Kensuke's Kingdom: A Review
by Corinne Deschamps
Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo is one of the best novels I have ever read. I am completely sincere about it being one of the best. Not only does it picture happy family moments and joyful moments but some sad and discouraged moments too. Some moments are very emotional (My teacher even cried when she read it to us!). Don’t get me wrong, this book is not only about sad and depressing moments. To be completely honest, this book teaches the reader so many important things.
As you read the book, you will experience the story of a 12-year-old called Michael who disappeared the day of his 12th birthday. The boy was travelling by boat overseas with his parents. He was travelling around the world. One night he heard his dog barking and went to see what was going on, but he fell off the boat grabbing for dear life onto the football his friend Eddie gave him before he went travelling. When he woke up, he found himself on an island with his dog. He went 3 days without food and water. Then he found water and food at the top of the small mountain; someone had placed it there for him and his dog.
After a while of being on the island Michael found everything to be able to make a fire, but while he was doing the fire an old Japanese man stopped him and said it was dangerous. The man was called Kensuke, he was also the one placing food and water for Michael and his dog. Michael and Kensuke did not get along. But that changed during the book. Kensuke and Michael became like father and son. Until Michael’s parents found him, and the great adventure ended, and both got separated.
This book helps people understand how cruel the world can be. Not only did the author make me understand how important family is but also that we should cherish it at all costs. The author really put the devils in the details. The author would use plenty of sophisticated words to describe how the character is feeling.
For example, when the author wanted us to understand that Michael was sad, he used the word "agony” or “melancholy” instead of using the plain word “sad”. Even without having experienced the moments Michael felt, I could imagine just by reading the book. The author really helps the reader picture the moment or emotion. The book was interesting; experiencing the life of Michael was a true adventure. I truly recommend reading this book and in my opinion this book will be and will stay one of my favorite novels forever.
