The Unadoptables is an utterly charming historical middle grade adventure story by Hana Tooke. It’s set in Amsterdam in the late 1800s and follows five orphans – Milou, Lotta, Fenna, Egg, and Sem. As babies, in the Autumn of 1886, these five children were abandoned in outrageous circumstances that completely defied The Little Tulip Orphanage’s Rules for Baby Abandonment. The matron of the orphanage instantly despises them and has deemed them “unadoptable” (she’s a real peach). But each of these children has a special talent that makes them extraordinary… When a sinister stranger arrives at the orphanage late one night, the five children escape into the streets of Amsterdam, rather than risk being torn apart. The gang are desperate to find a place that they belong, but they may find that their real home – and family – is closer than they ever thought possible.
Characters
The Unadoptables
It’s difficult to balance five main characters.
Ensuring they all get enough page time in order for the reader to connect with them, giving them all sufficient character development, even just finding a way to introduce all of them near the beginning of the book without hindering the progress of the plot…
It’s tough. But Hana Tooke does it flawlessly. All five of these delightful children completely came to life for me. They’ve wormed themselves so deeply into my heart.
Everyone else
As I said, there are a lot of characters in this book, even before you get to the secondary and tertiary players. But that doesn’t mean the side characters are at all neglected in The Unadoptables. In fact, they leap off the page just as vividly as the children do.
Having said that, the one image Hana Tooke’s wonderfully descriptive writing couldn’t shake was my mental picture of the matron. In my mind, Elinora Gassbeek is an unholy hybrid of these two.
Writing and atmosphere
I’ve already mentioned how lovely Hana Tooke’s writing is. Much like she brings the characters to life, while reading I fully felt as if I had been transported back to 19th century Amsterdam. I could picture every inch of its bustling streets and canals. I could just about smell the fresh country air as the children escape the city.
She is exceptionally skilled with dialogue as well. Writing somewhat precocious children – particularly when you’re writing for children – is always a challenge. You have to portray their intelligence without making it unrealistic or impossible for your readers to understand, and she toed the line perfectly.
One thing I really enjoyed was the little bits of Dutch scattered throughout the book. I thought it was a cute touch that added to the atmosphere without disrupting the flow of sentences. This was largely because Hana Tooke had the good sense not to add the English translation afterwards. Most people are smart enough to figure out that “goedemorgen” means good morning!
Verdict on The Unadoptables?
🥞🥞🥞🥞🥞/5 (pretend those are stroopwafels)
I adored every moment of this book. While this is primarily a story about finding your place in the world, and discovering the true meaning of family, it balances poignant life lessons with a truly thrilling plot and exceptional writing.
To hear about the other middle grade books I loved, watch my June reading wrap-up or my recent reading vlog!
