Review: The Ogress and the Orphans

The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Edelweiss however I ended up listening to the final published version of the audiobook via my library.  As always, all opinions are my own.

This was such a lovely story with an even more lovely message.  While this was a very whimsical tale that didn't resonate with me at first, and I suspect that will be the case with many adults, the longer I read it the more I came to appreciate the message of the story.  Barnhill uses a fantasy story to teach us about the importance of kindness, sharing, and being a good neighbor.  There are some good lessons about greed, selfishness, and judging someone by their appearance before getting to know them.

This follows a town that has fallen on hard times after a horrific fire has burned down their library.  It was the center of their town and nothing has gone right for the townsfolk since.  Their crops are failing, they have begun to mistrust each other, and the town is beginning to fall down around them.  Outside the town an Ogress has moved in and built a house and a farm.  Around the same time the library burned, a silver-tonged man became mayor, and all of the people in town love him.  There is also an orphanage filled with children in need, but the town has forgotten that they used to help the orphanage and anyone else in town who was down on their luck.  The town blames the Ogress for their bad luck, yet their anger is misplaced.  The children of the orphanage, don't understand why the people are so angry and act so strangely.  They see through the eyes of the innocent, the philosopher, and through logic.  The children are determined to get to the bottom of what is happening to their town and fix what is broken.

The pacing of this book was a bit slow for me, but I think it was fitting for the writing and the messages portrayed in the book.  I think a faster pace would have allowed for more action, but the wonderful messages would have been lost and that is what I loved most about this book.  This was such an uplifting book, which is exactly what we need in the world right now.   Kids reading this may pick up on the political overtone of this, but the parents/adults who have experienced the previous presidential elections most likely will.  The messages regarding kindness, sharing, treating people with respect, and helping your fellow man are still valid.  

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