Customer Reviews

Heartsinger

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Heartsinger is such a cute story! I have never come across a story quite like this and I gotta say I loved it. :) I kinda wish they'd make a movie out of this because it would make an adorable kid's story. Of course, this is NOT just for kids.
Mee is a cute little boy who has a gift for singing. He comes to be known as the "singer of sorrows" since he's able to make people in mourning feel better with his song. Mitou is a cute little girl who also has a gift, she can make people happy by performing lovely music.
Mee travels across the land singing for mourners, eventually he comes across Mitou. What will happen? hmmm you'll have to read Karlijn's book to find out. :D Trust me, you will thank me for telling you about this ADOWABLE (yes I spelled that with a w) little book, I say little because it's only about 134 pages long, but boy those are some great pages, story wise I mean, well the pages are pretty too hehe.
Heartsinger will make your heart sad at times, but when you're finished you will have this warm little spot in your heart because of it, it's just, it's cute okay? just read it!
-tvandbookaddict.blogspot.com

Five stars for writing craft, word-smithing, and story telling. This is a beautifully done book. The use of repetition was extremely well handled and the story came together perfectly. (and the English is a translation - so hats off to the translator as well.) It is written as an old fashioned fairy tale, which really worked.

One star for my reaction after finishing. I sat there, staring at the cover, and felt mildly depressed. That is not why I read books.

It is the story of Mee (the name isn't accidental) - the singer of sorrows. He travels the land attending catastrophe and funerals to sing the truth of individual's lives and thereby give comfort. As he sings, we learn different stories of different people, including a princess named Esperanza on a far off island that spends her entire life staring at herself in mirrors. Her people want Mee to save her from her mirrors along with the help of Mitou (say that aloud), a girl known as the merrymaker.

This is a book of messages. Each person Mee meets had a story message, the book overall had a message. The problem is that these messages were all so sad. They were about human relationships: parent-child, husband-wife, hero-followers, sex (although not overtly - the sexual story was handled via metaphor). Each one showcased the negative - abuse, abandonment, loneliness, craving, infidelity.

I think the overall message was of chasing hope (Esperanza) and finding self, but it didn't come off nearly as strongly as the negative. I have a hard time seeing teens enjoying this. It is more the type of book to read because you want to dissect it and figure out what is beneath the surface.

Great cover - but misleading on what is on the pages.

Karlijn Stoffels' HEARTSINGER tells of Mee, born with a gift to sing others' stories and heal their pain. He's a wandering mistral but Mitou knows she belongs with him - even though they've never met. Two musicians are fated to share a love of music and for each other. HEARTSINGER covers many different facets of love.

The Heartsinger was a very unique story; I've never really read one like it before. It was an interesting book that really transcends any one genre. It definitely has characteristics of a romance title, yet the author uses much imagery that makes it closer to a fairy tale. It reads really quickly as well.
While it is a teen read, this book held my interest and feel it is a great read aloud book for younger kids as well. It's a moving tale that will make your heart sad at times, but it has a great ending.

My final assessment? It is a really cute book and worth the read.

HEARTSINGER is one of those rare books that doesn't fit the mold of one genre. Flowing more like a fairy tale, Ms. Stoffels creates a story that weaves multiple romances into one epic journey of Mee, the singer of sorrows.

Born of deaf-mute parents, Mee was always called "You," "Boy" or "You There." So when the local school master arrives to take him to school, when asked his name, he responds that he is me, and thus, "Mee" becomes his name. He excels at school, but music is his gift. He is able to create such haunting music that everyone stops to listen when they hear his song.

But after his father dies, and his mother grows ill, Mee does all he can to relieve his mother's suffering. Unable to hear his song, she nods sadly and passes away. After her death, Mee can not remain in the house that reminds him of his inability to heal his mother.

Mee sets off on a journey that takes him to many villages and distant lands. He is sought after by all as the singer of sorrows. He helps ease the pain of those in mourning. The book shares his different encounters and their sad stories.

On the same day as Mee's birth, another gifted musician, Mitou, has heard of Mee's fame and seeks him out. She is the opposite of Mee, singing of color and happiness. Traveling from the opposite direction, she is sure she will find him.

The two are then asked to travel across the water to the island kingdom. There, Princess Esperanza sits forever staring in a mirror. Denying a prince her hand in marriage, she eats, sleeps, and lives in front of her mirror. Growing up in a house where she was left to her own devices, it is up to Mee and Mitou to break the mirror's spell.

Translated into English, HEARTSINGER is a moving tale of love and loss. The intertwined stories that help tell of Mee's travels are touching and sweet. The story moves quickly, leading up to Mee's search for himself.

Reviewed by: Jaglvr