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My Own Revolution
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In 1960s Czechoslovakia, Patrik participates in and rebels against the communist regime, knowing that anyone could become an enemy in the blink of an eye.
Fourteen-year-old Patrik rebels against the communist regime in small ways whenever he gets the chance: spray-painting slogans, listening to contraband Beatles records, even urinating on a statue of Lenin under cover of n ...more
Fourteen-year-old Patrik rebels against the communist regime in small ways whenever he gets the chance: spray-painting slogans, listening to contraband Beatles records, even urinating on a statue of Lenin under cover of n ...more
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Oct 31, 2019
James Gray
added it
it is good
I picked up MY OWN REVOLUTION by Carolyn Marsden at ALA last month, after not only blogging it as an “I can’t wait to read” book that week, but also having a drink with Carolyn at a middle grade meet-up the night before! When I found her signing the books in the exhibition floor we had a laugh about it, because I had been completely unaware who I’d been gossiping with at the Hilton Hotel.
Here’s the blurb: In 1960s Czechoslovakia,. Fourteen-year-old Patrik rebels against the communist regime in ...more
Here’s the blurb: In 1960s Czechoslovakia,. Fourteen-year-old Patrik rebels against the communist regime in ...more
I picked up an ARC from Ms. Marsden herself at the American Library Association (ALA) convention in Anaheim. She explained how she had met someone whose experience was the basis for this book. I mentioned to her that a number of fiction books seem to be out right now dealing with people's experiences with the Soviet Union. I can only guess that many people and the writers they contact in whatever way, now feel it safe to tell their stories. I'm thinking of Between Shades of Grey as the best exam
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Patrik has grown up with Danika, but has started to have romantic feelings for her. They have played games and shared an interest in the Beatles, but things become difficult between them when Bozek moves from Bratislava and Danika finds him attractive, and politics also comes between them. Patrik's father is a psychiatrist who balks at being told by the government what diagnoses to hand out, but he doesn't know what he would do in the US. Danika's father decides to join the Communist Party so th
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I haven’t given five stars in quite awhile yet this book definitely deserves all five. It is short at only 192 pages but each page has historical meaning while contributing to the story. It opens the readers’ eyes to what communism meant on a much different level then we learn in school because we are able to compare ourselves with the characters instead of just reading about communism in a text book. I think that this book is a must read for everyone who is able to understand that this is how l
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I didn’t really feel the tension until the last half of this book, but it was interesting enough to keep me reading. Patrik is an interesting protagonist. He’s an impulsive kid who listens to the Beatles, loves photography, and makes a fool out of himself over a girl. The Communists are portrayed rather two-dimensionally, though. I know the regime at that time was beyond tough on citizens, but Patrik’s school principal seems to magically know every time he has done something wrong. That said, th
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Frankly, if a book has the word revolution in the title, I am more apt to pick it up. There is something about fighting for freedom and liberty against an oppressor that really resonates within me. Friends, I read My Own Revolution by Carolyn Marsden, a historical fiction book set in Czechoslovakia in one sitting. It’s one of those books where I was learning something, but at the same time I was so wrapped up in the plot and machinations of characters that I didn’t realize I was learning which i
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When Czechoslovakia is occupied by the communists in the mid-1960's Patrik and his family are being pressured to toe the party line. He becomes increasingly reckless especially when Danika, the girl who has been his friend for many years and lives upstairs with her family in the same building starts dating a new boy, who is a party member. Her family joins the party. Patrik does something foolish and is reprimanded by the party. And soon even his father's work is affected. They decide to leave f
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1960s Czechoslovakia, 13 year old Patrik and his family are anti-communist. This means that they are constantly in danger of being caught and punished. His family often talks within the house about fleeing the country or taking a stand but in public the tow the party line. Patrik commits small acts of rebellion and when he gets caught the punishment is low. When Patrik starts to develop unrequited feelings for his neighbor his acts of rebellion start to increase. Soon his family realizes there i
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solid read. very enjoyable telling of teenage boy in russia. ONLY thing that was irrating and stupid beyond measure: they live in russia were everything they do is suspect, yet he doesnt tell his dad of close friends that could report him?! what??? no, i dont care how much of a teenager you are if ur parents could be arrested and imprisioned in insane assylum for life you would let them know if they should be cautious around certain people. plus this boy got along great with parents so no reason
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Meh? It wasn't earth-shattering, but it wasn't bad. A lot of anti-communist sentiment without any explanation of the historical context. So either you already know what's going on in the USSR in the '60's or you get this one-sided view of Communism. Now, I'm not defending Communism, nor am I suggesting novels should offer a balanced view. I'm just saying the impact is greater if you give a bit more history, especially since this is for teen readers who may never have even heard of Czechoslovakia
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I don't normally like to read books under 250-300 pages but I actually enjoyed this one! I thought that even though it didn't have a lot of time for the story to be told, Carolyn Marsden did a really good job. There was a good storyline and I didn't find it rushed like some short books can be. I liked the ending because just like in real life, you don't get everything you want! I enjoyed it and would recommend it!
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Another book I got from ROYAL to be reviewed. Not bad but not riveting enough for most high school students. Communism in Czechoslovakia in the mid-1900s. Young teens have to buy records from the black market, worry about playing them too loud or someone will report them. One family planning to escape, but having to keep everything quiet. Not an easy life.
I picked this up because it was about the Czech Republic. It was an interesting story. It seems that the author did some research about what it was like in the Czech Republic under communism.It would be interesting to know how much of this was created from real stories the author heard.
I noticed this because it covers a historical period that doesn't get written about very much. Good story that helps you understand the period, but I wasn't thrilled with the ending.
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There was obviously a lot of good research put into this book. It did feel slow at times, though.
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