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Title: SANG SPELL by Phyllis Naylor, Jana Duda ISBN: 0689820062 Publisher: Simon Pulse Pub. Date: 01 April, 2000 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $4.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.31
Rating: 4
Summary: Sang Spell by:CJ
Comment: I read Sang Spell, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. It is a story of a boy, Josh Vardy, who recently lost his mother and is hitchhiking down to Dallas (from Boston) to live with his aunt. However, along the way something happens and he finds himself lost in the Appalachian Mountains, in a small, almost medieval, settlement called Canara. While in Canara Josh is put to work digging ginseng, or 'sang as the natives call it, to earn his keep in the small establishment. Throughout his stay, Josh goes on somewhat of a spiritual journey to find his way out of Canara. He believes that the ginseng has something to do with him being stuck, hence the title of the book, Sang Spell. The plot is intriguing, yet confusing in parts. Aside from that however, I enjoyed this book. It had good character development, details and many twists. Overall, Sang Spell was very well written and had a truly original plot. It was the perfect cross between fantasy, mystery and suspense.
There are many fantasy elements in this story. One, for instance, is the fact that Canara moves throughout the Appalachians during the night. One day it'll be north the next it may be farther south. This element keeps the book interesting because you never know quite where they are or what state Canara is in. In the book, many times, this movement keeps Josh from escaping Canara, for before he can leave he needs to know where he is and what direction he needs to go. Another example of the fantasy elements in Sang Spell is the fact that when Josh first attempts to leave Canara, he ends up back where he started. The path he took had no fork in it nor a bend, so how is such a thing possible? Read and find out.
Sang Spell is also full of is suspense. Many times in the book Josh is threatened by Kaspar, another young man whom, like Josh, stumbled into Canara and is also trapped. Kaspar often demands that Josh help him escape, threatening him with a jack knife. This always kept me wondering whether or not Josh would get out of Canara alive. In addition to this, near the end Josh is being chased at sundown as he tries to escape Canara. This kept me reading. I was curious to whether or not he would be caught. However I cannot tell you the out come of it, you'll have to read and find out.
Throughout the book the author continually refers back to one saying, 'sometimes to go forward, you have to go back'. But what does this mean? It is the reason Josh cannot leave Canara, at least not until he's "ready", but what does it have to do with him leaving? I can't tell. This is one of the main mysterious elements in Sang Spell. Another particular example, is that Canara is repeatedly referred to as "a place of healing", but why? This as well, is not revealed until the end. A final example of this book's mysterious elements are, why some people, born in Canara, can go to "The Edge", and others cannot, or why only some who stumble upon the place find their way out. So, as you can see, there are many things that go unexplained until the very end.
Sang Spell is an adventurous story mixed with supernatural events, hidden answers and thrills. It's a winner, with a little mystery, a dash of suspense and a pinch of fantasy. All the twists thrown in keep your eyes glued to the pages. I would recommend Sang Spell to anyone who has ever felt like they have lost their way. This book is all about finding yourself and renewing your spirits. It is a truly inspirational tale and gave me a new view on society. I hope anyone who reads it will find it as entertaining as I did.
Rating: 5
Summary: Best book I have read in a while
Comment: When Josh Vardy's mother dies in a totally preventable car accident, Josh decides to go live with his aunt in Texas for the two years left until he is eighteen. He wants to have a sort of adventure, so he trys to hitchhike there, which is a long way from Boston. Somewhere between Tenessee and Virginia, he is picked up by a man who jumps him, takes his money, and leaves him on the side of the road to die. But then, some strange people with a horse and buggy come and save him. He is appreciative at first, until he realizes he is stuck in a world that time must have missed, a world where buildings come and go and the landscape changes daily. All Josh wants is his normal life back, but "to go foreward, you must go back," the Old One Who Remembers, Isobel, says. It turns out truer than Josh can imagine in this land of Canara where space is time, time is space, and your only jailer is yourself. I have read many books, but this one is different. It is a great book for teens and adults as well- I'm sure that each one of us is secretly trapped in our own, personal Canara, where we are the key to our own escape, the only decider of our future, and our past, for that matter. I strongly reccomend this book to anyone and everyone- you won't be disappointed.
Rating: 5
Summary: A Great Book
Comment: Josh is an average teenager with a good life, until his mother is killed in a car crash. He decides that instead of taking the bus down to Texas to live with his aunt, he wants to hitch~hike. When he decided to turn off the main highway onto an isolated road, he is picked up by a stranger who gives him a ride instead of walking out in the rain and cold. When he is attacked by the driver, he is left by the side of the road with no money, no food, and a broken rib. Josh is picked up by a woman with a horse and a wagon and comes to live with the people of Canara. When he heals and makes friends, he decides to leave Canara, and be on his way. The only thing is, there's just no way he can get out...
I really liked this book mainly because it kept you in suspense chapter after chapter. Every time Josh tried to leave Canara, he couldn't, and that left me wondering what would happen to him next. The author made his adventures easy to understand, but sometimes I had to go back and read a chapter, to search for key events or clues. I also liked the fact that there was a little romance tied into the story. It added a realistic touch to the plot. The ending was good, and would make a great plot for a sequel to Sang Spell.
I didn't like when Josh was back in Canara for days at a time. It got boring when there was no action, and the pages seemed to go on forever.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an adventure as well as a fast, easy read book.
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Title: A Year Down Yonder (Newbery Medal Book, 2001) by Richard Peck, Don Freeman ISBN: 0803725183 Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers Pub. Date: October, 2000 List Price(USD): $16.99 |
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