not in truth. He is also obsessed with beautiful church vessels, and doesn't shrink away from murder and lying to get the ones he wants. He's a pretty crazy guy (especially since his doorcode is 666, does that give anyone else the creeps?), and a cold-hearted, cruel villain. Pretty stereotypical, except for his aforementioned obsession with church vessels. Although, most villains are obsessed with something, like Rings, or the destruction of prophecies, or someone's downfall.
I really like the way that Regina Doman wrote this book, she is a great story teller. There are like one or two references to some more mature content, but my younger sister, 9 years old, is reading it now, and she will either not realize what they're talking about, or realize that it is not a good thing. The immoral stuff is always shown in a bad light though, just to clarify. Rose gets into a tight spot with a guy, but escapes before anything happens, and some mean girls make some rude remarks about seeing Blanche with Bear at a prom. That's really it. As I mentioned before, the book does swap back and forth between viewpoints which is cool and gives several different perspectives on the story since the sisters are so different. It might be annoying for some people, but the change is clearly marked by a small picture of a rose at the beginning of the paragraph where the swap occurs. Sometimes the swap is a bit sudden and a little confusing though. Once you read through it again it makes more sense, but you do have to read through it again sometimes.
One of the highlights of this book is that it is soooo Catholic! Rose and Blanche do go to a Catholic highschool, they are Catholic, Bear and his brother are Catholic, sacred church vessels are a main part of the plot, the girls pray whenever they find themselves in a jam, how much more Catholic can you get?!
Enough! This is getting really long, and I need to stop. If you've read this far, good for you! If not, well, then, I suppose you won't be reading this, so um, well, awkward.......
Verdict: A+
I'm adopting my friend's rating system :) I really like this book, it's AWESOME!!!! The book is a really fun read, and short too (under 200 pages). I love pretty much everything about the book, from the characters to the plot, to the profound philosophical and theological thoughts stashed away in the book that took me two or three times to realize they were there!
Well, thanks for reading, and tell me what you think about the book, about my review, about what you're eating for lunch today, you get the idea :) Oh and let me know if you would like me to review some more books!
Hiya! I'm from the planet Zorbador, where all they eat is Ice Cream! And my name really is Ice Cream.
No seriously, my name is not Ice Cream. But because of safety precautions enforced by the Parents (Ooooo, scary Internet!) and lack of a cooler sounding name, I decided to use the first idea that popped into my mind, which happened to be Ice Cream.
A little bit about me:
- I LOVE everything that is related to J.R.R. Tolkien. PETER JACKSON STOP RUINING THE HOBBIT MOVIES!
- I love (and used to ride) horses.
- I am a bibliophile! I actually have progressive myopia because I read WAY too much. Wait. What is this heresy that has come from my mouth! There is no such thing as reading too much!
- I am a Roman Catholic
- I love science, and my faith, and don't tell me the two don't mix, because they do.
- I like ice cream, especially chocolate-y, peanut butter-y goodness. Mmmmmmmm......
- I also like Chocolate in general.
- I like to act in my local Drama group! (We're actually putting on our first showing of the Wizard of Oz tomorrow! Yay!)
- I also love the colors blue, purple, and green. In that order. Don't argue. Blue is superior. By far.
I guess that's it for stuff about me. Now on to what I am going to do with this blog!
Actually, I, honestly, am not sure what I am going to do here. Probably rant about some stuff that infuriates me (I need a better outlet for my feelings than just the wall or the air, neither of which speak back to you, did you know that?), possibly do reviews on books, movies, etc. So, yeah...... As you can see I am completely clueless as to what this blog is going to be about. But I was completely clueless when I started this post, and look where it went!
Oh, go check out my Youtube channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClcMh2m3sYxEIgMVl04apKg
I guess that's all for now!
