Filippo, Me and the Cherry Tree

The Cherry Tree #2

by Paola Peretti

A powerful, uplifting and moving story of a teenage girl's battle against losing her sight and keeping her friendships.

Mafalda is thirteen and has been blind since she was ten. Her best friend is the cheerfully rule-breaking Filippo, and she is accompanied everywhere by Ottimo Turcaret, her devoted cat. Mafalda is always looking on the bright side, thinking of things she can do both now and in the future despite her loss of sight. But other things are worrying her too: her father who has lost his job and is now in the depths of depression, refusing to leave his bed; and the horrible girl in school, Debbie, who seems very interested in Filippo . . . So now Mafalda has to start thinking what Filippo really means to her . . .

Then two new adults come into her life: Elsa, a homeless young woman, and Nino, the elderly upstairs neighbour with an awful temper and a great passion for Charles Dickens. Little by little, Mafalda learns their stories, and how their lives had also been shaped by brave and difficult choices. A moving sequel to THE DISTANCE BETWEEN ME AND THE CHERRY TREE

Genres: Middle Grade, Young Adult, Italian Literature

132 pages, Paperback

Published August 4, 2022

Reviews

[Ami 乁⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠o⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠ㄏ (written by Jane Austen) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 stars)

So, I had no idea that this was a sequel but that didn't make the read any confusing. In fact, I quite liked this short book about a blind girl learning to get used to her disability and navigating puberty.

This is a bittersweet read filled with hope and love and every time I read a chapter, I was taken back to memories of my own childhood. Of course, life for me was quite different than it is for Mafalda but her problems were that of a girl growing up to that precarious age where everything is confusing and new (even more so for her) and I found that quite relatable.

I liked the characters quite a lot, all of them. Realistic and multidimensional, even though we got to spend such less time with them, they felt like actual people. Mafalda and Filippo, especially, were like actual kids coming to adolescence.

I also liked how the author had handled certain heavy topics and along with that, she presented to us a cast of characters that was quite inclusive. Apart from the mc suffering from a disability and learning to live with it, we also delve into topics such as dyslexia and how hard it is to recognise in kids, the loss of a long standing job and the all-encompassing depression it might bring along. I really loved the author's representation of all these very real situations in such a way.

Honestly, I don't have much to say about this small story except that it was a very sweet read and is definitely for when you want to read something not quite long and still feel all the emotions because the author does a great job at making her characters into real people and invoke our sympathy. Someday, I hope I'll get to read the prequel to this as well.

Bottom line: Bittersweet and mature.

[ruq°`•○▪︎●~°☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really think it's good. Even though drama and children's stories are not a subject that normally interests me, I wasn't bored while reading this book and it impressed me

[feyza divalice]

Sonu bok gibi bitti keşke okumasaydim

[Mehmet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biraz daha büyümüş Mafalda’nın tamamen karanlıktayken geçirdiği zamanları anlatan, ilk aşkın heyecanını ve büyümenin getirdiği o garip hissi çok güzel yansıtmıştı. Temaları arasında bulunan ‘Büyümek’ kesinlikle bu kitap için çok uygun. Mafalda’yı sevdiyseniz bu kitaba da bakmalısınız. Birkaç saat içinde hemen okumalık kısa bir kitap.

[Knihomolka Šárka · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5⭐️

První kniha byla o tom, jak neztrácet vůli žít a i při sebevětších změnách si stále hledat svou cestu a nalézat nové koníčky či smysl života. Tentokrát tu autorka otevírá příběh, v jehož stránkách se protagonistka vyrovná se ztrátou. A to nejen blízkých, ale i svého zraku. díky vyššímu věku, i když jen o 3 roky, je už kniha lehce vyspělejší a možná o špetku vážnější. Stále v sobě však ukrývá kouzlo dětské mysli, čímž je nejen skvělým čtením pro děti, ale také i pro dospělé, jen si v příbězích dokáží najít to své. Navíc Mafalda i přes ztrátu svého zraku nezanevřela na svou lásku ke knihám, takže zde máme odkazy i na pár klasiků. Jen bohužel příběh ztratil tu lehkost, kterou měl v prvním díle, a díky níž se tak skvěle četl.

[Sena Genç · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beni hüzünlendirdi, mutlu etti, düşündürdü. Zaten minik bir kitap ama ilki gibi yazılışı çok samimi. Bu yazarın ifadeleri kullanışını çok beğeniyorum.

[Sena Sannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Çok güzelll 💗

[Buse Tüzün · Rating 4 out of 5]

İlk kitabı okuyalı epey oldu ama bunu da yine merakla ve keyifle okudum. Karakteri çocuk olsa da gerçekten büyüklerin de okuyabileceği bu tarz kitapları çok seviyorum. Benim için güvenli alan gibiler. Kargaşaya neden olmadan, kendi içinde sakince okunan kitaplara ihtiyacınız olduğu dönemlerde çok iyi geliyorlar.

