Στα ίχνη του κεραυνού

by Amber Lee Dodd, Φωτεινή Μοσχή (Translator)

Η Αµέλια Έστερ Μακλέοντ έχει πάρει το όνομά της από τις δύο αγαπημένες ηρωίδες της μαμάς της, την Αµέλια Έρχαρτ και τη λαίδη Έστερ Στάνχοπ. Η ίδια όμως δεν αισθάνεται πάντα ούτε τόσο γενναία ούτε τόσο έξυπνη όσο αυτές. Ζει σε ένα ανεμοδαρμένο νησί, σε ένα παλιό σπίτι που τρίζει ολόκληρο, κάτω ακριβώς από το Βόρειο Σέλας. Ο μπαμπάς της είναι σιωπηλός και λυπημένος από τότε που η μαμά της τους άφησε, και ο αφηρημένος παππούς της φαίνεται ξαφνικά πεπεισμένος ότι κάτι παράξενο πρόκειται να της συμβεί. Η Αµέλια δυσκολεύεται να προσαρμοστεί στο νέο της σχολείο – να βρει τις σωστές λέξεις, να κάνει καινούριους φίλους… Όταν όμως στα γενέθλιά της κάνει µια ευχή, να ξανασμίξει µε τη μητέρα της, µια ασυγκράτητη μαγεία αναδύεται από τη θάλασσα…

Το δωμάτιό µου άρχισε να τρεμοπαίζει… Τα αστεράκια που έλαμπαν στο σκοτάδι και τα πουλιά οριγκάμι που κρέμονταν από το ταβάνι χόρευαν πέρα δώθε. Προσπάθησα να φωνάξω αλλά δεν έβγαινε άχνα… Το δωμάτιο γύρω µου τρεμούλιασε και στροβιλίστηκε και… φσσσσστ. Εξαφανίστηκα.
Απόσπασμα από το βιβλίο

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Fiction, Childrens

288 pages, Paperback

Published November 28, 2019

Reviews

[skitso.istoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Μια ομορφη και τρυφερή ιστορία γεμάτη μαγεία.
3.5/5

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love childrens books set on Scottish islands, and this was a particularly good one. There's a lot being dealt with here by 11 year old Amelia; a mother who left and hasn't been in touch since, a sad (but loving and attentive) dad, a grandpa who's getting confused and maudlin, starting school (having never been to one), bullies, and also magical shenanigans that threaten to literally destroy her home. It's all handled well, not too sad, not taken too lightly, no easy shortcuts. I am a bit alarmed by the finale-treatment of the school bully by one of the adults in Amelia's life - the kid is a bully but she didn't deserve that from an adult! But I would use that as a talking point with my kids, since the rest of the book is great.

[Laura Noakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

LIGHTNING CHASE ME HOME is incredibly powerful. It was one of those reads that I knew I was going to love from the very first chapter. The writing is beautiful, and the story unfolds in a way that makes it almost unputdownable.
Our heroine, Amelia, is super relatable. She struggles with confidence and the story is really about her finding herself on her own terms. I loved that Amelia had dyslexia. Whilst I don’t have dyslexia myself, both my siblings do–and it was great to see reading aids that I recognised. I mentioned that I was reading a book whose main character had dyslexia to my sister, and she was SO pleased. I know this isn’t news to anyone, but representation matters hugely.
The magic was weaved into this book brilliantly. It was subtle, but so believable. I adored the juxtaposition between Amelia’s school and home life–the ordinariness of it–and the fantastical elements of Amelia’s new ability.
This kind of links in with the world-building. The mythology surrounding Dark Muir–the small island where Amelia lives-was incredible. It didn’t feel surface level at all, and I kind of wanted to know all the other legends that surrounded the island!
My fav character was definitely Pipi. What can I say, I’m a sucker for a canine BFF. I also thought the build-up of the friendship between Amelia and Tom was done beautifully, and in such a realistic way.
This book was a perfect read to start off 2019--it was infused with bravery and being true to yourself. I really recommend this for fans of Abi Elphinstone–it has that same kind of lyrical storytelling, with great world-building.

