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Call Down Thunder
From the author of the critically acclaimed TWO GOOD THIEVES comes another gripping, fast-paced and vividly rendered story of bravery, corruption and survival.
Reve and his sister Mi are alone in the world – their father is dead and their mother has abandoned them. Reve has to learn to be a man – to fight, to fish, to live. He must protect Mi from the rest of the world; she is special, hears voices, can see things. She can call down thunder. Travelling to the big city to search for their mother, Reve and Mi get sucked into the squalid underworld of the sprawling barrio, where danger lurks around every corner, and each day is a fight for survival.
Reve and his sister Mi are alone in the world – their father is dead and their mother has abandoned them. Reve has to learn to be a man – to fight, to fish, to live. He must protect Mi from the rest of the world; she is special, hears voices, can see things. She can call down thunder. Travelling to the big city to search for their mother, Reve and Mi get sucked into the squalid underworld of the sprawling barrio, where danger lurks around every corner, and each day is a fight for survival.
306 pages, Hardcover
First published July 5, 2012
28 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 27, 2020
It was a bit hard to get into this book because English is not my first language and the accent used in this book was a bit hard to follow but I managed it and man! This was a good read.
The ending gave me a very positive and happy feeling.(IDK if that makes sense 😂)
Loved Reve's character and his relationship with Tomas & Theon.
Mi can be annoying sometimes.
The ending gave me a very positive and happy feeling.(IDK if that makes sense 😂)
Loved Reve's character and his relationship with Tomas & Theon.
Mi can be annoying sometimes.
August 13, 2019
The language and editing is good...The author Daniel Finn has explained the horrors faced by two innocent children when living between horrific people.! The story is well explained and is wirth reading..!!
July 8, 2012
ISBN: 9780230738003
Publisher: Macmillan
Pages: 320
Formats Available: Hardback, Kindle
BLURB from Literature sent out by Macmillan
At the eye of the storm you discover the truth...
Reve and his sister Mi are alone in the world- their father is dead and their mother has abandoned them. Reve has to learn to be a man - to fight, to fish,to live. He must protect Mi from the rest of the world; she is special, hears voices, can see things. She can call down thunder.
Travelling to the big city to search for their mother, Reve and Mi get sucked into the squalid underworld of the sprawling barrio, where danger lurks around every corner, and each day is a fight for survival.
MY REVIEW
I received an paperback of this book from Macmillan in exchange for my honest review and opinion on the book.
I like the title and how it is displayed on the paperback. The phrase "Call Down Thunder" is used in describing the special voices that Mi can call forth. I also like the byline "At the eye of the storm you discover the truth..." it's quite cryptic, yet does fit the story line of the book really well. You will know what I mean when you read the book yourself.
I will say that this book is somewhat of a "slow burner" at the beginning and I really did find the way how the characters spoke irritating until I got engrossed into the plot of the book. Then once the speed picks up, it goes on at a decent pace.
I loved the way how Mi just "knew" things, and there's a funny part where Reve thinks Mi has used her "powers" when she hasn't, in fact there happens to be an obvious explanation for what happens. The book tells us about the village of Rinconda, and those that seek to exploit the villagers too. It tells us some of the story of "Sante Fe" who is Mi and Reve's runaway mother. We learn the truth of how her husband, Mi and Reve's father died.
I don't want to say much more as I don't wish to give away too much of the book. How to describe the experience of reading this book has been difficult, as it's not a light read, it has depth and requires you to stick with it and work your way through the incidents in the book. Having said that, I am not saying I didn't enjoy it as I did like it.
So did I like the BK? I did enjoy the book once I was caught by the story line. I think this book could be read by adults as well as teens. Will there be a BK 2.....not sure possibly because we don't learn "Santa Fe's" full story of how she ended up like she has. Also a second bk could feature Reve putting into action some of changes he would like to see in his village. Would I read a BK 2? Yes I would.Would I recommend this BK? Yes..to the experienced, more serious reader.