Mafalda'nın düşüncelerini okumak, bazen insanın kalbini sızlatan cinstendi. Filippo ile arasındaki ilişki çok tatlıydı. İçten içe babasına kızsam da Mafalda'nın hissettiklerine ve çabalamasına bi içim burkuldu. Elsa ve üst kattaki komşusu ile olan diyalogları da çok güzeldi.

Kitapla ilgili tek sıkıntım geçmiş ve şimdiki zamanı birlikte kullanan bir anlatıma sahip olmasıydı. Bu beni çok rahatsız ediyor. Belki mesleki deformasyon olabilir ancak kitapta baştan sona yalnızca bir zaman dilimi kullanılarak anlatılması taraftarıyım. Zaten ince bir kitaptı o yüzden kolaylıkla bitti ama keşke anlatım dili de sadece geçmiş zaman olsaydı.

[Patrizia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ho aspettato questo seguito e sono stata ricompensata: un altro gioiellino. È stato emozionante ritornare nel mondo di Mafalda, Filippo e del ciliegio.
In questo secondo capitolo la tredicenne inizia a prendere consapevolezza riguardo la sua malattia, affronta i problemi dell'età (pubertà, primo amore, gelosie) oltre alla preoccupazione per il padre che ha perso il lavoro. Insieme al suo migliore amico Filippo la ragazzina incontra nuovi amici (Elsa e Nino) che la aiutano nel suo percorso di crescita.
La forza, la resilienza e la sensibilità di Mafalda non possono che scaldare il cuore e portano il lettore a sperare per lei un futuro sereno e pieno di soddisfazioni. Delicato come un petalo di ciliegio. Lettura consigliata. Merita.

[duru · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8
this book was such a cute book and was a decent sequel too! i enjoyed reading mafalda’s character development and i loved that there were new side characters outside of filippo. also i think that elsa is such a good character and i hope, if we get another sequel, we can see elsa have more roles and we can finally see filippo and mafalda being a couple. the only flaw in this book was that we didn’t even see a moment of the cherry tree! idk if we had one and i missed it and if i did please let me know. i just wished the book had been a little longer so we could’ve seen elsa and filippo&mafalda’s relationship more.

and i’m pretty happy that nino didn’t die and i hope he doesn’t!

[Andrea Tongsak · Rating 4 out of 5]

there’s a sequel??? THIS IS NOT A DRILL 🥹

—

My dog Lucky got to this book before I could so I read a chewed on version of this amazing writing. It occurs a few years after the first book, but Mafalda, her cat, and Filippo are still as endearing as ever. Her dad goes through depression after losing his job and it’s a really sympathetic view of what happens to people that undergo it. Filippo and Mafalda promise each other to get married and there are a cast of older characters I adore: Elsa and Grandpa Nino.

[Ellashrts · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHY DIDNT THEY GET MARRIED AAAAAAAAAA THEY SHOULDVE MARRIED. THE LAST PART WASNT ENOUGH FOR ME. this book was literally so good i read it in 2 days, i couldnt stop reading because it was just so entertaining. i wish i got to read the first book too, HOPEFULLY WILL HAVE IT SOON!!!! the main character was such a cutie she didnt deserve all of that i love her literally. debbie, literally i hate you i hope u get removed from the world >:(

[Nicoleta Deca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuarea povestii Mafaldei se face dupa trei ani cand tot ce mai poate vedea sunt umbre si culoarea rosie. Povestea incepe cu o scrisoare emotionanta pentru Estella, o romanca care murise de cancer, si care fusese pentru Mafalda o stea cazatoare, in prima parte a povestii. Mafalda continua sa isi duca viata de adolescenta cat mai normal posibil alaturi de cel mai bun prieten al ei, Filippo si de Ottimo Turcaret, pisica ei devotată. Mafalda caută mereu partea bună, gândindu-se la lucruri pe care le poate face atât acum, cât și în viitor, în ciuda pierderii vederii. Este o parte foarte emotionanta cand doi adolescenti cu probleme se gandesc sa ajute un adult. Tatal Mafaldei era somer de peste sase luni si nu se intrevedea nicio speranta pentru a se angaja in viitorul apropiat. E uimitor cum sentimentele Mafaldei cresc fata de cei din jur, fara sa ii umbreasca actiunile dizabilitatea ei. Elsa si Nino vor beneficia de dragostea ei si la fel si cei din jur, chiar daca ea necesita cea mai multa intelegere si atentie.

