Thanks to Teen Advisory Group member, Carol for this teen book review. She takes a look at Tolkien’s classic, The Hobbit. Here’s what she thinks about the book.
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
The classic adventure starts with Bilbo Baggins, an ordinary hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life in his hobbit-hole in Bag End. His life is flipped upside-down when Gandalf the wizard knocks at his door and puts him in a company of dwarves to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a dragon that lives in a mountain. Bilbo suddenly finds himself in dangerous tasks that he would never have dreamed of doing, including getting caught by trolls, saving his company from giant spiders, and stealing a precious ring from Gollum, a creature that lives underneath the goblins’ den. After many trials, the company finally arrives at the Lonely Mountain and the final question awaits: Will they defeat Smaug and claim their treasure, or perish under the dragon’s merciless claws? During Bilbo’s adventure, he learns true friendship and courage, and is overall transformed into a much different Hobbit than he once was back at Bag-End.
This book is a page-turning, epic story that will satisfy any adventure-seeking reader. I was so absorbed into Bilbo’s adventures with goblins and spiders – my favourite scene was when the company lodged at Beorn’s cabin. The company had to knock at his door two at a time because the great man didn’t like many visitors; at night, the dwarves realized that Beorn was half-man, half bear. The scene of the Eagles dramatic rescue of the company when they were trapped on a tree by the wolves was also just as breath-taking. From this book, we can learn that even the most common, ordinary people can show true courage and bravery. In the beginning, Bilbo was a timid Hobbit that couldn’t fight to save his life; by the end, he had saved his company several times and was totally loyal to his friends. The imagination is astounding – the author writes about the most mystical creatures and tales: Trolls, giants, spiders, elves, etc. If our world could be transformed into this magical Hobbit town, what a world it would be!
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