Reading Response #8

My Review of the Book- Part One (May be Spoilers):

I enjoyed reading the book. It’s quirky, entertaining and engaging. I’ve explained what the book is about in my last Reading Responses so I won’t really go into much detail.  

Plot/Story:

I’m just pretty much copying and pasting and adding a bit to what I wrote in my 2nd Reading Resp. Sydney and her little brother Turk leave their sad home after their mother has died to find happiness on their aunt and uncle's farm they visited before without their father knowing. They discover the farm is gone and in it’s place are new houses in a subdivision called "The Royal Woods'. They meet a unique homeless man named Shep who can’t stop whistling, and a man named Kumar after they pay him to use the car wash to bathe themselves. They are determined to stay here and make a living than to surrender and return home. They embark on many adventures including a chicken that rides ponies, a magic golf putter and more.  In the end everything turned out fine, Sydney and Turk found their dad at the train station looking for them with Uncle Frank and Aunt Lily. Apparently Kumar called their father and told them what was happening. Sydney and Turk got their visit to their Aunt and Uncle's farm house that was a several miles south for a visit. And everything ended happily ever after.

I’ve heard of this plot before where two siblings (The older one is usually a girl and the younger one is a boy) run away from home and escape to a new place where they have to try to survive. The first book that I can think off the top of my head that has a plot like this is “From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler” by E.L Konigsburg. (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3980.From_the_Mixed_Up_Files_of_Mrs_Basil_E_Frankweiler)  Another plot that is used a lot is where one of the parents (usually the mom) dies and the other one is deppressed and can’t take care of their kids any more so the kid is on their own. The kid is usually feels really guilty and you can see how their personality changes. An example of this is ”A Year in the Life of a Total and Complete Genius” by Stacey Matson. (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22666866-a-year-in-the-life-of-a-total-and-complete-genius?from_search=true&search_version=service)

The plot is interesting but not completely original. It has a few plot holes like why didn’t Bob Buick check the house and find Sydney, Turk and Shep when you saw a family screaming and running out the door without a goodbye. I also find it really predictable and it was a bit obvious on how the story would end. I also don’t like how the story ends ‘happily ever after’. A lot of people find it satisfying but I wish it didn’t end with such a happy ending like how the dad was healed and perfect, I wish that there was still a small conflict between the characters is you know what I mean. I would give the plot a 3.5/5.