Publisher: Macmillan
Pages: 320
Formats Available: Hardback, Kindle
BLURB from Literature sent out by Macmillan
At the eye of the storm you discover the truth...
Reve and his sister Mi are alone in the world- their father is dead and their mother has abandoned them. Reve has to learn to be a man - to fight, to fish,to live. He must protect Mi from the rest of the world; she is special, hears voices, can see things. She can call down thunder.
Travelling to the big city to search for their mother, Reve and Mi get sucked into the squalid underworld of the sprawling barrio, where danger lurks around every corner, and each day is a fight for survival.
MY REVIEW
I received an paperback of this book from Macmillan in exchange for my honest review and opinion on the book.
I like the title and how it is displayed on the paperback. The phrase "Call Down Thunder" is used in describing the special voices that Mi can call forth. I also like the byline "At the eye of the storm you discover the truth..." it's quite cryptic, yet does fit the story line of the book really well. You will know what I mean when you read the book yourself.
I will say that this book is somewhat of a "slow burner" at the beginning and I really did find the way how the characters spoke irritating until I got engrossed into the plot of the book. Then once the speed picks up, it goes on at a decent pace.
I loved the way how Mi just "knew" things, and there's a funny part where Reve thinks Mi has used her "powers" when she hasn't, in fact there happens to be an obvious explanation for what happens. The book tells us about the village of Rinconda, and those that seek to exploit the villagers too. It tells us some of the story of "Sante Fe" who is Mi and Reve's runaway mother. We learn the truth of how her husband, Mi and Reve's father died.
I don't want to say much more as I don't wish to give away too much of the book. How to describe the experience of reading this book has been difficult, as it's not a light read, it has depth and requires you to stick with it and work your way through the incidents in the book. Having said that, I am not saying I didn't enjoy it as I did like it.
So did I like the BK? I did enjoy the book once I was caught by the story line. I think this book could be read by adults as well as teens. Will there be a BK 2.....not sure possibly because we don't learn "Santa Fe's" full story of how she ended up like she has. Also a second bk could feature Reve putting into action some of changes he would like to see in his village. Would I read a BK 2? Yes I would.Would I recommend this BK? Yes..to the experienced, more serious reader.
August 9, 2012
Originally reviewed at: http://www.booksbiscuitsandtea.co.uk/...
I started Call Down Thunder expecting to read an action-filled mystery written for the young adult generation but about 40 pages in I realised this was going to be something entirely different. All in all, this book for me was like a roller coaster ride. My initial reaction was that this was not my cup of tea, after all. I found the way people talked irritating, and the story quite slow-paced and I was starting to feel discouraged. But since I’m patient and don’t like to quit, I kept on reading and how glad I am for that! Because once I got used to how people talk and got to know them a little bit better, I couldn’t put the book down.
As I mentioned, if you’re looking for a gut-wrenching action novel you’ll be just as surprised as I initially was. The first half of the story introduces us to Reve’s life and what he has to go through every single day to protect himself and Mi. We get to know Tomas, who looked after them after their father died and their mother left the village, and all their enemies. For Reve and Mi might be young, but regular fights and hostility are not unknown to them. I found this bit quite long-winded and slow but once the siblings leave the village in order to track down their mother, I started to really enjoy the story. Reve is a brilliant character who changes a lot by the end of the story. I love his courage, his loyalty and the fact that he’s always there to protect Mi or people who need help – and he’s only a kid. I love how he cling to his loved ones but eventually, he learns how to let go.
All in all, I enjoyed this book. If you like young adult fiction and you’re patient enough, I think you’ll enjoy it too. It might take a while for you to get into the story but it’ll be worth it in the end. It’s a touching novel about trust, loyalty, courage and family, spiced up with mysteries and great character development.
I started Call Down Thunder expecting to read an action-filled mystery written for the young adult generation but about 40 pages in I realised this was going to be something entirely different. All in all, this book for me was like a roller coaster ride. My initial reaction was that this was not my cup of tea, after all. I found the way people talked irritating, and the story quite slow-paced and I was starting to feel discouraged. But since I’m patient and don’t like to quit, I kept on reading and how glad I am for that! Because once I got used to how people talk and got to know them a little bit better, I couldn’t put the book down.
