REVIEW: WHAT THE RAVEN SAW

What the Raven Saw by Samantha-Ellen Bound

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


When I picked up the book and read a few pages I really began liking the character of the Raven; grumpy, but sophisticated, worldly, but also quite naive. The first few chapters introduced the Raven and the churchyard he calls home, which then had me wondering "How is a story going to unfold with a raven as a protagonist?" But unfold it did, into a wonderful little tale about a little raven that is in the process of finding himself while doing his best to avoid those that annoy him.

We're introduced to some quirky characters, like the Pigeon who has such a vast vocabulary, but doesn't seem to understand much that he says, the Scarecrow who is just looking for 'devotions', and to give 'devotions' in return, several ghosts that haunt the churchyard and the Weather-Hen who seems to have her painted eye on the Raven and his treasure.

The only thing that made me question the storyline was the actions of the Raven's stoic and trusted friend, Father Cadman. The Raven has trusted Father Cadman with his biggest secret and has been allowed to sing with Father Cadman after mass every Sunday for some time, which has helped their friendship grow. The Father even states "What a wonder this is! My own God, speaking to me through the mouth of one of his creatures." As far as the reader knows, the Raven has never done wrong by the priest, but as we move through the book, we find the priest turning on the Raven after one single accusation. This transgression has Father Cadman banishing the Raven from the church, which made me wonder about how the priest's mind works. If he really did believe it was his God talking to him, why would he doubt the Raven so quickly?

However, apart from that, I found this book a great read that had me wanting to read just a little more, every time I should have been going to bed or doing something else. Samantha-Ellen Bound has woven a delightful story that I will be recommending it to the Grade 3-6 students at school.



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