Arcady's Goal is a story about a young boy living in an orphanage in Communist Russia, who dreams of making a better life for himself by pursuing his life-long wish of becoming a professional soccer player. Written by Eugene Yelchin and published in 2014, Arcady's Goal is a story that never gets old. It is full of excitement, fear, anger, and an incredible desire for a better life. Something that really stands out about this book is the character development and the connections between characters
Ivan comes to the orphanage and watches Arcady play. Arcady describes that the field is "a yard with a fence on all sides, the stakes of the fence are sharpened to knifepoints. The barbed wire above the stakes keeps us from climbing" (Yelchin 1). Arcady is the most gifted player out of all of the boys at the orphanage and Ivan is quick to realize that, and decides to adopt Arcady.
Arcady goes through great change when he moves in with Ivan. At first, Arcady is a bad-mouthed, dirty boy who has not been truly loved in years. As he spends more time with Ivan, he becomes more well-mannered and begins to exude cleanliness as he begins to realize that he now has an adult in his life who actually cares for and loves him. Arcady tells Ivan that his dream is to become a professional soccer player and play on an actual team. Ivan and Arcady grow closer than ever when trying to fulfill Arcady's desire. They go through both disappointing and exciting times and these make the bond they have even stronger. Ivan really becomes an actual father to Arcady and turns his life around completely. Both main characters go through an immense amount of change which makes this such a compelling book.
The reason you should read this book is not only because it is an amazing story of hardship and triumph, but because it also presents a strong message about how incredibly important family is and how even when you are in a seemingly dark time, there can always be a light at the end of the tunnel.
I can clearly see how Arcady and Ivan are filling up one another's missing parts and truly becoming one family in the course of depression and jubilation. Currently, self-quarantine is making days after days feel monotonous, and I think the excitement and emotional intensity in this book can help cheer me up. Thanks for introducing Arcade's Goal!
ReplyDeleteArcady's Goal reminds me of one of my favorite books, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Both books present a strong message how even during a dark time, there is always a beam of light. I love books with these messages because they cheer me up when I am having a hard time.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I can see how in Arcady's Goal, Arcady goes through a lot of character development and grows with Ivan. I remember the characters in The Book Thief grew and developed a lot throughout the story together. I love characters that grow throughout the story, especially with other characters, so I think I will love this book. Thank you for introducing Arcady's Goal! I will definitely check it out!
This sounds like a very interesting book! I love when books show a character changing over time and displaying growth, because it always conveys a message of hope and resilience. I will definitely check this book out.
ReplyDeleteThis seems like a great book, with a strong message. The setting and the past of the characters are also quite engaging. I would love to read sometime!
ReplyDeleteThis seems to be a very intriguing book. As someone who likes reading and analyzing the setting of the book, the influence of the Soviet regime in Arcady's life is very clear. I would probably be very interested in reading this book, as it is a story about a boy persevering and developing even in the midst of tragedy and oppression.
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