[Olivia-Savannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 3.5

This was a really sweet story. It felt realistic and wholesome. I liked the main character and how you could see her coming to terms with her disability, how she feels about growing up and becoming a teenager as well as going to secondary school for the first time. She has such a pure heart with the way she is always trying to help the people around her. And yet, she read realistically for a child as well, with her reluctance to do certain things while obeying the adults around her too.

It was lovely, but didn't blow me out of the water. The writing felt more on the simplistic side. And that's a statement on the writing and not a criticism.

A quick easy read. I will admit I have not read the first book and can see where it was referring to things I hadn't encountered, but I didn't feel like I was floundering either. I wouldn't mind going back and reading book one at some point, but don't think I'd continue on with the series either.

[Nisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yetişkinlere yönelik kitaplar okumaya o kadar alışmışım ki bir çocuk kitabından ne beklemem gerektiğini bilmiyorum. Mafalda artık daha büyük ve yeni olaylar karşısında ne yapacağını öğrenmeye çalışıyor. Onun yaş aralığı için eğlenceli bir kitap. Çok sorgulamazdım yaşım küçük olsa lakin biraz daha deneyimli olduğumu düşünerek bazı yerlerin eksik olduğunu görüyorum. Sonuçta bu kitap serinin son kitabı bildiğim kadarıyla ve açıklanamayan şeyler vardı. Flippo ile birbirlerine verecekleri söz en basitinden. Neyse, okunur.

[Melissa Tosoni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mafalda è cresciuta, ora ha 13 anni e non vede che tutto nero ma non per questo è scoraggiata dalla vita…continua ad essere amica di Filippo, il suo gatto è sempre con lei e ci sono anche Elsa, una senzatetto e Nino un anziano. Elsa le ricorda che i sogni possono realizzarsi se si crede in essi. Nino la fa appassionare dei libri. Suo papà perde il lavoro, è depresso ma Mafalda non si abbatte e fa di tutto per ridargli dignità. Quando sta per perdere Filippo in realtà lo ritrova e rafforza il loro rapporto. Tutto questo è un balsamo per l’anima.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a beautifully written book filled with the characters' emotions, hope, and support for each other in their community, school and homes. It explores many different areas with care and sensitivity, including disability, homelessness, unemployment and friendships at school and in the community. It is powerful writing.

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very short but nice to find out what happens next for Mafalda, after book 1. It was so sweet how she always turns and waves, just in case. A few times it seemed like the book was going to turn a bit magical but it doesn't actually happen.

[Vonprice · Rating 4 out of 5]

A middle grade/ early teen story translated from the original Italian about a teenage girl coming to terms with blindness. You can read my full review here: http://vsviewfromthebookshelves.home....

[Mervemisir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bu kitabı sanırım ilk kitaptan daha çok sevdim. İlki biraz daha çocuksuyken bu kitap mafalda nın genç kızlık ve aşk hayatını ve arkadaşlık ilişkilerini konu aldığından dolayı daha heyecanlıydı. Dili ve anlatımı çok güzeldi.

[Lenka Srolová · Rating 2 out of 5]

Druhý díl se odehrává o pár let později. Mafaldě se blíží třinácté narozeniny a její choroba postoupila tak, že už téměř přišla o zrak.

V této kraťoučké knížce autorka nepřichází s ničím novým. Jen povrchově tu nakousne běžná témata, která se týkají puberty a mnohem víc by se mi Třešeň, Filippo a já líbilo jako epilog k prvnímu dílu.

Bezpochyby je to na první pohled nádherné vydání, ale ten příběh uvnitř se tomu nevyrovná.

Děkuji nakladatelství @slovartcz za knihu. #spoluprace

[trijnewijn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lief boek, net zoals het eerste verhaal over Mafalda

[neverblossom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hay hơn phần 1 nhiều, cảm thấy thực tế và gần gũi hơn. Đề cập đến những vấn đề khá nặng đô, tuy nhiên xử lí tình huống khéo léo và phù hợp, đúng “chất” văn học thiếu nhi.

[Ceren Bayram · Rating 2 out of 5]

not necessary

[Gioia Riccardi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dato che anche Mafalda è cresciuta, anche lo stile di narrazione cresce, è più pulito e meno confuso. Mafalda, anche senza la vista, riesce a vivere quasi normalmente, insieme a Filippo.

[Hiền Nguyễn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Có thêm chút tình yêu tuổi mới lớn.

[Gwl. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although it was not as good as the first book, it was still a great book and meant a lot to me😍

[Valentina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Molto bello!

[Maria Ntzimani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome sequel. loved it as much as I loved the first book. the emotions and topic covered in the book are very well written

[Ceyda Narlı · Rating 5 out of 5]

okuyun