Here I am with number two for today!
I just finished it this afternoon -it is not as if I don't have exams this week... =)
Basics
Title: Purpurmond
Author: Heike Eva Schmidt
Release Date: March 1st
2012
Publisher: Pan
ISBN: 3426283662
Publisher: Pan
ISBN: 3426283662
Number
of Pages: 352
Genre:
Young Adult, Historical Fantasy, Romance
What's special? Witches, curses, time travelling and love. Sounds compelling!
Oh, and it's set not that far away from my home town!
What's special? Witches, curses, time travelling and love. Sounds compelling!
Oh, and it's set not that far away from my home town!
Summary
Cat
just moved from the isle Sylt to Bamberg.
That explains why she hasn't really made friends her yet. Well, she doesn't try as well.
Then one girl, Sina, invites her to a 'party' in the old Drudenhaus where 'witches' were tortured in the 17th century.
They lock her up in the basement – just to make fun of her and her red hair.
While trying to escape, Cat discovers a necklace kind of like a torc and some leather on which an verses are carved.
She puts on the necklace and reads the sentences aloud – and is suddenly transported to year 1632!
The climax of the German witch-hunt.
The necklace seems to be cursed – Cat just can't take it off.
That explains why she hasn't really made friends her yet. Well, she doesn't try as well.
Then one girl, Sina, invites her to a 'party' in the old Drudenhaus where 'witches' were tortured in the 17th century.
They lock her up in the basement – just to make fun of her and her red hair.
While trying to escape, Cat discovers a necklace kind of like a torc and some leather on which an verses are carved.
She puts on the necklace and reads the sentences aloud – and is suddenly transported to year 1632!
The climax of the German witch-hunt.
The necklace seems to be cursed – Cat just can't take it off.
Fortunately,
she meets Dorothea who is willing to help her.
But then her new friend is accused of witchcraft.
Cat is willing to risk everything to save her friend and teams up with Dorothea's brother Jakob and her forbidden lover Daniel were it not for her torc which is getting smaller and smaller around her throat.
But then her new friend is accused of witchcraft.
Cat is willing to risk everything to save her friend and teams up with Dorothea's brother Jakob and her forbidden lover Daniel were it not for her torc which is getting smaller and smaller around her throat.
My Opinion
So,
I have mixed feelings about this book.
One one hand, I feel the need to love this book because I adored it after reading it for the first time two years ago.
But on the other hand I hated the beginning of it while re-reading Purpurmond.
Sina's hate at the beginning is way over the top. Cat has done nothing to justify her anger or to make Sina her enemy. Well, she hasn't done anything to be her friend either but come on! There has to be a real reason after all!
Then there's this pseudo-English which is pretty ridiculous. Nobody in the whole wide world would talk like that. The German youth may use a lot of English words in daily conversations but not like Heike Eva Schmidt pictures it. And not only the English – the German, too.
She tries so hard to write authentic teenagers that she fails completely.
I can only repeat it: Nobody talks like that.
There's one line at the beginning which bothers me extremely.
Roughly translated it says: I want to hit her(Sina) so badly but girls don't scuffle with each other.
Do boys have a monopole on beating each other up?
Hell, no! If I want to hit someone, I hit someone! (Well, only in my mind because I'm a total weakling but you get what I mean)
Jakob and Cat's love is no Insta-Love. Well, it is kind of. Cat disguises herself as a boy but as soon as she reveals her 'secret', the two of them kiss.
But it's no Insta-Love love in comparision to Dorothea and Daniel. They see each other, then days later they declare their undying love for each other. About one page is used for that progression.
A little bit rushed, don't you think?
As though as Cat acts, she is pretty naive after all.
When she travels to the 17th century for the first time, she finds herself on the marketplace. There are two stakes built up. And please notice: She already says the word STAKE and still asks herself: Ooh, are they going to make bonfires and sing songs?
I just wanted to slap myself for her stupedity at that moment.
All in all, I didn't love the main character Cat. But I enjoyed reading from Dorothea's perspective. She's a lot calmer and more reasonable and really sweet!
The book, in general, is more suited for younger readers. Everything is explained in the smallest detail and incidents from one chapter ago are repeated endlessly.
What I really enjoyed were the comparisions of the author. She compares a lot with animals which was very interesting to read and to imagine. The author did a good job describing the 17th century Bamberg.
One one hand, I feel the need to love this book because I adored it after reading it for the first time two years ago.
But on the other hand I hated the beginning of it while re-reading Purpurmond.
Sina's hate at the beginning is way over the top. Cat has done nothing to justify her anger or to make Sina her enemy. Well, she hasn't done anything to be her friend either but come on! There has to be a real reason after all!
Then there's this pseudo-English which is pretty ridiculous. Nobody in the whole wide world would talk like that. The German youth may use a lot of English words in daily conversations but not like Heike Eva Schmidt pictures it. And not only the English – the German, too.
She tries so hard to write authentic teenagers that she fails completely.
I can only repeat it: Nobody talks like that.
There's one line at the beginning which bothers me extremely.
Roughly translated it says: I want to hit her(Sina) so badly but girls don't scuffle with each other.
Do boys have a monopole on beating each other up?
Hell, no! If I want to hit someone, I hit someone! (Well, only in my mind because I'm a total weakling but you get what I mean)
Jakob and Cat's love is no Insta-Love. Well, it is kind of. Cat disguises herself as a boy but as soon as she reveals her 'secret', the two of them kiss.
But it's no Insta-Love love in comparision to Dorothea and Daniel. They see each other, then days later they declare their undying love for each other. About one page is used for that progression.
A little bit rushed, don't you think?
As though as Cat acts, she is pretty naive after all.
When she travels to the 17th century for the first time, she finds herself on the marketplace. There are two stakes built up. And please notice: She already says the word STAKE and still asks herself: Ooh, are they going to make bonfires and sing songs?
I just wanted to slap myself for her stupedity at that moment.
All in all, I didn't love the main character Cat. But I enjoyed reading from Dorothea's perspective. She's a lot calmer and more reasonable and really sweet!
The book, in general, is more suited for younger readers. Everything is explained in the smallest detail and incidents from one chapter ago are repeated endlessly.
What I really enjoyed were the comparisions of the author. She compares a lot with animals which was very interesting to read and to imagine. The author did a good job describing the 17th century Bamberg.
Even
though I had a lot of issues with the book, I flew through it (It
took me less than a day!). That's mainly the reason why it got 3
stars but I kind of tend to 2.5 regarding the ending.
It was totally cheesy and I could only raise my eyebrows. But well, it's a more or less happy ending, so I should be thankful for that after all.
It was totally cheesy and I could only raise my eyebrows. But well, it's a more or less happy ending, so I should be thankful for that after all.
Rating
3
out of 5
stars
Do you know other books about the witch-hunt?
I really want to read and learn more about it!
Have a nice week and see you soon!
Franzi
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