Review of The diary of Catherine Cunningham
5 posts
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The diary of Catherine Cunningham" by Karen Shandley.]
The Diary of Catherine Cunningham by Karen Shandley is a young adult fantasy novel that follows the adventures of Leona and Catherine Cunningham. Leona is a thirteen-year-old girl from Birmingham. She was born to Tracy and Michael after a long struggle with infertility, and they consider her their miracle daughter. Before starting secondary school, Leona was an active and energetic girl who loved reading and enjoyed cycling. Also, she aspired to become a doctor. But after she started secondary school, everything changed. Leona's friends changed. She became rude, with a change in her attitude. Her goals and dreams disappeared, and she started drifting away from her parents. This worried her parents a lot, and they wanted to get their old daughter back. They believed that, along with the challenges of her teenage years, the bad friends in the city were the reasons for their daughter's change. They felt it was time for a fresh start and took a big decision—to move to another city. They bought a beautiful cottage just outside Stratford, set in nature, away from the chaos of the city. But Leona wasn't happy about this decision. She fought against it, but her parents were determined. So, with great reluctance, Leona shifted to their new home. The beauty of their cottage initially excited her. But her resentment came back, and she missed her old home and friends. Angry with her parents, she stormed out to the garden. During her walk, she unknowingly discovered a muddy object—a very old diary. The diary belonged to a young girl, Catherine Cunningham, who lived in Tudor times. Out of curiosity, she read that diary, not knowing that her life was about to be changed. The diary's contents emotionally affected Leona, and with Catherine's story lingering in her mind, she went to sleep. When she woke up, she found herself in Tudor England. With fear and confusion overwhelming her, she wandered through the new place, which looked like a wasteland to her. After various struggles, an exhausted Leona met Catherine, the diary's author. With a common goal of returning to their homes, they embarked on an exciting adventure where danger lurked around every corner. What dangers will they face? Will Leona return to her parents? What fate awaits Catherine? Read the book to find out more.
I have to say that even though it is a young adult book, I, as an adult, enjoyed it a lot. As a mother of teenage daughters, I can easily relate to the feelings and the worries of Leona's parents. The teenage years are a crucial time in children's lives, as it is quite easy for them to stray from the right path. The theme of this book is the importance of family, and this is what hooked me when I read the blurb. I appreciate that this book introduces young readers to values such as love, gratitude, kindness, and friendship.
The characterization is well done, and I loved the friendship between Leona and Catherine. I enjoyed reading the scenes set in the Tudor period. The book cover is attractive, and as an art lover, I adored it.
The characters in the Tudor period talk in Tudor English. Though it felt weird at first, I started appreciating it as I read on. However, some readers might find it difficult to follow. Also, I noticed a couple of instances where it looked like the characters spoke normal English instead of Tudor English. The narrative includes some profane words and also contains little violent and gory scenes, which may be a bit mature for young teenagers. I felt that the use of profane words could have been avoided, as the main theme of the book, about the importance of family, is apt for younger teens. This is what I personally thought as a mother of young teenage girls. Another issue I noted is the editing. Most of the book is error-free, and almost all the errors I noted were clustered towards the end. Though my views regarding the profane word usage are my personal opinions, I had to reduce my rating due to the errors. So, I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. I recommend this book to young adults, preferably older teens. Also, adults who love fantasy stories and novels with young protagonists will enjoy this book.
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The diary of Catherine Cunningham
View: on Bookshelves |
The Diary of Catherine Cunningham by Karen Shandley is a young adult fantasy novel that follows the adventures of Leona and Catherine Cunningham. Leona is a thirteen-year-old girl from Birmingham. She was born to Tracy and Michael after a long struggle with infertility, and they consider her their miracle daughter. Before starting secondary school, Leona was an active and energetic girl who loved reading and enjoyed cycling. Also, she aspired to become a doctor. But after she started secondary school, everything changed. Leona's friends changed. She became rude, with a change in her attitude. Her goals and dreams disappeared, and she started drifting away from her parents. This worried her parents a lot, and they wanted to get their old daughter back. They believed that, along with the challenges of her teenage years, the bad friends in the city were the reasons for their daughter's change. They felt it was time for a fresh start and took a big decision—to move to another city. They bought a beautiful cottage just outside Stratford, set in nature, away from the chaos of the city. But Leona wasn't happy about this decision. She fought against it, but her parents were determined. So, with great reluctance, Leona shifted to their new home. The beauty of their cottage initially excited her. But her resentment came back, and she missed her old home and friends. Angry with her parents, she stormed out to the garden. During her walk, she unknowingly discovered a muddy object—a very old diary. The diary belonged to a young girl, Catherine Cunningham, who lived in Tudor times. Out of curiosity, she read that diary, not knowing that her life was about to be changed. The diary's contents emotionally affected Leona, and with Catherine's story lingering in her mind, she went to sleep. When she woke up, she found herself in Tudor England. With fear and confusion overwhelming her, she wandered through the new place, which looked like a wasteland to her. After various struggles, an exhausted Leona met Catherine, the diary's author. With a common goal of returning to their homes, they embarked on an exciting adventure where danger lurked around every corner. What dangers will they face? Will Leona return to her parents? What fate awaits Catherine? Read the book to find out more.
I have to say that even though it is a young adult book, I, as an adult, enjoyed it a lot. As a mother of teenage daughters, I can easily relate to the feelings and the worries of Leona's parents. The teenage years are a crucial time in children's lives, as it is quite easy for them to stray from the right path. The theme of this book is the importance of family, and this is what hooked me when I read the blurb. I appreciate that this book introduces young readers to values such as love, gratitude, kindness, and friendship.
The characterization is well done, and I loved the friendship between Leona and Catherine. I enjoyed reading the scenes set in the Tudor period. The book cover is attractive, and as an art lover, I adored it.
The characters in the Tudor period talk in Tudor English. Though it felt weird at first, I started appreciating it as I read on. However, some readers might find it difficult to follow. Also, I noticed a couple of instances where it looked like the characters spoke normal English instead of Tudor English. The narrative includes some profane words and also contains little violent and gory scenes, which may be a bit mature for young teenagers. I felt that the use of profane words could have been avoided, as the main theme of the book, about the importance of family, is apt for younger teens. This is what I personally thought as a mother of young teenage girls. Another issue I noted is the editing. Most of the book is error-free, and almost all the errors I noted were clustered towards the end. Though my views regarding the profane word usage are my personal opinions, I had to reduce my rating due to the errors. So, I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. I recommend this book to young adults, preferably older teens. Also, adults who love fantasy stories and novels with young protagonists will enjoy this book.
******
The diary of Catherine Cunningham
View: on Bookshelves |
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