'Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH' Book Review

Yes, this is a book for much younger readers. However, after seeing the film (which I don't remember and, after looking at wikipedia, am glad I don't) I had tried to read it numerous times and had not been able to finish it. So I tried again, and lo and behold I did it! It really is a lovely book, I have no idea why I couldn't finish it before. Written by Robert C. O'Brien (aka Robert Leslie Conly).

The blurb: Time is running out for Mrs Frisby, who must move her family of mice before the farmer destroys their home. But her youngest son is so ill she is convinced he won't survive the move. Help comes in the unexpected form of some super-intelligent rats, and little by little Mrs Frisby learns the rats' extraordinary secret.

This book goes a long way toward changing the perception of mice and rats (and animal testing for that matter), and it has a lovely story. I have a fondness for personified animal stories, if they are good, and this was. There was enough human-like detail to make you feel sympathetic toward the characters, yet it was still made clear they were animals.

I enjoyed the plot, and while it was heart-warming, it had enough true-to-life incidents to make it believable (well besides the animals taking and acting like humans part), so all in all, a great book...

I give it:

Plot: *****

Characters: *****

Voice: *****

Originality:*****

Dialogue: *****

Which means...five stars!

 Amazon listing here.