The Strays of Paris by Jane Smiley

SYNOPSIS

Paras, short for "Perestroika," is a spirited racehorse at a racetrack west of Paris. One afternoon at dusk, she finds the door of her stall open and--she's a curious filly--wanders all the way to the City of Light.

She's dazzled and often mystified by the sights, sounds, and smells around her, but she isn't afraid. Soon she meets an elegant dog, a German shorthaired pointer named Frida, who knows how to get by without attracting the attention of suspicious Parisians.

Paras and Frida coexist for a time in the city's lush green spaces, nourished by Frida's strategic trips to the vegetable market. They keep company with two irresponsible ducks and an opinionated raven.

But then Paras meets a human boy, Etienne, and discovers a new, otherworldly part of Paris: the ivy-walled house where the boy and his nearly-one-hundred-year-old great-grandmother live in seclusion.

As the cold weather and Christmas near, the unlikeliest of friendships bloom. But how long can a runaway horse stay undiscovered in Paris? How long can a boy keep her hidden and all to himself?

REVIEW

When first meeting Paras the horse, there is a great sense that this filly is more than what is considered as being a normal animal. But rather she is curious, intelligent and shown time and time again that she has a lot of kindness in her heart. However, it seems that this is not just exclusive behaviour just for Paras, rather it is presented throughout all the characters. Whether that is the dog, rat, or young boy, it is clear that family can come in many forms and why does it have to be species exclusive? There is a great focus on how important it is to realise that all animals have a great deal of sentience.

Even though there is a great focal point on animals and how they go about living as strays and being independent creatures, what is paramount is the stories about people. How these animals, stray that they are, have an effect on people going about their daily lives. For instance, the baker who waits for Paras and believes her to be some spiritual animal, the greengrocer who gives Frida the dog fruit and vegetables to take back to her friends and the young boy who can't believe his luck when he sees a horse. All of us are connected and it shows that community and friendship are the most important things in this life.

This is a book which I have found different to others that I have read. There has been this overwhelming feelings of emotion and how it has changed throughout. There has been moments of annoyance, hatred, sadness and joy. I was truly able to get lost in the story, which was nice for a change.

I really did think that this was a great book even though it did take me a little while to get into it properly. But this is a book of how we should all live and how we should all look out of each other and it should be a must read for everyone.

RATING: ***** (FIVE STARS)

WHERE TO BUY

Amazon: The Strays of Paris eBook: Smiley, Jane: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

Waterstones: The Strays of Paris by Jane Smiley | Waterstones

Bookshop.org: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/3917/9781529052978

Disclosure: If you buy books linked to this site, we may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.

Frostfire by Amanda Hocking

It is back to Amanda Hocking this week, with her new book that I have recently been talking about, when reviewing her other series, the Trylle Trilogy. Although, this book is now in a new series, but set in the same universe. It is called the Kanin Chronicles... I must admit, when actually owning the book, the cover is very enchanting and beautiful. How for instance, the main character and protagonist, Bryn Aven, is at the centre of attention, with her coat covered in red. Whereas in the background, it is very muted colours, with the whites and blacks, but also having a sort of wonderland type of presence. Red to me also makes me feel quite uncomfortable and moreover is a colour for danger. So, onto the criticisms then! First of all, I don't know why but I felt a little bit out of place with this new world. Maybe it is because I read the other series in the same universe, I may have gotten used to them far too much. So when there are old characters appearing and being ment

The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson

Publisher: David Fickling Books Date of Publish: January 1st 2015 Suitable for which gender: Unisex The book consists of two protagonists who are both suffering from two big secrets. There is David Piper; who wants to be a girl and Leo Denton; someone who just wants to be invisible. Somehow both of these two individuals come together and become very good friends in the process. It is really interesting as there is not much regarding the subject of the transgender community in modern YA fiction, in a way Ms Williamson has got some guts to base story around this topic. Not because it is wrong, but rather misunderstood. It has heartache and pain, as well as joy and happiness, which not only they experience, but you as well. I think that the time that it has come out is perfect, as it is an ever changing world, which has shown to become more aware of people around us and accepting everyone for who they are. We must always think about these issues like, imagine if you felt

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

This has been a long time in the making, but here it is. A court of Mist and Fury. I think that there is now the time to definitely say something about this, especially when the next book has already come out in the series. I genuinely do love this book. I think that it is much better than the first one in the series. This is mainly because of that in which the new characters are far more likeable, and those who we had been introduced to previously have been developed. For example, with Rhysand, I have found to be far more complicated than what had already been shown in the first book. In fact, I don't think that the first book did any justice for him. In any sort of perspective. However, it has also identified that Tamlin is not all that he seems, very annoying more than anything. I think however, that it is more due to the fact of that in which it feels like it was a waste to have a whole book with him in, now that the story has developed. In this next instalment, it carr