Review of The Maple Seed Helicopter

[Diana Lowery]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Maple Seed Helicopter" by Marco Collina.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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When three young boys sneak out of their orphanage for a day of exploration, their escapade turns into a lifetime adventure. Narrated by Marco, who is one of the orphans, readers travel through the Italian countryside as World War II is unfolding in Europe. Marco and his two friends, George and Dario, become unofficial brothers and are nurtured into adulthood by a compassionate couple.

The Maple Seed Helicopter, written by Marco Collina, is a fictional memoir based on actual events. I was drawn in by the title and the cover, which elegantly displays a seed pod on a white background. My favorite part is that the motif of this delightful toy from nature is carried throughout the novel. Marco's adult travels take him to North America, South America, and across Europe much like the wind scatters the helicopter seed.

Whether intentional or not, the writing style matures over the 223 pages. Marco's voice as a young child at the beginning of the book consists of basic sentence patterns and simple descriptions. Further into the book, Marco has an epiphany in Genoa and states, "This city is a crossroads of adventure and inspiration, and here our adventure was about to begin." The narrative improves after this event. Because I have traveled to some of the settings in the story, it was easy for me to visualize the locations and remember the times I spent there.

Unfortunately, the number of grammatical errors does not improve as the tale progresses. Missing articles, wrong verb tenses, and irregular uses of words abound. This neglectful oversight saddened me because it is such a beautiful story. The fact that I persevered to the end despite the annoying mistakes is a testament to my connection to the character of Marco. Editing would also improve the pace of this novel. The slowness of the beginning is in stark contrast to the jarring abruptness of the last part of the book. There are also discrepancies and plot holes that need to be rectified. These negative points are my least favorite part of the book.

I would recommend this book to individuals who are interested in learning about the culture of life in the 1940s era and to individuals who enjoy stories about overcoming obstacles. I rate this book 3 out of 4. I deducted a star for errors and structural issues. Marco Collina's story deserves to be properly presented to the public as a four-star book. Knowing the details of his adventure as an immigrant is important in understanding the plight of immigrants in our society today.

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The Maple Seed Helicopter
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[Ailakhu Yusau Aizhebiomon]

Beyond the grammatical errors, I think the author has a nice plot and storyline. Thanks for your review.

[RHD]

This one is certainly a unique read. The plot is quite interesting and it's based on true events. Great job on the review!

[Pandora10]

It certainly is unfortunate when a book, like this one, has numerous grammatical errors. However, based on a sample I have read and the excellent review, I think this will be a story that I shall enjoy. I am looking forward to finding out what happens to the children as they grow, through the war years.

[Margi zuu202]

True story upon the dawn of ww11 the tale of many young children placed in Italian orphanage. Some found themselves in a depressing environment lonely...

[Moin Vinchu17]

This book has a unique storyline. The plot sounds juch intresting. Those young boys growing going through warship discoveries is quite unique...i am intrested to know what phases the boys went through, what were their experiences? And how they took all these situations? Looking forwrd to read it

[Effie Cherotich]

I love the adventure around three continents that the author takes the reader in this story.

[Diana Lowery]

True story upon the dawn of ww11 the tale of many young children placed in Italian orphanage. Some found themselves in a depressing environment lonely...

Thank you for taking the time to comment.

[Diana Lowery]

This book has a unique storyline. The plot sounds juch intresting. Those young boys growing going through warship discoveries is quite unique...i am intrested to know what phases the boys went through, what were their experiences? And how they took all these situations? Looking forwrd to read it

Thank you so much. I hope you enjoy it.

[Diana Lowery]

I love the adventure around three continents that the author takes the reader in this story.

I agree, books that include travel descriptions are the best.