[Helen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately this became DNF

[Constantina ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Romanul e despre o fată de 11 ani numită Amelia Hester după două femei foarte curajoase din istorie: Amelia Earhart și Hester Stanhope, care au sfidat legile societății și s-au aventurat către necunoscut. Odată cu ziua ei de naștere, Amelia își pune o dorință atingând o stâncă din mijlocul mării, iar acest lucru duce la multe întâmplări furtunoase, la propriu și la figurat.

Inspirată din folclorul scoțian, este o carte realist-magică despre curaj, în diversele sale forme. Fie că înfruntă secretele dureroase din familie, temerile sau colegii care-și bat joc de ea, Amelia iese din carapacea sa, caută răspunsuri și își adună forța pentru a face față vieții.

Ce îmi place foarte mult la anumite cărți middle grade e faptul că tratează multe teme într-un mod pe înțelesul tuturor, iar încă de la începutul cărții poți să observi cum Amelia adoră să învețe în mod practic și e inteligentă, însă nu îi place școala deoarece are dislexie, iar ceilalți nu au răbdare cu ea și nu o înțeleg. Pe deasupra, atinge și tema problemelor familiale și a adulților care de multe ori greșesc și nu comunică deloc cu proprii copii, asupra celor din urmă revărsându-se o mare suferință. Sincer, comunicarea rezolvă mereu problemele!

Cu toate că e un roman cu substraturi, nu pot să spun că m-am bucurat de lectură fiindcă, chiar dacă s-a citit ușor, a fost scrisă mult prea simplu pentru mine, iar acțiunea era extrem de repetitivă și la un moment dat am simțit că doar citesc o rutină a personajelor. De asemenea, mi-aș fi dorit o acțiune puțin mai fantastică, dar aici e greșeala mea fiindcă nu m-am interesat mult despre ceea ce cumpăr. Nu în ultimul rând, nu a existat neapărat o logică pentru care misterul să se rezolve spre sfârșit și cred că autoarea doar a vrut să arate că „hei, Amelia este și ea o aventurieră”, dar întâmplările nu au condus pe nimeni efectiv către rezultat. :) Mai devreme sau mai târziu, adevărul s-ar fi aflat oricum.

[Frances · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mix of magical tale and topical issues. Nice main characters but I found them under developed and there were just too many issues. I was unhappy with how these were dealt with in the story, for example the school dealing with obvious bullying .

[Eileen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is set in the Scottish isles and follows Amelia, a girl who is coping with the fact that her mother has left her behind with her father and grandfather and isn't coming back. It doesn't help that she is starting at a new school having previously been homeschooled with a learning disability (probably dyslexia based on how it's described although it isn't stated explicitly.) She struggles to read most books, with the exception of a well-worn volume on female explorers from her absent mother, who she imagines must be off having the most far-flung adventures. The reality is sadder. Amelia's mother is as close as Edinburgh and has restarted her life with a new man. After Amelia doesn't respond positively in a call in which she suggests introducing her 'special friend', her mom sends just one more letter and seems to have decided that her father should have full custody.

Amelia makes this discovery at the end of fantasy-filled period in which she is caught up in a local curse. On her eleventh birthday, as is the tradition in her community, she touched a sea stone and made a wish...to be with her mom. She finds herself disappearing to places that were important to them instead, but she's also bringing on ever-worsening weather with each magical occurance. There are some unsubtle calls to bravery via imagining what her mother's heroines would do (and brief biographies of these women appear after the end of the novel.) The journey leads her to understand that her true home is with her father and grandfather. She makes peace with it to the extent that she 'gives back' her wish for her mother (a thing I personally don't believe likely at all for a pre-teen girl.)

The at-school portion of this book is unpleasant to read. Amelia has one friend, Tom, who makes it less terrible, but the alpha girl bully is really awful and adults let it happen. This ranges from killing the class pet to putting Amelia's name in a lottery to volunteer for a read-aloud presentation when she knows that's the last thing she wants. When she witnesses Amelia's disappearance from school during a confrontation, she sets the entire school to trying to catch her at it. The bully is also in 'STAR' the literacy-support group at school so we have a suggestion of the source of her insecurity. She gets her comeupance at the assembly when an adult friend of Amelia's family (who made the wish and had to break the curse when she was eleven, too) purposely cuts off the bully's ponytail. Kids might enjoy reading that but I really didn't.

