The Number 7
کتاب های مرتبط
- اطلاعات
- نقد و بررسی
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نقد و بررسی
October 13, 2014
Louisa and her family were shattered when her mother died of breast cancer; her father and older sister retreated into themselves to mask their pain. Now, Louisa's grandmother has died, and her father moves the family from North Carolina to his childhood home in Pennsylvania. Louisa, 16, never met her grandparents and knows nothing about them, but when an old rotary phone in the attic begins ringing, she hears her dead grandmother on the line, telling Louisa the secret history of her Swedish grandfather's actions in WWII. The calls continue, with the promise that the story ends with a murder the grandfather committed, an effective hook to keep readers turning pages. Debut author Lidh skillfully incorporates information about Swedish history into the gripping story of Louisa's ancestors. Louisa's experiences as the new girl at school while juggling two potential romantic interests covers well-trod ground, with neither boy feeling fully realized, but Louisa's grief is portrayed with honesty, as is her gradual reconnection with her father and sister. Ages 14âup. Agent: Kimiko Nakamura, Dee Mura Literary.
October 15, 2014
In this fresh take on a familiar paradigm, a sensitive teen inherits a well-kept family secret touching on Sweden's role in World War II that's profoundly affected her family. It's been five years since their mother died, but Louisa and her older sister, Greta, like their dad, still haven't healed. Greta's miserable, but Louisa approves their father's decision, prompted by his own mother's death, to move the family to his childhood home in Pennsylvania. Long estranged from his parents, he's a proponent of never looking back. Louisa begins to wonder: Who was her dad as a child? What made him the man he is now? More than ready for change, Louisa enjoys school, especially photography class, and basks in unaccustomed attention from two boys. She'd be content to float along on the sparkling present but for the calls on the old, disconnected rotary phone in the attic that anchor her to the past. Each time she answers, a voice begins to relay a chapter, drawn from the well of vanished family history, in the life of her father's father in Sweden. He and his twin brother were barely adults when war broke out and increasingly troubled by Sweden's compromised neutrality. Subplots and an awkward, occult plot device briefly distract, but Louisa and her taut, fragile connection to a rarely explored past hold readers' interest. Insightful and compassionate storytelling. (Historical fantasy. 12-16)
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November 1, 2014
Gr 7 Up-Louisa and her sister are brought to Pennsylvania by their widowed father to live in the home of his once-estranged, now-deceased parents. Louisa soon begins receiving calls from her dead grandmother through an old telephone in the attic. The calls share family secrets and events that took place in Sweden during World War II. It is through these phone calls that the narrative jumps between present day to the past. Louisa is a sweet-natured, somewhat introspective teenager who is still grieving from the loss of her mother, trying to figure out how to open up to her father and sister. She is in the center of a fairly innocent love triangle and is well adjusted to the idea of her father dating someone new. She also doesn't seem too preoccupied with the fact that her dead grandmother is calling her on a rotary phone to tell her about the Holocaust. The main character of the historical sections, Gerhard (Louisa's grandfather), is fleshed out, and the tension in those historical chapters builds well. He is only slightly older than Louisa's 16 years, and the severity his circumstances versus her "which-boy-to-choose" situations eventually hits home for her. The story is interesting and highlights a part of World War II history that isn't often addressed. Strengths include a light romance, some interesting historical references, and strong pacing. The phone calls from the dead, along with a little touch of astrology and Dad's "psychic" new girlfriend, made the suspension of disbelief challenging at times. A few loose threads do not resolve fully, such as Louisa's sister engaging in some self-harm behavior and a brief bullying scene. An additional purchase for teen collections.-Heather Massa, East Rockaway Public Library, NY
Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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