Book Review: The Explorer by Katherine Rundell

THE EXPLORER BY KATHERINE RUNDELL
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books
Publication Date: August 10th, 2017
Genre: Middle Grade, Adventure
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Buy Links: Kinokuniya Malaysia 

Source: Thank you Pansing Books for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rating:

Blurbs

From Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winner Katherine Rundell comes an exciting new novel about a group of kids who must survive in the Amazon after their plane crashes.

Fred, Con, Lila, and Max are on their way back to England from Manaus when the plane they’re on crashes and the pilot dies upon landing. For days they survive alone, until Fred finds a map that leads them to a ruined city, and to a secret.

How should I put this into words, eh? The story and the adventure from The Explorer is one that I am looking forward to and I was so mesmerized by how the author's described the whole adventure and the scenery and the places and the characters was well written that I, myself could imagine how does it look like (though my imagination may not be exactly the same as how real Amazon but still I could imagine it, however).

Anyway, the four main characters in The Explorer are Fred, Lila, Con, and Max - 3 of them are still in teenagers and the youngest is 5 years old - are on their way back to England but the planes they were riding on suddenly, crashes into Amazon forest which has them left stranded in a middle of the jungle and the survival is a real deal for them - finding food, and build a shelter and light their own fire, making a raft. Although there are lots of quarrel between them eventually, that what's help them grew closer and always together and the friendships stand strong.

What makes it even more interesting when the four of them meets The Explorer, who has been living in a jungle, only God knows how long has he stay there. The kids learn a lot from The Explorer though he might be cold a person somehow he is still taught the kids on how to survive and find food.

I like how The Explorer, himself trying to educate the kids on why it is important to preserves this jungle and why the media should not know the existence of the place.

For us, it might sound peculiar on how these kids going to survive in a jungle and find their way back home? But no matter what age you are, the feel to go adventure is so strong even myself I would like to go for an adventure also it was great that we could learn on how to survive and be brave though you are scared of what awaits you. This is one thing I learn from The Explorer - for you to survive, you have to be brave no matter how hard the situation you are in.

"Take risks!" said the explorer. "That's the thing to do. Get to know what fear feels like. Get to know how to manoeuvre around it...."

I am so glad that I got the chance to read The Explorer by Katherine Rundell. It was something different from what I always read and it was a great adventure reading this book and Katherine Rundell's writing is spectacular, well describe especially on about Amazon, the creatures in the jungle - it was fantastic and I can see the characters development especially Fred, how he really wants to be an Explorer also how surviving in Amazon has shaping the person they will become from all of these four characters.

Four of them has different attitude and personality but I find it that their characters are likable and how Katherine Rundell has shaped all of these characters from kids who nothing about surviving to a person who is brave to face whatever obstacles waiting for them. Fred, who has a quick thinking and a fast learning but for a minute he is a bit hesitant before doing it while Con, she is stubborn and kind of defensive and Lila, a quiet person and an observant person also an animal lover (psst; Baca is so cute!) and a lovely sister towards his brother, Max.

In conclusion, this is my first time reading Katherine Rundell's novel and it was a wonderful reading that has taken me on a journey which I absolutely love it although the towards the end of the book, it was a bit in a rush that I'm hoping to have more of it before the books end however, it is still a wonderful reading.

So, if you are seeking for an adventure in a jungle and would like to learn how to survive then The Explorer by Katherine Rundell will bring you to the adventure.

Katherine Rundell was born in 1987 and grew up in Africa and Europe. In 2008 she was elected a Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford. Her first book, The Girl Savage, was born of her love of Zimbabwe and her own childhood there; her second, Rooftoppers, was inspired by summers working in Paris and by night-time trespassing on the rooftops of All Souls. She is currently working on her doctorate alongside an adult novel.

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