The Great Unexpected

Title: The Great Unexpected

Author: Sharon Creech

Number of pages: 224

Started: 3 November 2012

Finished: 7 November 2012

Opening words:

My name is Naomi Deane and I grew up in Blackbird Tree, in the home of my guardians, Joe and Nula.  Among the tales that Joe often told was that of a poor man,  who, while gambling, lost his house but won a donkey.

Plot summary:

In the little town of Blackbird Tree a series of curious events unfold when Naomi and Lizzie, two spirited orphan girls, meet the strangely charming new boy, Finn. Three locked trunks, the mysterious Dingle Dangle man, a pair of rooks, a crooked bridge, and that boy change their lives for ever. As the story alternates between their small town and across-the-ocean Ireland, two worlds are woven together, revealing that hearts can be mended and that there is indeed a gossamer thread that connects us all.

What I thought:

The first thing to mention is that this is a children’s book.  That said, there is many a readable children’s book.  However, I was not really a fan of this book. I didn’t find the story that compelling. It lacked a strong purpose to pull it together, such as some sort of “life lesson”, but this book seemed to somehow hold it all together – although there was perhaps something about connectedness.  It just lacked something to make it a really enjoyable book.