Incantation Final Book Review





 

I have just finished reading the book, Incantation. I know I have already provided a summary of this book but, I would like to state it again. The book, Incantation is merely about a girl named Estrella deMadrigal. She thought she knew who she was: a loving friend, daughter, granddaughter, and sister. But again, truth is rare and very precious in the cruel country of Spain, where Jews who refused to convert to Christianity risked everything-love, life, family, and faith. Only one small action of hers is what shakes her entire life to the ground. That small action is a kiss, a kiss from someone who she is forbidden to love. When Estrella finally comes out of her dark hole, everything burns to the ground and her friendship crumbles along with her family. Estrella is now someone that she never could have imagined. That would conclude the summary of the book and I will not be telling anymore information of the book because, I want to keep you all waiting.

 

I had definitely enjoyed this book and I hope that you guys will too. A reader who would definitely enjoy this book is someone between the ages of 13-15. Someone could also read this book if they are interested in some friendship betrayal stories or a little bit of romance. I would rate this book a 4 out of 5 with 1 being the worst and 5 being the best. The author's very intricate and detailed writing also made me rate this book very well. The author had used plenty of detail to explain the setting of the book and she also explains each every character very well. I really enjoyed this book and I hope that you guys enjoy this book as well.

 

Click Here To Watch A Summary Of The Book: Watch The Video Here

Most Important Line from Chapter: Love

At this point, I am half way through my independent reading book, Incantation. In the chapter named Love, the most important line is, "All you had to do is imagine you life without that person, and if the thought alone made you shiver, then you knew." What this quote is basically saying is that, if you really love someone then, the thought of them not being with you should bring you fears. This quote correlates with this part of the book and the whole summary of the book as well. Estrella is deeply in love with Catalina's cousin, Andres.

Catalina and Estrella have been best friends since they were very young. They have never really kept any secrets from each other and they have never lied to each other either. So, Catalina told Estrella that her parents want her to marry her cousin, Andres, one day. Estrella is okay with this idea at first but, when she really thinks and gets to know Andres better, she develops feelings and emotions for him. It really stuck Estrella that she cannot live without Andres when he said, "Don't worry. I know who you are in your heart. And that's all that matters."

Incantation Chapter 1 Review

For my independent reading, I started reading the book Incantation by Alice Hoffman. The summary of the book is, Estrella deMadrigal though she knew herself: daughter, granddaughter, sister, dearest friend, beloved. She is Star in the Night Sky, Truth in the Darkness. But truth is rare and precious in this cruel and unforgiving century in Spain, when Jew who refused conversion to Christianity risked everything-love, life, family, faith. Then: A startling discovery shakes Estrella's world to the core. And yet, it is something small and sweet that sets it aflame. A kiss. A kiss from someone she is forbidden to love. As a new girl emerges from the cocoon of secrets in which she has been shrouded, passion burns and friendship crumbles-and betrayal unleashes a monstrous evil from the very deepest part of the earth. Estrella crosses over to a place she never though she could be; she is someone she never could have imagined.

In the first chapter of the book, the author explains the setting. The main character, Estrella lives in a tiny village in Spain. The town had been her family's home for more than five hundred years. It's the most beautiful village in the most beautiful countryside of Aragon. Estrella has a best friend named, Catalina. They have been best friends ever since they have been little babies. Estrella lives in a place where the people are mostly Christian but, there are still some people that are Jewish. One day, Estrella and Catalina decide to go to the Plaza and they find an old Jewish man getting beaten and his books burning in a big pile next to him. Estrella is in amazement. She can't believe what she is seeing. Just in time, Estrella's mother comes to take her away and back home. She does not want Estrella watching the man get beaten. The chapter ends with suspense.



Have A Nice Day by Julie Halpern

For my summer reading assignment, I read the book Have A Nice Day by Julie Halpern. A good quote from the book that supports my main idea or theme is, “I hit send, and a warm feeling rushed through me. Sentiments from those who cared about you, no matter how small, were important. I remembered back to all those e get will soon cards people sent me at Lake Shit. I think they worked” This quote was found at the very end of the book. Anna had typed Justin an email back saying how much she was thinking about him. All throughout the book, people have been sending Anna letters from Lakeland. Anna had also received small acts of kindness from those from her school. That is why the theme of the book is “sentiments from those who cared about you, no matter how small, [are] important.” At the beginning of the book, Anna was a very self-centered person. She would always want to work by herself and she thought that people would think differently of her because she was at a mental hospital for three weeks. But, by the end of the book, Anna has become more open to new ideas and people. A reason why she might have evolved throughout the book is that so many things have happened to her since she left the hospital. For example her parents got a divorce and she was able to meet her crush, Justin at a coffee shop after both of them got out of the hospital. So many of these feelings that she experienced has allowed her evolve as a person. She has become a more understanding person. At one part of the book, Anna comes home from school and her mother calls her over to the dining table for dinner. Anna takes attendance of who actually made it to the dinner. She came to know that her, her mother, and her sister were at the table but her father wasn't. Anna does not appreciate her father as much as she appreciates her mother so, she was kind of glad to learn that her father was not at dinner. But, Anna soon finds her father come in late to dinner from work. Also, to her despise, she learns that her father and mother are getting divorced. This news breaks her heart and is also one of the reasons that she is the "changed" Anna at the end of the book.

 

The Have A Nice Day article that I found talks about the book's summary. There are also some reviews of other poeple who have read the book. The site also talks about the backgroud of the author of the book. Some people think that this book is a Laugh-Out-Loud type of funny.