Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dark, Thought provoking, Heart breaking, Brilliant., 12 Sep 2005
So you think you know the story about Noah, his Ark, the cute animals and the flood? Well think again because this book explores so much more. Written in the first person, it vividly depicts what it's like being the only daughter trapped on Noah's ark. Imagine a family where your dad's always right even when he sometimes seems cruel to you, where girls are less important than boys, where your elder brothers seem to veer from devout to fanatical, where kindness is seen as weakness and your mum does't seem to care what happens to you. Imagine you're responsible for trying to keep alive sharp toothed, sharp clawed wild beasts in a constantly moving, stuffy dark space where there isn't enough food - where you and some of the other inmates ARE FOOD. And imagine what you would do, when the flood comes and your friends, relatives, acquaintances, strangers the young, the old and the desparate beg you to take them on board when your dad forbids it because it's been foretold that these people have bought about their own destruction. Think about it. This is a brilliant book that shouldn't be confined to kids. I bought it for my 11 year old niece but having started it in the afternoon, soon found myself so caught up in the dark, fetid, frighening atmosphere of the ark that I read through the night to be with Timna, the girl narrator right to the end. I was appalled by the injustices, enraged by the cruelty and found myself choking back tears at the acts of kindness. At almost every page, you'll ask yourself 'what would I do?' Forget what you think you know about Noah's Ark and read this incredible, brilliant book by Geraldine McCaughrean.
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Astounding, 13 Jul 2005
By A Customer
I'm baffled that no one else has reviewed this wonderful book. It is beautiful, moving and exciting. Using different voices, McCaughrean explores the gritty truth behind the story of the Ark. There have been numerous exquisite children's storybooks about this wonderful tale (Jane Ray's illustrated version and Judith Kerr's wonderful Mrs Monkey and the Ark spring to mind) but this is for older readers. McCaughrean takes a long hard and not always positive look at life on the ark for Noah's family. The characterisation, the plotting, the style of this book are just outstanding and I hope that many many people will read this book and think about its implications. A wonderful piece of writing.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not the Bible story we know and love!, 14 Jan 2007
`Not the End of the World' is the story of Noah's Ark, albeit a very different version to that which appears in the Bible - or any version thereof children might have heard. It describes what it was `actually' like aboard the Ark for those that God spared - namely, Noah and his family, as well as all the animals. It paints a vivid, often horrific picture of the coming of the flood, the sacrifices that had to be made, and the conditions aboard the Ark, and in this way, the book succeeds in raising some important questions.
The story is told primarily through the voice of Timna, the youngest daughter of Noah. Timna is obedient, but she is scared. She is naïve but intuitive. She is loyal, but also gravely doubtful... and when she sneaks aboard a dangerous stowaway it appears that the consequences may be far worse than she anticipated.
By telling this story through Timna ("A daughter is not the same blessing as a son, after all") the author succeeds in bringing into question the motives of a supposedly all-knowing father - and, by extension, those of God Himself. However, by the end of the book both the father and daughter have learned important lessons about trust, faith, and humanity. Ostensibly a children's book, `Not the End of the World' is gritty, realistic, and full of unexpected plot twists and as such some children may find this novel quite upsetting. However, this is testament to the power of McCaughrean's writing, which is breathtaking in places.
I would suggest this book is suitable for older children of a less sensitive disposition, or parents willing to read it themselves and discuss it further. That said, this is simply a great read for anyone aged 8 to 80!
Matt Pucci
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