BOTM for March is Wishtree by Katherine Applegate

[SaraKat]

Use this thread to share your opinions about our March book of the month. I can't wait to see what we all think about our choice!

[Louie]

I read this back in 2017 when Wishtree first came out and I fell in love with it. It was one of my favorite books of the year. If I get a chance this month I will definitely re-read it.

[Manybooks]

Finding the voice of the tree too anthropomorphic and hope I will get used to it, but generally, unless I am reading fairy tales, I like my trees to be trees and not talking humanoid seeming trees.

[Andrea]

Manybooks wrote: "Finding the voice of the tree too anthropomorphic and hope I will get used to it, but generally, unless I am reading fairy tales, I like my trees to be trees and not talking humanoid seeming trees."

Your comment just made me want to read that much faster :) Finally got my copy from the library so I will move it to the top of the pile!

[Manybooks]

Well, while I appreciated the messages (although I found them too heavy and obvious) I really could not get used to having a talking and anthropomorphic tree as main protagonist in a novel that is basically in my opinion supposed to be realistic fiction (I have no issues with talking trees in fairy tales but Wishtree at least for me is not supposed to represent fantasy and Red as a talking tree kind of ruined things for me, although I do realise that I seem to be the minority here).

[Rebecca]

Manybooks wrote: "Well, while I appreciated the messages (although I found them too heavy and obvious) I really could not get used to having a talking and anthropomorphic tree as main protagonist in a novel that is ..."

I haven’t started reading yet, but this is exactly why this was low on my list. She’s a good writer, though, so I’ll have to see if she overcomes the obvious problem.

[Manybooks]

Rebecca wrote: "Manybooks wrote: "Well, while I appreciated the messages (although I found them too heavy and obvious) I really could not get used to having a talking and anthropomorphic tree as main protagonist i..."

I hope you end up liking the novel more than I have.

[Rebecca]

So far I’m kind of meh. The opening chapters have too many bits that read more like a science book than a novel, as the tree tells us about the natural history of trees. Maybe it will teach a few kids a little, but I suspect they’ll be as put off as I was.

I don’t have much else on my kindle so I’ll probably persist, but it is so easy to check out more books from the library... :D

[Manybooks]

Rebecca wrote: "So far I’m kind of meh. The opening chapters have too many bits that read more like a science book than a novel, as the tree tells us about the natural history of trees. Maybe it will teach a few k..."

Yes, the science lesson given by a talking tree kind of got to me as well. (view spoiler)[And in my opinion, it does not really get much better. (hide spoiler)]

[Rebecca]

I’m still chipping away at it, but have to admit that the theme is a little too apropos right now... not sure I want to go on.

[SaraKat]

I'm a science teacher, so part of me got a bit excited about all the fun vocabulary and biology lessons. But they were a bit awkwardly inserted at times (the mother skunk telling her babies to go to sleep because they are crepuscular) and unnecessary to the plot. The messages are good, if a bit heavy-handed. There were several quotable little pieces that I liked. It was a little weird to think about all the sentient, speaking animals and trees that are killed thoughtlessly by people and by each other. Thinking too deeply about the logic of the book is not a good use of time. :)

[Andrea]

Started out lovely because I liked the talking tree. Then around chapter 14 I got a little annoyed thinking the book was a story about racism and I didn't really want to read that type of story, but I kept on with it. Thankfully the story went more into family and friendship and by chapter 47 I needed a tissue to wipe away joyful tears. Glad I finished it and would recommend it to others.

[SaraKat]

Andrea, I enjoyed the end as well. It reminded me of the old trope where everyone shaves their head to support cancer patients. It is always powerful when a community comes together. I was also expecting something different when I started reading. It really wasn't so much about the environment.

[Rebecca]

Now that I’ve finished the book and written my review for my blog :), I can come and join the discussion! I ended up liking the book a lot more than I expected, though I still think it was a bit heavy-handed with the messages.

I didn’t mind the talking tree—it was magical realism, more or less, and that seemed to fit. It was certainly an interesting choice of narrator—objective in some ways, biased in others, and stuck in a single perspective, as it were.

The ending was good. The community response reminded me some of the reaction of the Christchurch community this last week, an outpouring of warmth and unity that may not wholly last, but I think will have a lingering effect. The community in the book seems like it needed waking up to the attitude it had been developing, and the kids provided it.