My Name is Mina | David Almond

✴ ✴ ✴ . 5

This was just so sweet. I had to make a whole new shelf on my goodreads just for this book, I called it: so-sweet-and-cute. 

Where to begin.... this is probably -out of the three books I've read this year so far- the best, if I can even say that right now. This made me feel nostalgic and mushy&cute. 

My Name is Mina is about a lovely girl named Mina (...) who (according to the blurb is a 'rebel' but to me she is just an opinionated person) doesn't fit in, some people call her 'weird' and 'crazy'. But all Mina wants is to be free, happy and to be herself. She decided to write everything she faces and feels into a notebook and begins to write. This is Mina's life in her own words. Her dreams, scribbles, poems and stories.

My Name is Mina I believe is a middle-grade novel by the wonderful David Almond. The only other book I've read by Mr Almond is Skellig and I read that way back when I was a mere eleven year old in year 7 trying to find myself in this big, big world. My Name is Mina is a prequel to Skellig. This book is so beautifully crafted and so quirky, it just makes me happy when I think about it. 

This book is aimed for middle-graders but dammmmmnn there is a HUGE deeper meaning to this book, although that depends on how you perceive this book. One of my good friends -Tess- (you may have heard of here in my reviews as I mention her a lot) she said that this book and I quote 'changed her life' which is definitely something . 

I'm not sure how others should approach this. Whether you should read Skellig first and then this because I don't even remember Skellig that well. I do remember it being amazing though! But if you do plan on reading this, I don't think you have to read Skellig first at all. 

The one thing I personally came away after reading this is that if I do even choose to have children, I would want them to know I love them unconditionally. I would also probably want them to read this. (I still have a gruesome feeling I'm going to give birth to alien children...keeping my fingers crossed)

I understand why people would say this book made them think of life in a different way and that's why they loved this book. I don't have any criticisms to say about it. Truly a lovely book. I did really enjoy this book, but it's simply that, I enjoyed it and it didn't really change my life or something drastic as that. I don't know if it's because I rarely read middle-grade and I'm no longer of the age group that it's now harder to read book like this. My Name is Mina has been on my tbr pile for a year or even two and only now have I decided to pick it up. Don't get me started on Percy Jackson. 

People talk about wanting to be like a particular fictional character and I've never, ever felt that way before. Maybe because I read tons of dystopians where I would not want to even insinuate myself into their worlds. But with this book I felt that. I'm hoping that some time down the line of my life I will settle down and have children but I don't know that, I don't really know anything. Regarding that, if I do end up having children I would aspire to be like Mina's mother. Just amazing. Shoutout to people with children *clears throat* LOVE YOU'RE KID(S) UNCONDITIONALLY, SUPPORT THEM, LET THEM LIVE THEIR LIVES AND WHAT THEY WANT NO MATTER WHAT....unless they murder someone cause then....??!?!?!. 

This book doesn't even feel like a book. It really does feel like a journal of enchanting ideas and thoughts. When I finished this book it didn't even feel finished. There is also an emotional aspect in this book and I did tear up quite a lot throughout the journey of this book. I didn't cry though, gold sticker for Fiona! 

David Almond is such a fabulous writer! His writing is just to flexible and it's not hard to automatically love him after reading his books. I should write to him! I should tell him his books are amazing! I'm sure he already knows but it's always good to remind people. I don't know how he writes these mind-blowing books. He addresses the issue that not all kids fit into a society/system and that doesn't mean they should be disowned or forced to fit in. Just let them be. Let they choose to fly gracefully like birds as Mina would say. Quite a lot of writes do address this issue but not all of them address this to middle-graders where it all starts. 

This book is filled with beautiful words, poem, songs, scribbles and just fun. I really felt for Mina. A fantastic protagonist with a creative and delightful mind. Highly recommend this to anyone really who would like a cute, quirky, quick read. 

Until my next review, haveagreatday!