Friday, December 13, 2013

A new student review of The Freedom Maze

vbobrocks posted a new student review of The Freedom Maze . See the full review.

The Freedom Maze by Delia Sherman is a well written and understandable novel.  Reading it felt natural and it was easy to relate to Sophie while she struggled to succeed.  There was a lot of dialogue in a more Southern slang style, but it made sense and wasn’t too obscure or confusing.  It is difficult to write a novel combining so many elements; time travel, history, growing up, and regional details and language; but Sherman managed to do it and create a cohesive, enjoyable tale.  I personally enjoyed the historical aspect of Sophie’s journey with all of the excellent insight to one of America’s toughest times.  It is unlike any book I have ever read with both history and fantasy, although I found that the history stood out above the fantasy.  Therefore, I would recommend it to 7th and 8th grade girls who enjoy historical fiction; it really is written more towards girls than boys.  Also, it is currently an advance copy novel through Candlewick Press, but it has been published before through a smaller company.  The Freedom Maze was an excellent and well written historical novel that should definitely be considered by middle school girls.