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julieb118's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted so badly to love this book. The concept is fantastic - which is why I rounded it up.
I LOVE the premise. But, the narrative & development fell SO short. I wanted to share Jason's journey with him - simply having the task presented in one meeting, then immediately going to the end of the month and Jason's report, without any time spent with Jason in between, made it too quick, too hard to relate to and just left me with no real investment in the story. It took what could have been an amazing novel and made it, honestly a bit "cheesy" and hard to relate to. Because of that, for me, it did not fulfill Stovall's goal for me to be left motivated to go through a similar journey.
jbarr5's review against another edition
5.0
The ultimate gift by Stovall_ Jim
Have read another book by this author and enjoy the reads.
Jason Stephens inherits from his uncle after his death. His uncle gives him many gifts through the legacy that Jason has to learn-sometimes the hard way.
They will cut him off if he tries to cut corners. The uncle has lined up places and other people he has to see to learn a lesson.
Jason didn't like getting up very early but the plane leaves early and it's not in first class.
Love first lesson of physical labor and how after a month he wants to just finish the whole length of new poles-he ends up with a vehicle in the long run.
Jason wants to know the end result and he has to follow the rules in the order they were meant...
Life lessons, priceless!
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
Have read another book by this author and enjoy the reads.
Jason Stephens inherits from his uncle after his death. His uncle gives him many gifts through the legacy that Jason has to learn-sometimes the hard way.
They will cut him off if he tries to cut corners. The uncle has lined up places and other people he has to see to learn a lesson.
Jason didn't like getting up very early but the plane leaves early and it's not in first class.
Love first lesson of physical labor and how after a month he wants to just finish the whole length of new poles-he ends up with a vehicle in the long run.
Jason wants to know the end result and he has to follow the rules in the order they were meant...
Life lessons, priceless!
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
maralyons's review against another edition
3.0
Quick, easy read. There are some really good things to gain from this novel, but it seemed much too brief. In each chapter, a new lesson is learned by the young protagonist, but this is always glossed over very quickly. I was interested in hearing an extended explanation how each nugget of wisdom had effected him, but what he learned from each lesson was often condensed into a single paragraph. I am very interested to see how this is interpreted in the movie, The Ultimate Gift.
emromc's review against another edition
3.0
I thought it had a sweet message, and it was an easy read. I saw the movie first, though, and this might be the first time I've ever said this, but I actually liked the movie better than the book. The characters in the book never came alive for me-I felt that the characterization was severely lacking. The writing quality was all right, but not amazing. So anyway, it was a quick, feel-good sort of book, but nothing of amazing literary quality.
sqeeker's review against another edition
4.0
This a good quick read that teaches some very valuable life lessons.
Plot: I liked reading about each month's gift to learn. I can't really pick a favorite, but I really liked the first one, and the gift of laughter. I kept anticipating what the next month would bring, and I very curious to see what the end gift actually was. Jason is one lucky fella!
Characters: I loved the attorney guy. The story is told from his perspective, and I loved seeing how all the experiences helped him as well as Jason. I liked seeing Jason grow, but I thought his character was a bit 2 dimensional.
Style: It was easy to understand and quick to read. I think books like this need to be that way cause I get burned out on preachy books, but this one was pretty good.
I'm glad I read the book, and I would consider buying it. I would definitely buy it as a gift for someone.
Plot: I liked reading about each month's gift to learn. I can't really pick a favorite, but I really liked the first one, and the gift of laughter. I kept anticipating what the next month would bring, and I very curious to see what the end gift actually was. Jason is one lucky fella!
Characters: I loved the attorney guy. The story is told from his perspective, and I loved seeing how all the experiences helped him as well as Jason. I liked seeing Jason grow, but I thought his character was a bit 2 dimensional.
Style: It was easy to understand and quick to read. I think books like this need to be that way cause I get burned out on preachy books, but this one was pretty good.
I'm glad I read the book, and I would consider buying it. I would definitely buy it as a gift for someone.
007medsci's review against another edition
2.0
This is not a novel. This is a narrative handbook on important life principles. If you wanted to talk to a group of students about topics like the value of hard work, gratitude, generosity, etc., you could use this book as the textbook. The story line makes the life lessons more engaging, but it is quite spare.
jennifermreads's review against another edition
1.0
A very rich man leaves his grandson an inheritance but doesn't tell him what it is, just that he has to complete 11 lessons before he received the gift.
I should not have kept reading to the end. No new "ah-has" and a blah story.
All-in-all: Skip it and reach for Albom instead.
I should not have kept reading to the end. No new "ah-has" and a blah story.
Spoiler
And of course, the gift/inheritance the grandson receives was the lessons. It was very Mitch-Albom-ish but not as mature or as refined as Albom's works.All-in-all: Skip it and reach for Albom instead.
meanderinghobbit's review against another edition
4.0
Although the flow of the writing can always be edited and pruned, the content of Stovall's piece is truly magical. Through such a minimalistic story he boils down the numerous gifts of life to a few simple aspects, inviting us to learn our lessons of each as our young protagonist stumbles along his journey. I recommend this short read to anyone who is a lover of The Alchemist and who wants to be reminded of what life is all about.