What really bugged me though, was that despite the Scottish setting, the sea mammal on the cover and in enormous half-page chapter heading graphics on every single chapter, this is not a selkie story. Quite early I just decided that her mom couldn't get back to human form and that they were going to be reunited part time when Amelia could be in seal form, too. What an absolute bummer that Amelia's mom was just a normal crappy mom who abandoned her kid to go do what she wanted and that all of the magic compass shenanigans were a path to realizing that her dad was her 'true north'. Boo hiss.

(Also, seriously publishers you do your authors no favors by padding out every chapter with huge graphics and blank pages to trick parents into a false sense of value-for-money in page count. I'm often ordering English language books online to read in Spain and I hate you for it every time.)

cw: mostly just the family drama, abandonment and bullying issues described, there's also a risk-of-drowning scene when she's in a cave with the tide rising (but doesn't turn into a selkie dang it).

[Kelly Monroe · Rating 5 out of 5]

From start to finish this book touches the soul. It's more than just an adventure story because it beautifully captures the emotional journey of an 11 year old and the relationships that develop throughout the story between her Da, grandfather and school friend Tom. The main focus throughout the story is about her missing mother, but as the story unfolds you discover that what Amelia was looking for isn't necessarily the end outcome. It's a story of self discovery, realisation and most importantly it's about love.

I love how the author makes reference to past female adventurers and these are beautifully described at the end of the book, which is such a wonderful touch. It's a positive way of getting children to do further research on these important woman who changed history.

I felt that it was very positive how Amelia struggles with her dyslexia and in particular reading and writing. I think a lot of children reading this will be able to relate to the character and I think it'll inspire them when they're at school.

I also really enjoyed how the author described her characters and settings- it really paints a vivid picture in your mind and her use of vocubularly and explanation leaves you feeling like you're in the story yourself.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend this to the intended age group and to adults like myself.

[Madeleine Amos · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thrilling story with a big, beating heart.
Strange things are happening to Amelia - and it all started after she made a birthday wish to find her missing mum. She's just started school on a different Scottish island to the one she calls home and storm-filled magical powers are the last thing she needs. Amelia already feels like she doesn't belong. Will her wish ever come true? And if it does, can she control the magic?
A great mix of real-world dilemma and magical peril. I loved the inclusion of female adventurers described at the close of the book, too.

[Christina Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up from my local library on a complete whim and was absolutely transported to Dark Muir in a wild story full of storms, disappearing, family and folklore! Excellent and highly recommended for any readers aged 9 and up. Loved it!

[Rissa Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

"This strange place I called home, where magic and myth could take you on incredible adventures."
I loved how I could hear the storm howl and taste the salty see breeze. Like I was there with her, on her adventure.

[Kirsty Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Marzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good!

[Tayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook in one sitting while doing other things and it was a very sweet story. I feel like the biggest takeaway from this for younger readers would be about bravery.

[Daniela]

Dislexie, alzheimer

[Gillian White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really easy wholesome little read 🙂

[lydia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a great book for favourite part was at the end when Hettie accidentally cut Blair’s ponytail 😂😂👌

[Amy (Golden Books Girl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this magical realism adventure, we are told the story of Amelia, a girl who lives on a remote Scottish island and has her life disrupted when she makes a wish to be reunited with her mum and then starts intermittently disappearing to places on the island where they shared their most special moments. Amelia is absolutely wonderful, and I greatly admired her bravery in dealing with everything she is going through, from her new power to the bullies who torment her due to her dyslexia and other things beyond her control. I also loved Tom an awful lot, because he is a great friend to Amelia even though he`s dealing with his own issues too. Their friendship was great in general as it`s complicated and messy in places just the way they can be in real life, but they`re always there for each other when it really counts. Another character I need to mention is Pipi, because what an epic animal companion she was! My other favourite thing about this was how atmospheric it was, as it almost felt like I was transported to the island at some points and this came very much in handy given I read a lot of it while attending various hospital appointments. Finally, I thought the way this very subtly challenged gender stereotypes was fantastic. 4.5/5

[Ramona Cantaragiu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read it a while back and I gave it four stars, but I don't remember much about the book except that I enjoyed reading it, which means it is ok, but nothing remarkable. However, I do recommend this book to people who want to expand their reading list with some UK children's book authors.