Customer Comments

KatinaP has commented on (2) products.

Breath

KatinaP, April 15, 2007

I read the book Breath by Donna Jo Napoli and I believe that it was a very good middle ages book. Breath is about a boy named Salz, who lives in a time when a great sickness overcomes everyone. All the animals become sick and the people turn crazy. Salz and his grandmother try to figure out what is happening to the town and the animals when something occurs that takes everyone by surprise, and when a special someone shows up to save the day.

The first thing I liked about this book was that I could not, for the life of me, put it down. It’s defenatly a page turner. Furthermore this book is very detailed and it makes you feel as if you’re there with Salz. Lastly, this book is very unexpecting and it always has a big twist just when you think things have calmed down. The last thing this book is is calm.

This book isn’t just good; it has a lot of history in it too. Salz has some form of asthma, and the only way they cure that is to make him stand on his head. Back in the Middle Ages they really knew nothing about medicine. This is exactly what they show in the book.

If you like history books and fast paced novels, I’m sure you will love Breath by Donna Jo Napoli.

Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(3 of 5 readers found this comment helpful)

report this comment

Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

KatinaP, April 8, 2007

I read the book Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman. I think this book was an ok read but it wasn’t my favorite. It’s about a young lady in the middle ages. Her father, the lord, wants to marry her off to a rich old man with lots of land. Catherine wants to just get away from the lady life and escape, but is always held in place by her constantly pregnant mother, and her always nagging nurse/maid Morwenna.

The reasons I didn’t really like this book is because the end just stops so suddenly without any idea of how she lives her life. It seems the author just wanted to get the book over with in a quick and horrible ending. I also don’t like that she always dragged on and on about her problems and sometimes never found a solution and left the reader confused. But, I liked the fact that Catherine always gets into some interesting situations. It not the type of things a girl in the Middle Ages would be expected to do.

The book is very historically accurate. It talks about the interesting and weird medicines that were thought to cure. Many are filled with assorted disgusting things like goat poop. It talks about the many feasts that happened every day and how everyone drank wine instead of water, even the children.

In conclusion I think Catherine, Called Birdy is a good book for people who like quick reads and very historically accurate books with a leading heroine. Personally I thought this book could’ve been better, but beauty is always in the eye of the beholder.

Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(17 of 29 readers found this comment helpful)

report this comment