COLD TOM BY SALLY PRUE
- Suggested Reading level: Ages 9-12
- Hardcover: 192 pages
- Publisher: Scholastic Press (June 1, 2003)
I picked this book up about a month ago in a bargain bin at Barnes and Nobles. They were charging a dollar for it. I read the inside cover and decided, what the hell, its only a buck.. The cover art for the hardbound book was worth a dollar by itself. it was glossy and reflective. if i were a raven, i would rip it apart and love on it for its shininess.
I read it cover to cover in a couple hours, reading it slowly because it was a combination of harsh and soft writing. the character Tom was very conflicted and he needed a little more care in reading. I have been meaning to write a review for it for a while, but have been so busy that it has sat in my “incomplete drafts” untouched except for the placeholder blog title. This changed earlier today.
I was reading some other book sites that i lurk on (only recently started even commenting), It appears that i caught the tail end of a contest that Rebecca over at
Readerville The book Ladyu’s Blog was running.
Readerville TBLB is running a contest to give away a copy of
Months and Seasons by Christopher?Meeks. She had specific requirements for participants to have an entry accepted.
Interestingly enough, Rebecca’s requirements were just what i needed to get this book review up and running. text from my comment on Readerville is contained below along with the remainder of the review.
review:
Tom cannot hunt, he is too clumsy. he cannot creep quietly through the forest as the others. He very nearly outs the whole village to the “Demons” or as we refer to ourselves, humans. Demons have plagued the villages existence for long enough that no one can truly remember a time where they were not around, but they do remember when they were much further away. Not as far away as the stars, mind you, but far enough away to be comfortable.
Tom has not always been clumsy loud and confused. in fact, as his hearing and eyesight worsen, everything else seems to go to pot as well. he seems to be falling apart.
Through circumstances i will not get into here, Tom has to leave his tribe. The only place for him to go is into the world of the demons.
All in all, i was pleased with this book. the publisher rates this as a book for 12 year olds, but i was really into it. there is a simple philosophy that acts as an undercurrent to this book, one that any age group can identify with.
From Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield’s (character) last lines amount sums it all up:
“Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.”
Human nature is so simple. The connections you make with others do nothing but strengthen your inability to be a hermit. simple communication can destroy one’s ability to stay separate, clean, and clear of others.
you see a similar clarity in many books, but recently it was most visually evident in Cold Tom, visual being the word to carry forward.
Tom, being an elf, can actually see the vines and organic elements that bind families friends and humanity together. the more he interacts with humans, the stronger their binds to him become. they are both suffocating and comforting. as with all of us, it is a juggling act to determine which is more important, the suffocation or the safety of relationships and society.
Though Tom himself is not human, he shares many characteristics with us. the degrees of separation are muted and flimsy, in many places completely invisible. this book teaches tolerance with out preaching. it shows good faith, with out reason for faith to exist. it suggests lessons, but not in an overt lecturing manner as many early teen books have been known to do.
Tom cannot hunt, he is too clumsy. he cannot creep quietly through the forest as the others. He very nearly outs the whole village to the “Demons” or as we refer to ourselves, humans. Demons have plagued the villages existence for long enough that no one can truly remember a time where they were not around, but they do remember when they were much further away. Not as far away as the stars, mind you, but far enough away to be comfortable.Tom has not always been clumsy loud and confused. in fact, as his hearing and eyesight worsen, everything else seems to go to pot as well. he seems to be falling apart.Through circumstances i will not get into here, Tom has to leave his tribe. The only place for him to go is into the world of the demons.All in all, i was pleased with this book. the publisher rates this as a book for 12 year olds, but i was really into it. there is a simple philosophy that acts as an undercurrent to this book, one that any age group can identify with.From Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield’s (character) last lines amount sums it all up:“Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.”Human nature is so simple. The connections you make with others do nothing but strengthen your inability to be a hermit. simple communication can destroy one’s ability to stay separate, clean, and clear of others.you see a similar clarity in many books, but recently it was most visually evident in Cold Tom, visual being the word to carry forward.Tom, being an elf, can actually see the vines and organic elements that bind families friends and humanity together. the more he interacts with humans, the stronger their binds to him become. they are both suffocating and comforting. as with all of us, it is a juggling act to determine which is more important, the suffocation or the safety of relationships and society.Though Tom himself is not human, he shares many characteristics with us. the degrees of separation are muted and flimsy, in many places completely invisible. this book teaches tolerance with out preaching. it shows good faith, with out reason for faith to exist. it suggests lessons, but not in an overt lecturing manner as many early teen books have been known to do.
an excellent book
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