Ever since their mother's death, the six Bell children have been a tightly knit group. They have an ongoing game where they act as the knights of the round table, and it seems to be holding their family together. At the same time, though, the game is tearing them apart. Fourteen year old Roz is growing up, and no longer wants to participate in the game, while fifteen year old Sebastian seems to be living his entire life as Sir Lancelot - in a fantasy world.
AGE RANGE INTERMEDIATE
Suggested for ages 10+
THEMES
Depression
Death
Greiving
Family
Canada
Vancouver
Knight
Historical
Coming of Age
OVERALL RATING 10/10
A Perfect Gentle Knight masterfully explores the process of grieving a loved one, and how the grief can present itself differently in different people. Each child (and their father), are processing their Mum's death in a different way, which causes tension. Meanwhile, woven into the story of loss, is the story of an eleven year old girl finding her independence in life, and discovering who she is outside of her family. I think this is a very important book for all readers - middle grade and older.
PROS Children act realistically Deals with difficult topics Beautifully written Feels authentic to childhood | Violence and Scariness 1/5 Mention of deadly accident. Child beaten at school. Boy with bloody nose after being beaten up. Sex and Romance 2/5 Boy has a girlfriend. Mention of breast-size and bras. Boy naked. Girls going shirtless. |
CONS Boy not accepted because he has long hair | Emotional Intensity 4/5 Mother is dead. Children being neglected and left raise each other. Severe bullying and depression. Sibling goes missing. Drinking and Drugs 1/5 Adults smoking. |