2017 IPPY Book Awards Winner! A “remarkable” (Booklist Magazine) reimagining of Peter Pan. After World War II, orphaned Kettle faces prejudice as a Japanese American but manages to scrape by and care for his makeshift family of homeless children. When he crosses paths with the privileged but traumatized Nora, both of their lives are forever changed…Lauren Nicolle Taylor’s Nora & Kettle is a … Taylor’s Nora & Kettle is a heart-wrenching historical fiction novel that will appeal to fans of books by John Green and Ned Vizzini, novels such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Beginning of Everything, Eleanor & Park, The Book Thief, and classics like The Great Gatsby and The Catcher in the Rye.
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Very well written.
Disturbing abuse of young girl by her parent. Another book that has no resolution of two major issues – whether the father is charged or made to pay for his behavior and where is Nora’s little sister that her father sent away and will
Nora be able find and reunite with her.
I look forward to reading the sequels
I really wanted to like this book. The plot was a great idea. But the author wrote with really clunky and heavy emotion. I found myself skimming whole chunks just to get through it. I also didn’t feel that drawn in by the characters. They had these huge storylines, but I had a hard time really feeling their voice.
I started this book but it was written in a style I enjoyed and, after a couple of chapters, I deleted it from my Kindle.
Difficult to read in the best sort of way, highly recommended.
**I gave Nora & Kettle 4.5 stars**
Note: This review contains NO spoilers
I am profoundly stunned at this amazing read. Lauren Nicolle Taylor wrote an intricately compelling and poignant story of two young people from different walks of life which were, nevertheless, intertwined with each other. During a difficult time in history, Nora & Kettle was a story with a Peter Pan and Wendy twist. Their story took me on an emotional journey through hardship and obstacles they go through.
Lauren Nicolle Taylor wrote a realistic and emotional tale of survival, growing up, and friendship during a time of harsh realities and cruelty during the World War II era. She did not avoid the hard issues that these characters endured. Lauren ability to bring such realism to these characters and their world(s) made their story so touching and unforgettable.
Nora & Kettle is an enduring and eloquent story of two young people surviving and enduring the hardships during that time period.
A definite must-read!
I enjoyed this book- but i was always waiting for something more that I can’t put my finger on. I haven’t read much about this time or the Japanese American struggles after WWII, so it was eye-opening.
I love this book. It brought me so many emotions! I cannot wait for the follow up!
This is a book that takes hard, dark, dangerous topics that we all like to avoid, and spreads them out in a way that isn’t only believable, but leaves you feeling raw and overwhelmed with emotion. It delves into the pieces of history and human nature that are too often forgotten and exposes them to the light. Read this book and watch how those shadows react.
I purchased the book because I was intrigued by the idea of a modern day version of Peter Pan. By the time I started reading it sometime later I wasn’t so sure. So, I dug in, just expecting to persevere. This, however, is not a matter of perseverance for the reader but rather for both Nora and Kettle. . As the two parallel stories unfolded I found myself having a difficult time putting it down for other important things like sleep. I was both heartbroken and empathetic seeing the struggles that these teenagers endure. I loved the way their stories finally became one. But more so than that, what I love most is how the author developed the characters. This isn’t simply some cute happy ending fluffy tale. What it is is an emotionally charged tale of prejudice, homelessness, fear, and the unspoken secret of domestic violence. When I finished I was left with that feeling of loss, asking myself what I could possibly find to read that would envelope me as this story had just done.
Excellent book highlighting lives and difficult decisions of abused and homeless teens; not maudlin or happily ever after; no easy answers ….so well done.
This is a remarkable book. I found the characters to be irresistible (albeit tragic) and the story itself a challenge to get through at times because of the subject – horribly family violence – but the overarching themes of hope and the redemptive qualities of love were beautifully drawn.
I was completely impressed by the writing in this novel for middle grade, but be warned the theme is disturbing. Definitely check the publisher’s website to see if this book is right for your teen. The story centers on child abuse and racial discrimination, woven into a sweet tale of romance and family ties. Highly recommended, but sometimes unsettling. Worth every tear.
This book shows the underbelly of homeless children trying to survive in an environment where they are held in contempt.
Very well-written with excellent characters and historical detail, but fairly grim in plot.
I loved that two extremely opposites see the beauty in the other human being…
This was a very unusual book, like nothing I had read before.