Ernest is a poor bear down on his luck (and money. And food) and Celestine is a dentist-apprentice/page mouse who doesn’t really like her job all that much and doesn’t care that Bears are supposed to eat Mice and that Mice should be scared of Bears. Once caught by Ernest the hungry bear, she lays out her case for why he shouldn’t be eating her, and – wouldn’t you know it? Ernest puts her down. They become friends. Then they get into trouble rummaging for food and bear teeth (baby bear teeth are used by dentist mice to give rodents a new set of teeth when their own pair gets worn down). Which gets them into trouble with their respective societies, who behave in startlingly similar ways: vociferous rejection of even the consideration of the possibility that a Mouse (because they weren’t really considering Celestine, per se) and a Bear (because they weren’t really considering Ernest personally either, really) could be friends.
Tag Archives: friendship
As Red as Blood
Have you noticed a pattern anywhere in my posts?
Now that I’m looking right at the cover, I’m a little bit confused: the silhouette looks Tinkerbell-esque, and she is most certainly not from a Grimms fairy tale. That’s not important though. In fact, although there are plenty of fairytale references throughout, including (of course) Snow White, in large part in reference to the protagonist Lumikki, who is named after Snow White, the storyline itself isn’t very fairytale-like (apart from the fantastical elements – not fantasy, mind you).
Fast-paced, with a clear progression of events, As Red as Blood keeps you hooked from beginning to end and is a promising beginning to a trilogy. We do not yet own the next two books of the trilogy, As White as Snow and As Black as Ebony, but I’m looking forward to reading them!
(Spoiler alert under the cut!)
You and Me, Always by Jill Mansell
I just finished reading Jill Mansell’s You and Me, Always, which is, unsurprisingly, another romantic tale that I always tend to turn to. I often turn to stories of this particular genre as I always seem to enjoy them. In this story, the protagonist’s name is Lily whose life changes on her twenty-fifth birthday when she receives her last birthday letter from her mother who passed away years ago. In this letter, she learns about a man named Declan that Lily’s mother loved many years ago and is determined to meet him. On the same day, she meets a movie star, Eddie, and pursues a relationship with him.
Lily’s new relationships with Eddie and Declan affects her current relationships with the other important people in her life, which we learn quite a bit about as Mansell focuses on each character’s own story, and not just Lily’s. I am pleased with this approach that Mansell takes because I am often curious about other characters that are not the protagonist and their own personal story. I am also pleased that Mansell is able to really grasp the true feelings and emotions of each character. Continue reading