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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fragile people, strong God....,
By Andrew J Chamberlain "andrewchamberlain.net" (Cambridge England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: DR SYLVER AND THE LIBRARY OF EVERYTHING (Paperback)
Paul Kercal has created an edgy, compelling story that will delight and challenge young people.The complexity of the characters, in terms of personality and motive, becomes ever more apparent as the book progresses. We see a wide range of people here; some are heroic, some are tragic, all are fascinating. As I read "Dr Sylver and the Library of Everything' the first thing that struck me was the fragility of the main protagonists. We have Jamie, Charlotte, Dennis 'Mushy' Mushrell, and later Natasha; each with their own challenges and weaknesses, some obvious and others less so. These young people have to contend with adults, other children, and a range of dark spiritual forces that are ranged against them; and all with an agenda to harm them in some way. I felt for them as they struggled with insecurity and their exposure to harmful forces, physical and otherwise. I think partly as a consequence of this, I warmed to the welcoming confidence of Dr Sylver, who was calm and unflustered in Kercal's arena; an 'ever present help in times of trouble' for the youngsters. I also warmed to the author's treatment of a number of potentially difficult issues, including disability and social class. I think the readers of this book will learn at least as much from the relationships between the characters as they do from the spiritual dimension of the story. The 'Adventology' cult was impressively, and frighteningly realistic, and certainly a reminder to me of how much damage these groups can do.The poverty of those involved meant that I wavered between anger and pity when faced with the hapless Hannah Kerral (who must have been the vehicle for the author's wit, as they share almost the same surname). It made me wonder how many millions of women out there are working hard for their day of glory, hoping to achieve some acknowledgement from God and the men around them. The connection between the Spiritual and Physical worlds is explored in fleeting moments throughout the book. I was certainly intrigued, especially by the dual role of Dr Sylver, librarian to the school and, it seems, to heaven as well. The juxtaposition of the physical and the spiritual is something that I have always found fascinating, and the treatment here, especially in the school assemblies, was excellent. It would be true to say that the book closes with plenty of action. Then the tension really winds up and the presence of a powerful threat encourages our concern for all of the major characters, who I think 'come of age' as the story closes. This book forms part of a steadily growing body of contemporary British Christian fiction that deals with the physical reality of every day life and its juxtaposition with spiritual powers and personalities. I am sure a sequel will be coming soon, and it will be fascinating to see how Paul Kercal develops his characters. This is a good read and I recommend it, especially for 12-16 year olds.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Angels and Demons are very real in this book!,
By Peter Gray (England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: DR SYLVER AND THE LIBRARY OF EVERYTHING (Paperback)
Angels and Demons are very real in this book!A book for everyone to read I'm 30!..with the drama feel and gritty action. Some scary moments and edge of your seat reading especially the ending! If you like Lord of the rings you will like this. Charlotte is disabled, I'm disabled and felt it was handled very well. It was nice how her friends treated her as normal. Also the school was adapted for her deafness so she can be with hearing people. It was great how real and fantasy was mixed it often got blurred. It made me think of are role in all this. May it open your eyes to another plain of thinking and make you ask questions.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Totally gripping and compelling!!!,
By A Customer
This review is from: DR SYLVER AND THE LIBRARY OF EVERYTHING (Paperback)
Dr Sylver and the Library of Everything is an absolute must for any teenager!The main character, Jamie, goes through decisions and complexities, many of which are experienced in reality, some of which are not. This book has a Christian ethos that cleverly transforms Bible lectures into a brilliant, moving journey through Christianity. Ages 11-17 yrs would enjoy this the most, though adults would also love it. Young people with disabilities would appreciate Dr Sylver and The Library of Everything too, especially as one of the main characters is profoundly deaf. Paul Kercal takes you through her feelings in an admirably knowing way. For a troubled teenager, this could be a helpful source of comfort, and also for anyone who is bullied, confused, or experiencing trouble at home. Anyone 11+ who reads this will enjoy it! Although this book is based on Christianity, it does not rule the whole story. There are still spiteful teachers to cope with, arguments at home, a football match to prepare for, bullies to avoid... After all that, you may wonder why I have given it four stars, not five. Well, a minor point being that there are a few grammatical errors, and although the Football Tournament is very readable, if you are not interested in the game your attention might fade slightly. But this by no means occupies the whole narrative. Overall, this book is totally gripping and compelling - read it!!!
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