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There are currently 21 member reviews
for The Land of Decoration
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Elizabeth L. (Salem, Oregon)
Beautiful and Strange
The book is well paced and well-written, full of lovely imagery and clever wording without being pretentious. But the subject matter is hard - poverty, bullying, mental illness. Still I would recommend it.
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Linda D. (Indianapoils, IN)
Almost Landed
Because of the precocious yet naive main character, ten year old Judith, I wanted to love this book. Judith's voice tells the story of what it is like to never fit in, to be bullied both verbally and physically, and to not feel love and protection from the adults who have been entrusted with her care. She copes with the abuse from her school mates, isolation from the rest of the community, and lack of warmth from her father by believing she can talk to God and create miracles. Because McCleen's Judith is so young, and also amazingly articulate, the book is eery:is this madness, magic, or faith? Or just the most fulfilling and imaginative way to cope with a barren, sad existence?
Unfortunately, the other characters, with the exception of Neil, the bully, do not seem as well imagined or developed. Judith's father felt particularly one dimensional and the one adult, the teacher who rightfully worries that Judith is hearing voices stops short of doing anything for no reason.
I really liked this book, but I loved Judith. Every time I picked it up to read, I felt a little disappointed. I wanted every character to be as deep and painstakingly rendered as Judith.
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Maggie R. (Canoga Park, CA)
Finally child I can care about
just a small rant about the run of hyperintellegent children/teens who populate current fiction. Sorry, but they annoy me. (Won't name names.) This is not one of them! Judith is a likeable thoughtful child who constructs an alternate world and falls into a moral quandary when her emerging ego confronts a situation her strictly religious upbringing has not prepared her for. The outcome is always in doubt and the reader's attachment to Judith makes it hard to stop reading.
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Barbara C. (Riverside, CA)
Not a book to read on Sunday!
Although I rated this book as good, because it was riveting and kept me reading non-stop until I finished it, I found the premise depressing and sad. No one really saw Judith’s distress. God was portrayed as capricious and more than strange. I guess the redeeming feature was this young lady’s “pluckiness” and faith. The story was well-written and captivating but I struggled with the truths of our young protagonist's life.
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Lori L. (La Porte, IN)
Faith and Imagination
Debut author Grace McCleen has written a beautiful, thought-provoking book that will appeal to many book clubs, particularly those who enjoy discussions of the nature of faith. Judith is a young girl whose strong faith in God makes her and her father outsiders in their community, but is also the source of her ability to do miracles. Or is it? Discussions regarding faith, imagination, coincidence, and the power of love will surely ensue.
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Angela J. (highlands ranch, co)
The Land of Decoration
This is a well written novel told from the perspective of a 10 year old girl who believes she can perform miracles when she is tormented by her classmates. It has great descriptive detail, and will appeal to readers who enjoy inner monologues.
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Beth K. (USA)
The Land of Decoration
Rarely have I encountered such an engaging narrator as 10 year-old Judith McPherson. I am amazed at the way the author crafted the voice of this sensitive young girl who believes that she is in direct communication with God. The descriptions of the bullying and abuse that she and her father endure are so authentic that I found the book hard to read at times. This is a very well written novel, though one that left me feeling quite depressed. For that reason alone, I would hesitate to recommend this to others.
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