Review by spelljen -- The Bell Maker by Chris Bowen
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- Latest Review: The Bell Maker by Chris Bowen
Review by spelljen -- The Bell Maker by Chris Bowen
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Bell Maker" by Chris Bowen.]
Imagine a magical world filled with constant peace and inhabited by people who have a strong sense of purpose and a deep sense of community. Imagine a world missing the constant chaotic hum that distracts those who live there locking their focus on power, self, and greed. In The Bell Maker, author Chris Bowen takes the reader on a journey to just that sort of harmonious world. This story is an insightful new twist on the traditional coming of age novel that emphasizes the innocence, magic and wonder of living a simple, honest, and meaningful life.
The first twelve chapters are an introduction to a colorful grandfather’s philosophy of life and relationship with his grandson. The imagery is excellent and paints a vivid picture of a larger than life grandfather full of insightful anecdotes to bestow upon his grandson. The grandson grows into adulthood and abandons the simplistic and fulfilled life that his grandfather exemplified before realizing the importance of a purposeful life and the true love his grandfather had for him. The young man must go through a journey of self-reflection assisted by some clever characters and a scavenger hunt that leads him to an ancient tale told through the words of his beloved grandfather. The rest of the story is about the Bell Maker himself and is truly uplifting giving the reader a chance to explore their own perspective.
I would rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I love how it is written in a fluid conversationalist tone that any reader could relate to easily. Bowen weaves a story packed with important life lessons with a sense of humor and excellent imagery that appeals to all five senses and does it all as if he is talking to a friend. He describes his grandfather so precisely that the reader will certainly feel like he knows him and paints a picture of his grandfather’s cabin deep in the woods as a mystical place anyone could visualize. The writing pulls the reader into a story that must be told. The varying sentence structure gives the writing a child-like voice that is appealing and keeps the reader interested. This is an easy read and is inviting from the very first sentence.
It is evident throughout the novel that Chris Bowen is a true educator at heart and through his story telling he is passionate about building relationships with young people. This would be great read aloud to middle school age children especially, who are often lost in the world between childhood and adulthood. The themes presented such as, acceptance of differences, being your true self, filling your days with meaning and passion, being part of a community are all themes that should be shared in children’s literature in classrooms or at home.
This book is appropriate as literature for young adults. There is limited profanity in the story telling, only five instances of mild curse words through the entirety of the story (pages 4, 14, 35 and 46). The editing is excellent, misspellings and grammatical errors are virtually non-existent.
******
The Bell Maker
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Imagine a magical world filled with constant peace and inhabited by people who have a strong sense of purpose and a deep sense of community. Imagine a world missing the constant chaotic hum that distracts those who live there locking their focus on power, self, and greed. In The Bell Maker, author Chris Bowen takes the reader on a journey to just that sort of harmonious world. This story is an insightful new twist on the traditional coming of age novel that emphasizes the innocence, magic and wonder of living a simple, honest, and meaningful life.
The first twelve chapters are an introduction to a colorful grandfather’s philosophy of life and relationship with his grandson. The imagery is excellent and paints a vivid picture of a larger than life grandfather full of insightful anecdotes to bestow upon his grandson. The grandson grows into adulthood and abandons the simplistic and fulfilled life that his grandfather exemplified before realizing the importance of a purposeful life and the true love his grandfather had for him. The young man must go through a journey of self-reflection assisted by some clever characters and a scavenger hunt that leads him to an ancient tale told through the words of his beloved grandfather. The rest of the story is about the Bell Maker himself and is truly uplifting giving the reader a chance to explore their own perspective.
I would rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I love how it is written in a fluid conversationalist tone that any reader could relate to easily. Bowen weaves a story packed with important life lessons with a sense of humor and excellent imagery that appeals to all five senses and does it all as if he is talking to a friend. He describes his grandfather so precisely that the reader will certainly feel like he knows him and paints a picture of his grandfather’s cabin deep in the woods as a mystical place anyone could visualize. The writing pulls the reader into a story that must be told. The varying sentence structure gives the writing a child-like voice that is appealing and keeps the reader interested. This is an easy read and is inviting from the very first sentence.
It is evident throughout the novel that Chris Bowen is a true educator at heart and through his story telling he is passionate about building relationships with young people. This would be great read aloud to middle school age children especially, who are often lost in the world between childhood and adulthood. The themes presented such as, acceptance of differences, being your true self, filling your days with meaning and passion, being part of a community are all themes that should be shared in children’s literature in classrooms or at home.
This book is appropriate as literature for young adults. There is limited profanity in the story telling, only five instances of mild curse words through the entirety of the story (pages 4, 14, 35 and 46). The editing is excellent, misspellings and grammatical errors are virtually non-existent.
******
The Bell Maker
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Bell Maker by Chris Bowen
