Usually when I try to “get back” at someone for behaving rudely or badly toward me, my absolutely flimsy revenge plan falls to pieces, and my foe is left wondering why I look so embarrassed. Thus, The Count of Monte Cristo attracted me immensely because I was able to read about a fictional character’s revenge, and how it went. The whole book is packed from cover to cover with unexpected humor, perplexing plot twists, and dynamic dilemmas. The story opens with an innocent, capable, honest young sailor named Edmond Dantes who unexpectedly has happiness showered on him: his employer wants to make him the captain of the ship and his fiancée is to be married to him within the next week. However, his good fortune excites jealousy in the supercargo of the ship and another ardent lover of his fiancée, and through false accusation, they manage to have him arrested and out of their way. To make matters worse, once the deputy prosecutor investigates his case, he at first warms to Dantes and realizes that he has committed no crime, then changes his mind and, after speaking oily and soothing words to Dantes, he quickly destroys all evidence of Dantes’ being innocent and shuts him up in a dungeon. Forsaken and with no hope of justice, Dantes is filled with ennui and despair until he miraculously escapes many years later, acquires a vast fortune that he learned about while in jail, and takes on a new identity—namely, he calls himself the Count of Monte Cristo. Thus begins a wild, unpredictable, and complicated crossfire of Dantes’ revenge which not only affects the three people that he targets, but their relatives, friends, and even all of Paris. Throughout the whole story, the theme of revenge is always present. Not just Dantes, but also several minor characters are trying to work out their vengeance as well, and in every scene, hidden motives and mysterious figures are present. Even innocent actions such as refusing some delicious grapes have hidden meaning, and are part of someone’s revenge. However, it is almost heartbreaking for the readers to watch an innocent, unsuspecting, trustful young Dantes transform into a grim, hardened, but fantastically clever mastermind Count of Monte Cristo. As more and more people begin to suffer from his revenge campaign, sometimes the reader detests the Count’s scheme, and sometimes he feels glad that a certain person has fallen from his or her rank. Yet amidst all the chaos, there are also a few beautiful moments, such as when Dantes rewards his former employer, or when he watches over his former employer’s son with paternal affection. Additionally, all the suspense keeps the reader engaged. While the readers know that this “Count of Monte Cristo” is really Edmond Dantes, the three people that wronged him do not have this knowledge. Sometimes, the way that the Count’s hapless offenders condescend and scrape before him is almost comical—if they knew who he was, assuredly they would not behave so politely. Other times, such as when Dantes meets his former fiancée, Dumas masterfully keeps the exchange between them short and courteous in order not to reveal whether or not the fiancée suspects his identity. When will Dantes’ foes fall, and what in the world do his present actions have to do with his long-term goal? There is usually no rational explanation for some of the Count’s actions, but later in the story, everything makes sense, which is quite satisfying. The Count of Monte Cristo is a truly immersing and interesting book to read, and the widespread effects of Dantes’ vengeance are sometimes devastating and sometimes refreshing to read about. It highlights the effects of revenge, but oddly enough, themes of love, obedience, and repentance range throughout it. This book truly deserves to be read. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Penguin Classics, 1844. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process!
