My rating:
add to my books
Loading...
Heaven Eyes
by
David Almond
Erin Law and her friends are Damaged Children. At least that is the label given to them by Maureen, the woman who runs the orphanage that they live in. Damaged, Beyond Repair because they have no parents to take care of them. But Erin knows that if they care for each other they can put up with the psychologists, the social workers, the therapists -- at least most of the ti...more
Mass Market Paperback, 233 pages
Published
June 3rd 2009
by Laurel Leaf
(first published June 15th 2000)
There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!
sign in »
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
707)
I've read several books by this author, all YA lit. His novels tend to mix reality with supernatural, and are usually just weird, but intriguing. This odd book hangs between realistic fiction and fantasy. Orphans Erin and her friend January escape from Whitegates, the home where adult Maureen pesters them about their memories and calls them “damaged children.” They float on their makeshift raft to the Black Middens, mucky mud flats revealed when the river is at low tide. There they meet the m...more
Heaven Eyes
11-7-10
by Jeremy Bostick
I enjoyed reading the book Heaven Eyes by David Almond for many reasons. The book had interesting characters, the plot is unusual, but believable and I always enjoy Almond’s writing style. I have read five of his books, and this one is one of the best.
In David Almond's books, the characters may seem similar, but they're always powerful and different in a way that's hard to notice, until you finish the book. For example, in H...more
11-7-10
by Jeremy Bostick
I enjoyed reading the book Heaven Eyes by David Almond for many reasons. The book had interesting characters, the plot is unusual, but believable and I always enjoy Almond’s writing style. I have read five of his books, and this one is one of the best.
In David Almond's books, the characters may seem similar, but they're always powerful and different in a way that's hard to notice, until you finish the book. For example, in H...more
This is definitely a book about children, and not really so much for children. There isn't anything wrong with it for children, but it's much more about children.
I am not sure how much I liked it.
There were some stylistic things that could be considered flaws (like I didn't realise that Heaven Eyes had webbed fingers until halfway through) and it just got kind of weird at one point (the children supposedly see the ghosts/spirits of two dead characters depart).
But...more
I am not sure how much I liked it.
There were some stylistic things that could be considered flaws (like I didn't realise that Heaven Eyes had webbed fingers until halfway through) and it just got kind of weird at one point (the children supposedly see the ghosts/spirits of two dead characters depart).
But...more
Continuing my quest to read all of Almond's books in 2009, I found this book more mythological than his previous.
As usual, Almond writes of children who search to belong and to make sense of the adult world around them. Again, the pattern in Almond's work is the main character who binds the wounds and heals the pain is a strong female.
Erin Law and her friends January Carr and Mouse Gullane live in the orphanage of Whitegate, and are labeled "Damaged Children." W...more
As usual, Almond writes of children who search to belong and to make sense of the adult world around them. Again, the pattern in Almond's work is the main character who binds the wounds and heals the pain is a strong female.
Erin Law and her friends January Carr and Mouse Gullane live in the orphanage of Whitegate, and are labeled "Damaged Children." W...more
Carrie
rated it
Recommends it for:
Guys and girls, 12 years and up
Shelves:
young-adult-literature,
audio-book
David Almond has done it again... Not knowing what to expect, I popped the first cassette of this book into my car's tape deck, and the unusual, intriguing lilt of the woman narrating had me pulling up a seat immediately. A sweet, mysterious story of three orphans who discover an extraordinary girl in an extraordinary world, and all it takes is a short trip on a makeshift raft and getting stuck in the mud of the black, black middens... There are hints of the supernatural and I felt like somethin...more
I'm still trying to figure this one out. I hesitate to give it three starts, because I think the truth is I'm not caught up with Almond. I certainly recommend Kit's Wilderness before I recommend this book, but there is something awfully fascinating about this story. Heaven Eyes is the name of a girl who lives a mysterious life alone with her "grandpa," who spends his days caretaking an abandoned warehouse and his nights digging in the "dark Dark Middens." There is treasure in...more
ไม่ถูกกะแนวเด็กกำพร้า + หดหู่ เอาซะเลย
หยิบมาอ่านเพราะเข้าใจผิดนึกว่าจะมีแฟนตาซีผสมซะอีก
จะแปลเป็นไทยทำไมว่าเด็กตาทิพย์ เฮเว่นอายส์ คือชื่อ"เด็กพิเศษ"ในเรื่องก็เท่านั้น
หยิบมาอ่านเพราะเข้าใจผิดนึกว่าจะมีแฟนตาซีผสมซะอีก
จะแปลเป็นไทยทำไมว่าเด็กตาทิพย์ เฮเว่นอายส์ คือชื่อ"เด็กพิเศษ"ในเรื่องก็เท่านั้น
This book was very dark and odd. Grandpa was very scary and the way he and Heaven Eyes talked was absurd. When Grandpa died I was upset because it seemed David Almond did not try a bit to make it emotional and he did not evoke enough emotion within me to start crying. It was odd that Heaven Eyes had webbed limbs. I didn't really get any examples from the text that Heaven Eyes saw through the dark in the world, which upset me. The book was okay other than that, though.
view 1 comment
Heaven Eyes lives with an old man she calls Grampa in an old abandoned printing factory by the mudflats at the side of the river. Erin and January discover the two of them when they are running away from the orphanage they live in on a raft that founders on the mudflats. It takes a lot of effort and caring to penetrate the story of Heaven Eyes and help to determine who she is and where in the world she fits.
