Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Review: Letter "Focuses On A Personal Issue In Addition To The Main Plot"

Book review: The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring

The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring is the John Bellairs’ third gothic novel featuring the New Zebedee characters, written in 1976. It takes place about half a year after the prior events, but unlike the first two this story focuses on Rose Rita.

Though the books in the series are chronological, each is a complete volume so that they could potentially be read out of order (as I did with some when younger). The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring is actually my favorite so far. No offense to Lewis, but as a girl I find Rose Rita a more appealing protagonist, who is always willing to seek out adventure. The plot also had a closer resemblance to a mystery. I love that in a 1950 setting she still gets accused of reading too much Nancy Drew!

As in previous books, Bellairs focuses on a personal issue in addition to the main plot. Here tomboy Rose Rita struggles with the fact that she will be entering junior high as a seventh grader in the fall. She wonders if dances and skirts will have to replace her love of baseball, and worries that others expect her friendship with Lewis to change. There aren’t any easy answers, but she does need to learn that the important thing is to be comfortable with who she is.

mystrygirl87
sequesterednooks.wordpress.com

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