Cal is our narrator and he's a big brother to Sammy. He reads to him and plays with him and basically keeps him entertained. But then he meets a new girl, Aleta, and he doesn't have much time for Sammy any more.
Aleta has her own mysteries, and she disappears for days at a time. Cal is so wrapped up in figuring out his relationship with Aleta that he challenges Sammy to some monumental tasks to keep him occupied. When Sammy gets sick and is diagnosed with cancer, Cal feels very guilty.
From Ant to Eagle follows a rather predictable path, but the story is engaging and kept my interest. As I said, I don't usually read middle school books, and there's a reason for that. From Ant to Eagle is definitely written for lower levels with short sentences and lots of telling rather than showing. It makes for a fast read, but for me it becomes monotonous. I felt like the subject matter is appropriate for middle school, but the writing is a bit lower.
From Ant to Eagle has been compared to Wonder. I was affected much more by Wonder and I didn't really see the bullied, disfigured kid connection. And Wonder had multiple narrators which really added to that story for me. But the comparison isn't really necessary. From Ant to Eagle is an engaging journey all its own.
For the intended audience who enjoy "cancer books" From Ant to Eagle is a worthy addition to the field.
Published by Central Avenue, April 1, 2017
eARC obtained from the publisher
256 pages
Rating: 3.5/5
I also got this one from the publisher to review. I'm glad that you mostly enjoyed it. Interestingly, I read Sharon Draper's Out of Mind which I absolutely loved and then I read Wonder which I thought was just "meh". So I'm curious to see where my opinions lie in this one.
ReplyDeleteGood middle grade books are hard to come by so I am glad this one exists, even if it doesn't do wonders for the adults who read it.
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