Heaven Eyes is beautifully written and full of fantastic world building, but it was a little confusing. I couldn't tell whether it was supposed to be dystopian or contemporary, fantasy or realism, and there were a couple of scenes that just didn't make sense to me. I kept reading because the prose is so well executed and the words drew me in, but the story didn't resonate with me as well as I had hoped it would.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
David Almond is an extraordinary children's author...the setting in this book has an 'underworld' feel about it that is intriguing and compelling. I read the book many years ago but remember thinking what a shame that the very people who could probably identify with it most will probably never get to read it... don't miss.... as intriguing for adults as it is for kids....
This is a very strange book. All of the characters are suffering from loss or mental illness. In some books that would be a problem but in my opinion the author does a good job of handling the heavy subject matter.The atmosphere in this book is great. The abandoned factories and warehouses really have a sense of loneliness and decay.
It's a good thing this is a pretty quick read becuase not much happens in the book. It started off well with the kids wanting to run away from the home but I expected something a bit more interesting to happen when they met Heaven eyes. Something more exciting than a crazy Grampa and a boring secret.
Cassie
marked it as to-read
My teacher recommended this book to me and even though she recommended a lot of books to me, this one kind of stood out. I don't know why, maybe because of the name. Yeah, that is most likely it. So, that's all I will, and all I can say about it at the moment. KAY BYE!
I read this book when I was 11, and it touched me. It made me feel like I mattered. This book is my favorite book of all time, and it has helped me through more than I could have ever guessed. A very good book for awkward, outcasted adolescents like me.
This book was good,tragic but overall worth it. The beginning introduces a tragic life held by not only the 'damaged' children but by their care taker who by all means is living an unfortunate life. The middle around where they find Heaven Eyes(or Anna)is where my attention was withdrawn because it was slowed to little to no action. I guess i can't heavily judge Almound because he was trying to set the scene where a person was creeped out by grandpa, but i was ahead of the game. The ending is de...more
"A strange and mysterious novel about a young girl, seemingly orphaned. The writing style is also mysterious; the author never reveals anything directly. The characters are deep as is the plot. This is a great young adult novel."
Somewhat tragic, three kids from an orphanage in England decide to leave their confines to embark on their own journey to find peace and happiness.
We knew that we could find a tiny corner of the Paradise that we'd all lost.
We knew that we could find a tiny corner of the Paradise that we'd all lost.
Heavens Eyes is an amazing book.
Its confusing but in my opinion it was one of the best books I'v ever read.I loved the three main characters; January, Mouse and Erin. When I picked it up from my school Library, I was thinking of an boring adventure book but I was clearly wrong. Heavens eyes is amazing.
Its confusing but in my opinion it was one of the best books I'v ever read.I loved the three main characters; January, Mouse and Erin. When I picked it up from my school Library, I was thinking of an boring adventure book but I was clearly wrong. Heavens eyes is amazing.
I have loved everything I've read so far by David Almond. His prose are like poetry - so beautiful to read. At the same time, he's got an engaging plot. It's great.
These KIDS are remarkably real. I loved their interaction. The setting was also remarkable. The issues involved also made me think a LOT!! REALLY liked this one!!
Heaven Eyes is an unusual story, created skilfully and had some interesting concepts. It didn’t live up to Skellig or Kits Wilderness, but worth a read.
This was my first time reading David Almonds writing and I have to say it was amazing. When I read this book I felt connected to it. Amazing writing.
I honestly have no idea what I think of this book. I'm still mulling it over. I think you might need to understand the author to understand the book, as he seems to write primarily about the inner lives of children and issues of fear, loneliness and abandonment. (although to be fair, Savage is the only other book I've personally read).
When I was younger in 4th grade I bought the book and thought it was such a touching story. Its a lightly dark story with beautiful fantasy.
A very dream-like book that brings a group of "damaged" children, who are told daily how damaged they are, and who create fantasy lives for themselves as part of therapy, into the light. I wasn't sure what was real, what was not - the real was so bleak, the not-real a little frightening.
Written in a very interesting fashion. The individual character are brought forward. Also, some unexplained mysteries which is okay with me.
I thought it was dark and a little disturbing for being in the young section of the library.
All of David Almond's books are worth a read - they're some of the best books out there.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Readers Also Enjoyed
David Almond is a British children's writer who has penned several novels, each one to critical acclaim. He was born and raised in Felling and Newcastle in post-industrial North East England and educated at the University of East Anglia. When he was young, he found his love of writing when some short stories of his were published in a local magazine. He started out as an author of adult fiction be...more
More about David Almond...
Share This Book
1 trivia question
More quizzes & trivia...
“We have each other, and our stories twist and mingle like the twisting currents of a river. We hold each other tight as we spin and lurch across our lives. There are moments of great joy and magic. The most astounding things can lie waiting as each day dawns, as each page turns. ”
—
9 people liked it
More quotes…
