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quippeThe Blurb On The Back:
Holy unanticipated occurrences! A cynic meets an unlikely superhero in a genre-breaking new novel by master storyteller Kate DiCamillo. It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen To You! is just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight and misspelled poetry – and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart.
10-year-old Flora Belle Buckman is a self-confessed cynic, an avid reader of TERRIBLE THINGS CAN HAPPEN TO YOU! and a big fan of the comic book THE ILLUMINATED ADVENTURES OF THE AMAZING INCANDESTO. She misses her dad who moved out after her parents’ divorce as her romance novelist mother doesn’t understand her and seems to prefer a truly hideous lamp instead. But Flora’s life changes the day she saves the life of a squirrel who gets sucked up into her next-door-neighbour’s souped up vacuum cleaner.
The squirrel – now named Ulysses – returns to life as a super squirrel able to lift heavy weights, fly and write poetry. Flora’s determined to help Ulysses reach his full superhero potential but every superhero has a nemesis and Flora suspects the motives of William Spiver, her neighbour’s nephew who claims to be blind but blatantly isn’t …
Kate DiCamillo’s MG novel is a quirky, charming and original delight with strong themes of loneliness and friendship that left me very moved by the end. I honestly loved it from beginning to end and the illustrations by K. G. Campbell are an absolute delight. It’s the type of book that will appeal to both reluctant and confident readers aged 8+ and I think many parents will love it too.
Flora is a delightful character. Slightly insecure, a little lost and with only her books for company I absolutely loved the friendship that develops between her and Ulysses and how she learns more about herself and her parents in the process. Ulysses is similarly adorable – constantly hungry, he’s bemused by his sudden powers but his joy at being able to express himself together with his own slightly fatalistic look on life totally held my attention.
This is a book about relationships and DiCamillo packs it with eccentric characterss, which might put some people off but I genuinely loved it – especially the articulate William Spiver who’s faked blindness to escape an uncomfortable truth and Dr Meescham, an elderly lady with lessons to pass on to the children. K. G. Campbell’s illustrations more than do justice to all of these characters and build on the book’s events.
It’s a fun, charming book that’s completely different to anything else out there and I’d definitely recommend checking it out.
The Verdict:
Kate DiCamillo’s MG novel is a quirky, charming and original delight with strong themes of loneliness and friendship that left me very moved by the end. I honestly loved it from beginning to end and the illustrations by K. G. Campbell are an absolute delight. It’s the type of book that will appeal to both reluctant and confident readers aged 8+ and I think many parents will love it too.
FLORA & ULYSSES: THE ILLUMINATED ADVENTURES is released in the United Kingdom on 24th September 2013. Thanks to Walker for the ARC of this book.
Holy unanticipated occurrences! A cynic meets an unlikely superhero in a genre-breaking new novel by master storyteller Kate DiCamillo. It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen To You! is just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight and misspelled poetry – and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart.
10-year-old Flora Belle Buckman is a self-confessed cynic, an avid reader of TERRIBLE THINGS CAN HAPPEN TO YOU! and a big fan of the comic book THE ILLUMINATED ADVENTURES OF THE AMAZING INCANDESTO. She misses her dad who moved out after her parents’ divorce as her romance novelist mother doesn’t understand her and seems to prefer a truly hideous lamp instead. But Flora’s life changes the day she saves the life of a squirrel who gets sucked up into her next-door-neighbour’s souped up vacuum cleaner.
The squirrel – now named Ulysses – returns to life as a super squirrel able to lift heavy weights, fly and write poetry. Flora’s determined to help Ulysses reach his full superhero potential but every superhero has a nemesis and Flora suspects the motives of William Spiver, her neighbour’s nephew who claims to be blind but blatantly isn’t …
Kate DiCamillo’s MG novel is a quirky, charming and original delight with strong themes of loneliness and friendship that left me very moved by the end. I honestly loved it from beginning to end and the illustrations by K. G. Campbell are an absolute delight. It’s the type of book that will appeal to both reluctant and confident readers aged 8+ and I think many parents will love it too.
Flora is a delightful character. Slightly insecure, a little lost and with only her books for company I absolutely loved the friendship that develops between her and Ulysses and how she learns more about herself and her parents in the process. Ulysses is similarly adorable – constantly hungry, he’s bemused by his sudden powers but his joy at being able to express himself together with his own slightly fatalistic look on life totally held my attention.
This is a book about relationships and DiCamillo packs it with eccentric characterss, which might put some people off but I genuinely loved it – especially the articulate William Spiver who’s faked blindness to escape an uncomfortable truth and Dr Meescham, an elderly lady with lessons to pass on to the children. K. G. Campbell’s illustrations more than do justice to all of these characters and build on the book’s events.
It’s a fun, charming book that’s completely different to anything else out there and I’d definitely recommend checking it out.
The Verdict:
Kate DiCamillo’s MG novel is a quirky, charming and original delight with strong themes of loneliness and friendship that left me very moved by the end. I honestly loved it from beginning to end and the illustrations by K. G. Campbell are an absolute delight. It’s the type of book that will appeal to both reluctant and confident readers aged 8+ and I think many parents will love it too.
FLORA & ULYSSES: THE ILLUMINATED ADVENTURES is released in the United Kingdom on 24th September 2013. Thanks to Walker for the ARC of this book.
