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The Giant-Slayer (2009)

by Iain Lawrence(Favorite Author)

4.19 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0385733763 (ISBN13: 9780385733762)

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

publisher

Delacorte Books for Young Readers

review 1: I had been longing for a while for a book that held a certain childhood nostalgia mixed with magic. For me, those kinds of novels held a certain emotional satisfaction, one that lasts far longer than an average book. Iain Lawrence's "The Giant-Slayer" did exactly that for me, and I am certainly glad for the opportunity to have read it. Telling the story of a young girl Laurie who spins tales to the benefit of her young friend affected by polio as well as his fellow patients, it really felt as if I were reading two stories in one, always a bonus for me. The juxtaposition of fantasy along with the harsh reality of life within the polio ward that Laurie visited really created a sense of a long epic, one very similar to that as "The Never-Ending Story", and just as enjoyable, ... moreif not even more so to the same. Perhaps even more exciting was Laurie's own journey on understanding the patients of the polio ward through the use of her story.Perhaps the only downside to the book was the very limited character development that took place in the book. What little that took place almost seemed forced and unreal. However, this just seems to be a hazard in writing a children's novel that you wouldn't want to be too long, yet still has to manage to juggle two stories at once. Thus I don't begrudge the author on any shortcomings in this respect, and indeed congratulate him on creating a story perfect for lovers of fantasy and realistic fiction alike.
review 2: This story alternates between the story set in 1955 of Laurie and her experiences with a polio outbreak and the story that she is telling her best friend Dickie and the other children in the polio ward. Reading the story you get a sense of the fear of the virus and Laurie's frustrations with all the restrictions that fear places on her. In contrast, the story that Laurie, with the help of the polio patients, creates the hero is able to confront his fears, in this case a giant. Through the course of the story, the reader learns about each patient's experience with polio, the treatments, and their hopes for the future. less

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