My Thoughts on… The Ice Garden by Guy Jones
My Thoughts on… The Ice Garden by Guy Jones
Jess is allergic to the sun. She lives in a world of shadows and hospitals, peeking at the other children in the playground from behind curtains. Her only friend is a boy in a coma, to whom she tells stories. One night she sneaks out to explore the empty playground she’s longed to visit, where she discovers a beautiful impossibility: a magical garden wrought of ice. But Jess isn’t alone in this fragile, in-between place…My Thoughts
After hearing about this book, I knew that I had to give it a read and I am really glad that I did. It is a lovely, cute, heart-warming story that I would highly recommend. I definitely think that there are a lot of children who would love to read this book, especially those that have to deal with any chronic illnesses or disabilities. It is the story of a girl who has been given a bad hand in life but then finds something magical that makes her happy to be alive. It’s about learning to live with the life we have and that sometimes, it’s not always as bad as we might think it is. It is also a story of friendship, which is absolutely beautiful to read about.
At the heart of this book is a magical realism story where a girl finds an almost Narnia like world, a world that is made of ice. It is beautiful, magical, and a place where she can truly explore and live in a way that she is unable to in the real world due to her allergy to the sun. Here she meets a boy. The Ice Garden is his world. It is where he belongs. But when he finds out how hard Jess’ life is, he tries to make it better for her. In the meantime, it sets about a catastrophic chain of events and they both have to work out what to do. It is an emotional and heart-breaking story that will stay with you for a while.
I absolutely loved Jess. I thought she was a very spirited and creative individual. She was really interesting to read about. I loved how loyal she was and determined to do the right thing, even if it meant doing the wrong thing. She was a lively character that you just could not help but love. She definitely made this book a wonderful read and one that should be shared by lots of people. I particularly loved her little stories that she thought up and shared with the boy in the hospital, this showed just how lovely and caring she was.
All in all, this is a lovely, heartwarming and hope filled book that is full of magic and mystery. You will be swept away by the descriptions of the Ice Garden and you will ultimately fall in love with Jess. It will cause you to be a bit emotional and may even have you on the edge of your seat at parts, but that just makes it all the more entertaining to read. By the end of the book, you will be full of hope and happiness, almost wishing that you could spend more time with Jess and the life she lives. If that sounds like your kind of book, you should definitely make sure you pick it up!
** I received this copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. **
Will you be reading this book?
