Review by MouseMarse -- Manasakd by Kelly May Andrews
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MouseMarse
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- Latest Review: Manasakd by Kelly May Andrews
Review by MouseMarse -- Manasakd by Kelly May Andrews
[Following is a volunteer review of "Manasakd" by Kelly May Andrews.]
I recently finished reading Manasakd, by Kelly May Andrews. It’s the tale of an alternate reality where children’s needs are met, their weaknesses strengthened, and their strengths celebrated. It’s primarily the story of Tali, a young girl who has experienced serious psychological stresses in the real world, and so is invited to enter the magical land of Manasakd.
Beyond that, it’s really difficult to tell what the book is really about, as the author switches between first person viewpoints of so many characters that it’s hard to define an actual protagonist. We see the story from the eyes and thoughts of several children and a few adults, who are all engaging and well thought out characters, if a bit two dimensional, but just about the time one begins to identify with the character, the viewpoint changes again. This would certainly have to be my least favorite aspect of the book.
As far as world construction. Ms. Andrews actually has created a delightful place where the geography is consistent and the rules don’t contradict themselves at the whim of the story’s needs. It’s the sort of place where the youthful me (and honestly, the adult me now) would love to spend time. I think I’d probably be an intellectual, but the land has a habit of upsetting expectations in a pleasant way, and that desire to be in the universe of Manasakd is certainly what I liked most about reading this tale.
There is an overarching story of the initial entrance of Tali, an uncomfortable ten-year-old girl, into this place, and the misunderstandings that attend her appearance, since she is, unbeknownst to her, a Legend, prophesied in the ancient texts of Manasakd, which are read only by the doctors. When it can be discerned from the confusing array of viewpoints, it’s actually a pretty typical story of a young girl encountering any new social situation, so children between eight and ten should really have less trouble than myself identifying with her.
From the technical and editorial angle, there are surprisingly few issues with the text. I counted a total of nine spelling and/or grammar errors (one of which is really questionable, as it may have been a bizarre style choice), and three instance of language, but all three were so mild and borderline that unless you live in a nunnery, your children have certainly heard worse. Still, if you are sensitive to exposing your children to coarse language, you may want to pre-read the book yourself.
For all of the reasons listed above, I think that I’d give Manasakd a total of two out of four stars, because it seems like an excellent foundation for a story, but the story itself just doesn’t come through all that clearly, which cost nearly half the possible score. On the other hand, if your child is showing signs of anxiety and emotional control issues, then this could be an excellent tool for opening up a discussion with them about appropriate responses and the tools to help deal with this sort of problem.
******
Manasakd
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
I recently finished reading Manasakd, by Kelly May Andrews. It’s the tale of an alternate reality where children’s needs are met, their weaknesses strengthened, and their strengths celebrated. It’s primarily the story of Tali, a young girl who has experienced serious psychological stresses in the real world, and so is invited to enter the magical land of Manasakd.
Beyond that, it’s really difficult to tell what the book is really about, as the author switches between first person viewpoints of so many characters that it’s hard to define an actual protagonist. We see the story from the eyes and thoughts of several children and a few adults, who are all engaging and well thought out characters, if a bit two dimensional, but just about the time one begins to identify with the character, the viewpoint changes again. This would certainly have to be my least favorite aspect of the book.
As far as world construction. Ms. Andrews actually has created a delightful place where the geography is consistent and the rules don’t contradict themselves at the whim of the story’s needs. It’s the sort of place where the youthful me (and honestly, the adult me now) would love to spend time. I think I’d probably be an intellectual, but the land has a habit of upsetting expectations in a pleasant way, and that desire to be in the universe of Manasakd is certainly what I liked most about reading this tale.
There is an overarching story of the initial entrance of Tali, an uncomfortable ten-year-old girl, into this place, and the misunderstandings that attend her appearance, since she is, unbeknownst to her, a Legend, prophesied in the ancient texts of Manasakd, which are read only by the doctors. When it can be discerned from the confusing array of viewpoints, it’s actually a pretty typical story of a young girl encountering any new social situation, so children between eight and ten should really have less trouble than myself identifying with her.
From the technical and editorial angle, there are surprisingly few issues with the text. I counted a total of nine spelling and/or grammar errors (one of which is really questionable, as it may have been a bizarre style choice), and three instance of language, but all three were so mild and borderline that unless you live in a nunnery, your children have certainly heard worse. Still, if you are sensitive to exposing your children to coarse language, you may want to pre-read the book yourself.
For all of the reasons listed above, I think that I’d give Manasakd a total of two out of four stars, because it seems like an excellent foundation for a story, but the story itself just doesn’t come through all that clearly, which cost nearly half the possible score. On the other hand, if your child is showing signs of anxiety and emotional control issues, then this could be an excellent tool for opening up a discussion with them about appropriate responses and the tools to help deal with this sort of problem.
******
Manasakd
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Manasakd by Kelly May Andrews
