Polly Horvath

I'm not quite sure how to describe this book. It wasn't a fantasy but it reminded me of Mary Poppins as there were things that were not believable. Time travel and people floating after eating a salad, things like that. I enjoyed the book, but it was a bit on the sad side. At one point I just really wanted the poor kid to get some food!! It was entertaining, but I didn't love the messages in the book, the people for the most part all seemed really selfish and there didn't really seem to be any redemption in the end. For example here is one quote from the book: "Maybe bad behaviour is only what we think other people are going to think. Maybe there is no absolute. Maybe we worry that we are doing things wrong when they're not wrong at all. I feel like the whole universe is much looser, more spacious and open-ended than we knew. Oh, Rupert, I like everything so much better now! I was selfish, going ahead and doing what I wanted and the world didn't end. Instead I'm happy!" I'm not saying that it isn't okay to do things for yourself but I just felt there wasn't a lot of selflessness in the book.
There were 8 instances of blasphemy. I did find this book quite entertaining but I would recommend it as a read aloud book, that way you can discuss some of the themes in the book.… (more)