Book Reviews
The Girl Who Drank the Moon, Reviewed by Olivia, 10
When you pick up a fantasy book, you may think, “ugh, another book about the typical fantasy story.” This is what most people assume after reading countless books with the same type of characters, plot, and setting. The Girl Who Drank The Moon is different. Written by Kelly Barnhill, the unique introduction, plot, setting, and characters wrap a magical enchantment around anyone who reads the book. Be ready to be sucked into the world of the Protectorate where every kind of magic is possible. Chapter One, “In Which A Story Is Told,” is where the adventure starts, an adventure unlike any other you have ever seen. Every person who lives in the Protectorate believes and agrees on one thing: a murdering evil witch lives in the woods. This witch steals babies away from families, leaving them in sorrow and misery. That’s not at all. The witch who lives in the woods, Xan, is a wise, elderly, and kind woman who was born magical. She lives with some friendly magical creatures, a dragon named Fyrian, and a magical sea creature named Glerk. She never knew the baby that was put under the tree every year was only offered to her because they were scared of her; Xan had thought that they just offered these babies because they were unwanted. She would raise them to an appropriate age, then she would give these children to the other side of the forest, the Free Cities. Now, the Free Cities were safe and happy cities, unlike the mixed up Protectorate. The families of the Free Cities were ever so grateful for the witch and thought her a kind and compassionate witch. One year, Xan was “offered” an ordinary baby. This baby’s mother, once the baby is taken away, goes mad. The mother is locked up in a tower, and not allowed outside. When Xan arrives safely back at her house, she makes a mistake she had never made before: feeding this baby moonlight, instead of starlight, turning this baby from an ordinary baby to an extraordinary one. She decides she has to raise this magical child herself. She names the baby Luna, and begins on her journey to raise her. Luna grows as fast as a baby could grow. First she’s three, then six, then seven, nine, twelve. Meanwhile, in the Protectorate, crazy things are happening. A young man by the name of Antain has announced that he will kill the witch, or die trying. That’s not the only crazy thing that the author decided to add. A volcano, dormant for centuries, has decided to plot some revenge. Filled with chapters of excitement, adventure, and magic, this book perfectly describes the unique story of the most unique characters, in the most enchanting setting. Even though the book has many great elements, it also has some faults. After reading the book, I felt like the content was just a bit overloaded. I tried to summarize it, but I couldn’t summarize it without reading the whole book. The order of events was confusing, and it was an easy mistake to mix up the events and switch parts around. I also want to know how Luna’s mother, at the end, suddenly became normal. That aspect was kind of confusing to understand. The book’s brilliance outshines the faults though, and not just marginally but significantly. This book is highly recommended not to just a few types of readers, but all readers. The enchantment is just too strong to hold back, and before you know it, the book will mesmerize you, and you’ll never forget the magical feeling the book gives you. The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill. Algonquin Young Readers, 2019. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process!
The Whale Child, Reviewed by Ava, 10
If I ever had to swim beside a whale, I would be very nervous. This book taught me that whales are actually very like humans (in mind, not in shape – that is if you take away the difference in SIZE!). Having read this book, I wouldn’t mind swimming beside a whale because I understand that we all make up the earth and that whales are part of it. We meet Shiny, the Whale Child who is magically turned into a boy. He then goes on land to explain to a little girl, Alex about the ways of life. He teaches her about climate, pollution of the oceans and how humans can help. For me, the best thing about the book were the illustrations. They were beyond words: wonderful, beautiful, …musical. They showed me what was really happening, the talking, the silences (try Alex looking thoughtful and alert on page 28). And I really liked that Bufflehead the duck could talk! One other thing I liked was that in Chapter 1 we learn about Shiny’s life, in Chapter 2 we learn about Alex’s life and in Chapter 3 these two main characters meet. The way that Shiny (aka the Whale Child) was drawn confused me a little. He looked too much older than Alex. For instance, on page 51, he towers above Alex. The settings for the story change very quickly—I found this a bit disconcerting. Alex lives in the Pacific Northwest near the sea, the perfect setting for a Whale Child to come ashore. But one minute, they are in a town with a horrible factory and the next, they are in the mountains with a mountain lion. I guess that’s the way things work in a magical novel. At the start, I wondered why the authors had Alex’s mom have a dream that Shiny was coming. Shouldn’t it have been Alex who had that dream? And I’m glad that there weren’t too many adults—I love books which are just about kids. Overall, this book was very enjoyable and very educational. I hope that gives an important message to everyone who reads it: save our planet! And I really hope there’s going to be a sequel. The Whale Child by Keith Egawa and Chenoa Egawa. North Atlantic Books, 2020. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process!
