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The Last Kings Of Sark: A Novel (2014)

by Rosa Rankin-Gee(Favorite Author)

3.19 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

1250045355 (ISBN13: 9781250045355)

languge

English

genre

Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction

publisher

St. Martin's Press

review 1: The novella which makes up the first part of the novel is a beautifully crafted coming of age story: loss of innocence, yes, but also a bit of a jab as class distinction and the strange and often antisocial idiosyncrasies of the super-rich. The setting is painted in a way that resonates in each character. The way a location changes you, how you evolve to adapt, to fit, to blend in, but also to stand out, to be an individual: relatable to any traveler. The narrator has a certain charm, but I could understand if some thought her tone a bit flat - she is quite immobile in her reactions, all self-contained, imploding rather than exploding, but that was the intention. The second half of the novel simply didn't match the first, just couldn't make me care, even though the prose i... mores controlled and consistent with spikes of clever comedy. I'm not the easiest audience with literary fiction, and this novel is most definitely striving to fit the confines of that genre (i call it a genre, some may say otherwise), but Rosa kept me interested. I think the most beautiful character in the book is Sark itself, and I really want to visit, if only to see the stars.
review 2: I didn't know if I was going to like this book. The story of three young people, 2 girls and a boy on the island of Sark was intriguing. Sofi is the cook, Jude, the tutor, and Pip is the son of the man in whose house they live or work. The story is bittersweet and sad at the same time. Older with different life experiences, they each look back on that summer with a sad sense of nostalgia. This book made me feel a little sad too, just like the characters. That is a good thing in that I could identify with each of them. less

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