As I mentioned, if you’re looking for a gut-wrenching action novel you’ll be just as surprised as I initially was. The first half of the story introduces us to Reve’s life and what he has to go through every single day to protect himself and Mi. We get to know Tomas, who looked after them after their father died and their mother left the village, and all their enemies. For Reve and Mi might be young, but regular fights and hostility are not unknown to them. I found this bit quite long-winded and slow but once the siblings leave the village in order to track down their mother, I started to really enjoy the story. Reve is a brilliant character who changes a lot by the end of the story. I love his courage, his loyalty and the fact that he’s always there to protect Mi or people who need help – and he’s only a kid. I love how he cling to his loved ones but eventually, he learns how to let go.
All in all, I enjoyed this book. If you like young adult fiction and you’re patient enough, I think you’ll enjoy it too. It might take a while for you to get into the story but it’ll be worth it in the end. It’s a touching novel about trust, loyalty, courage and family, spiced up with mysteries and great character development.
August 29, 2013
Call Down Thunder by Daniel Finn sounded intriguing. Two siblings living in a small coastal village; Mi who hears voices and her brother Reve who wants to protect her from the dangers of the world. When Reve has a vision of a mysterious woman waving at him, Mi is certain it is their mother; the mother who abandoned them many years earlier after their father died. Mi is determined to find her even if it means risking the dangers of the city.
The main reason why I was disappointed in Call Down Thunder was because not much happened in it. It took more than a hundred pages before the story got to the point that I wanted; Reve and Mi in the city searching for their mother. The story did improve at that point, but the action was over too quickly. I liked the introduction of Demi and Baz from Finn’s other book, Two Good Thieves.
There was a huge build up about Reve and Mi’s mother, but she was also disappointing. From the amount of secondary characters mentioning her and Mi’s determination to find her, I thought she would be a many-layered, main character. She wasn’t a bad character; she simply didn’t explain any of her motives to Reve and Mi. Everything they learnt about her was through other characters such as Thomas and Moro.
The story focussed much more on village disputes and Reve observing and commenting on the actions of the three main ‘leaders’ of the village. While Reve was a likeable main character, I didn’t know what to make of Mi. She grated on me at first because I felt like she made some wrong decisions, but I warmed up to her eventually. I would have liked to have known more about the visions and voices she heard. In all, Call Down Thunder was an okay read but it wasn’t what I expected.
The main reason why I was disappointed in Call Down Thunder was because not much happened in it. It took more than a hundred pages before the story got to the point that I wanted; Reve and Mi in the city searching for their mother. The story did improve at that point, but the action was over too quickly. I liked the introduction of Demi and Baz from Finn’s other book, Two Good Thieves.
There was a huge build up about Reve and Mi’s mother, but she was also disappointing. From the amount of secondary characters mentioning her and Mi’s determination to find her, I thought she would be a many-layered, main character. She wasn’t a bad character; she simply didn’t explain any of her motives to Reve and Mi. Everything they learnt about her was through other characters such as Thomas and Moro.
The story focussed much more on village disputes and Reve observing and commenting on the actions of the three main ‘leaders’ of the village. While Reve was a likeable main character, I didn’t know what to make of Mi. She grated on me at first because I felt like she made some wrong decisions, but I warmed up to her eventually. I would have liked to have known more about the visions and voices she heard. In all, Call Down Thunder was an okay read but it wasn’t what I expected.
April 11, 2014
I read 50 pages of this book and have no idea what was happening, except there was a bit of fishing going on. And, as I can't stand fishing (yawn), and the writing did not engage me, I stopped reading. Sorry Daniel Finn, but I think this book needs some clarity of thought ploughed into it and some editing too.
November 13, 2013
Bit confusing, not very descriptive
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews