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A review by rebeccalm
The Boy with the Cuckoo-Clock Heart by Mathias Malzieu
3.0
I listened to this tale being beautifully narrated by Jim Dale, and I was intrigued from the start. I often find myself drawn to stories about characters who are a bit different or plot lines that are a bit dark, and this tale fits right into that. The story starts off with the birth of young Jack on the coldest day of the year, when the midwife who delivers him discovers he has a frozen heart. The birth mother does not want anything to do with the child, so the midwife (who is also a witch) takes him in as her own and finds a way to cobble together a cuckoo-clock heart prosthesis that gives him a chance at life.
The story unfolds from Jack’s perspective throughout the years as it spans his development from an infant/toddler, to a young man, and finally into adulthood. All along the way, Jack is coping with the social difficulties that being different can bring and he takes us on a journey through some hard learned lessons about life and growing up.
Some of the big lessons are: Dealing with bullies… The struggle of first setting off on your own, away from your home and family…Making new discoveries and friends…Falling in love…Figuring out who should and should not be trusted - with your heart and with your secrets…Giving life your all and realizing that sometimes even that’s not enough to make sure everything works out just so…Learning that everyone has flaws and the potential to let you down…
There’s also quite an interesting revelation that comes quite abruptly at the end of the story for Jack when he comes to learn news that turns his world upside down and puts a new perspective on everything he’s ever believed. It’s a hard lesson that I think marks a big transition from childhood into adulthood and something everyone must reconcile with as they get older.
The characters are all quirky and interesting in their own ways, and overall it’s a pretty neat little story.
The story unfolds from Jack’s perspective throughout the years as it spans his development from an infant/toddler, to a young man, and finally into adulthood. All along the way, Jack is coping with the social difficulties that being different can bring and he takes us on a journey through some hard learned lessons about life and growing up.
Some of the big lessons are: Dealing with bullies… The struggle of first setting off on your own, away from your home and family…Making new discoveries and friends…Falling in love…Figuring out who should and should not be trusted - with your heart and with your secrets…Giving life your all and realizing that sometimes even that’s not enough to make sure everything works out just so…Learning that everyone has flaws and the potential to let you down…
There’s also quite an interesting revelation that comes quite abruptly at the end of the story for Jack when he comes to learn news that turns his world upside down and puts a new perspective on everything he’s ever believed. It’s a hard lesson that I think marks a big transition from childhood into adulthood and something everyone must reconcile with as they get older.
Spoiler
It’s never easy discovering first-hand that even our parents have flaws and insecurities, and that they make mistakes, too - however well meaning their intentions.The characters are all quirky and interesting in their own ways, and overall it’s a pretty neat little story.