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Liked It “For my second nine weeks book I read Tamar,by Mal Peet. Tamar's grandfather has died and Tamar has a box with assorted clues that was left by her grandfather. She has set off with a relative to try find out what her grandfather is trying to tell her by following the clues and” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“For my second nine weeks book I read Tamar,by Mal Peet. Tamar's grandfather has died and Tamar has a box with assorted clues that was left by her grandfather. She has set off with a relative to try find out what her grandfather is trying to tell her by following the clues and ”
Crenshaw K wrote this review 7 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Tamar Mal Peet, Candlewick Press, 2007.
Carole B wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
England 1995: The shoebox left to Tamar by her deceased grandfather contains a crossword puzzle, four maps, a bundle of money, a folded handkerchief, a thin booklet, and a black-and-white photograph. Tamar and her cousin, Yoyo, use the maps and the money for a road-trip, during which a life-time of secrets is revealed about Tamar’s unusual name and her grandfather’s horrifying experience as a spy in 1945 war-time Holland.
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“Very good would recommend it to anyone.”
Jordan Campbell wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“I really liked the information I learned about how the war affected the lives of the people in Holland. I really liked reading it. However, there really seemed to be no need for the split time that the novel was written in. I found it more distracting than anything else. I found the ending disappointing. ”
Emily G wrote this review Sunday, November 15 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“This is one of the best books I've ever read. It keeps you turning pages until you turn the final cover. I hope there's a sequel. I never wanted to put it down!”
Madelyn V wrote this review Friday, November 13 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“so far i've learned that Tamar is going back to his favorite city and he's going to take Dart with him. im kinda liking this book because it's about WWII and it's sorta interesting. im barely in the third chapter so i really can't say many things but im guessing they're going to have lots of trouble in the city.”
Grisel M wrote this review Wednesday, October 28 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“ A woman and a child stood motionless where the track from the road came into the yard. Marijke’s first thought was that they were ghosts. (pg 164) Mal Peet’s Tamar illustrates the hunger crisis in the Dutch Resistance Movement during World War II.
English II wrote this review Wednesday, October 14 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Mal Peet does a terrific job of developing his characters in Tamar. From the sweet and innocent Marijke to the devilish Koop de Vries, Peet has a full range of characters. The two major characters, Dart and Tamar, are SOE agents who are given code names of rivers in Europe. The two have worked together sending transmissions for Britain. From pictures you would think that the two men are brothers. Marijke, Tamar and Dart’s love interest, is a young, Dutch beauty. She lives with her mother at a sanctuary for SOE agents during the war. Then there is Koop, the radical leader of a group. The man goes so far to kill a general in the German army and if that doesn’t say anything about his character then I’m not sure what would. Overall the characters in this story are very developed and interesting.
The plot in this story has many twists and turns. Peet kept me on my feet the whole time. At the beginning William Hyde, or Dart, is asking his son if he will name his unborn child Tamar, the son agrees but doesn’t know the story behind the name. The story begins. Tamar and Dart are dropped into Holland to work in the Dutch resistance movement. Tamar, Christian Boogart, is sent to Sanctuary Farm to be with Marijke. Dart, Ernest Lubbers, is sent to an asylum to be the house doctor. The winter comes and the starvation sets in. The winter of 1944 was the hardest of the war. As if starvation wasn’t enough of a hardship, German soldiers raid both the farm and the asylum but luckily find nothing. In the middle of all this Koop is organizing a road block with his group and manages to shoot the general Rauter in the escapade. Flash forward to 1995, England. The girl Tamar is now a young lady. Her grandfather, William Hyde, has died mysteriously. When walking through her grandparent’s apartment after his tragic death, she finds a box with her name on it. Inside are some seemingly unassociated objects: two pictures of two young men who look like they could be brothers, crossword puzzles, maps of England with x’s on them, and a LOT of money. Tamar is led on a mysterious journey along the river with her namesake.
Mal Peet’s description of World War II world of Holland and of modern 1995 is fantastic. He makes me feel as if I was right there alongside Marijke as a trusted friend or along with Tamar as a colleague. The desription of the sunken faces of the starving people of 1994 makes me want to reach out and give the people all the food I have. The pictures he makes with words are haunting. When Koop kills Rauter, the German’s kill 243 innocent people. There were 243 bullet holes in Ratuer’s vehicle when they found it. He describes the bodies piled up alongside a country road and the stench and bloodlust of the German soldiers. Peet is an amazing author and very good at describing the scene.
If you want action, you’ve got it. If you want romance, you’ve got it. If you want an amazing story, you’ve got it. Tamar includes everything that is needed to create an award-winning book. So pick up Tamar at your local library if you want a little excitement in your life.
Molly A.”
“This book is a mystery! When you think you know whats going to happen next. The author completly surprsies you.. Its a great book”
Hannah S. #11=DD wrote this review Tuesday, September 29 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“historical fiction, realistic fiction, action/adventure; The main character in the story, Tamar, needs to figure out both why her father left and why her grandfather committed suicide. These questions lead the reader through flashbacks of her grandfather's involvement in the Dutch Resistance as a spy during WWII. Lots of intrigue and suspenseful writing, not to mention a great twist at the end!”
Lynn M wrote this review Friday, September 25 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“The story is about a girl named Tamar who receives a box after her grandfather dies about two people during WWII that acted as spies and worked for the British while stationed in Germany. One of the person's name was Tamar. As one can imagine, it was extremely dangerous and nerve wrecking as any discovery of their cover will lead to their own deaths and the exposure of British information that could be used against Britain. This story is about Tamar and Dart, who are two soldiers stationed in Germany and has to set up a relay base for receiving morse codes. They both had disguises. Dart as as medical doctor that has to help Bibi, the wife of Peiter, who disguises herself as having an Ulcer in order to let Dart set up a relay station in their homes. Tamar as a farmer named bogart lives among people in an insane asylum to do his work. Along with doing his work Tamar meets up with his love named Marijke. Dart, Tamar's friend, was attracted to Marijke; however, Tamar did not tell Dart because he thought Dart would think he valued Marijke's life more than his if danger occurs. So thus a secret has been held, which will lead to conflicts and betral. Essentially, the story has two parallel stories side to side. The story of the Tamar's grandfather during WWII and Tamar's search for clues that her grandfather had left her. When Tamar's grandfather died, Tamar decided to follow a map that her grandfather left her. Thus she went on an adventure with her cousin yoyo to search for an answer. While this is happening, the story of Tamar's grandfather is occurring too; describing about troubles with war, Dart being hit by Nazi soldiers etc. It is a powerful story and i would definitely recommend the book to anybody who is interested in something fresh. I have never read a book that entertwines two parallel stories so well that everything connects and seems to make a lot of sense. I give it five stars.”
Jimmy K wrote this review Monday, November 16 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
