Wide-Eyed Reader

Before I get started, I wanted to mention that I received an Advanced Copy of this book from William Morrow Books through Litsy. Thank you so much for this opportunity! Now, the review. First things first: I was excited to read this book because it was a post-apocalyptic story in which the main character was a middle-aged mother, not a teenage girl. I was interested to see the differences, and to explore the new world the characters live in. And I was pleased by it! I found the story powerful and compelling, and the characters to be real and driving forces of the plot. Let's get in-depth, shall we? CHARACTERS The main character of After the Flood is Myra, a mother of two daughters who is alone with her younger child on the boat her grandfather built. Myra's one goal? To find her older daughter, Row, who was taken from her so long ago by Myra's husband that the younger child, seven-year-old Pearl, doesn't even know Row. This goal is Myra's driving force, an...

While this is a middle-grade story, its magic and wonder really captured me, and I loved every minute of it. The main word I use to describe this book is "cute", and if you also like charming stories about the love between children and their pets, you'll think so too! CHARACTERS The story is mainly told from the perspective of Lin, and eleven-year-old girl who finds a magic key marked with the word "Twistrose". This means that she is special, and able to enter the magical world of Silver. Lin is a very good example of an eleven-year-old, in my opinion. She's sweet at times, insistent that she knows what she's doing, loves her pet dearly, and very determined. She has her share of flaws and strengths, and is a very believable character. I think she's great. Her narration is also very good, never giving the reader more than what Lin herself knows and being sure to sound like a girl of eleven. When not focused on Lin, the story occasionally takes...