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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
There were some good characters here, and I liked the cigar box story line and how it brought the girls together and made them friends. There are also a lot of places where the book tries too hard, and is a bit too much like an class read your teacher makes you do for history class. Also, precocious narrators who make lists: love 'em or leave 'em.
Lovely, absolutely lovely. My son brought this home from the school library and wasn't able to finish, so I bought him a copy...then being a nosy mom, I read it. Abilene is a wonderful young lady and her adventures in Manifest Kansas are interesting, funny, and heartbreaking. LOVED the end...didn't figure it out ahead of time. Fantastic read for both kids and grown-ups.
3.75/5 Stars
You know, I don't remember having this intense of a reaction the first time I read this story. But here I am, sobbing my eyes out in the middle of the night.
Still a favorite. Still keeping this in my collection for rereads in the future.
I just don't know how to describe all the things that make this story great. I can try:
- The flashbacks usually get on my nerves when they're done in TV shows and movies but these were woven in so cohesively that I didn't get that same sense of disorientation I usually do
- I hate history. It's so boring. However, this brings to life a time in history that you can read about but rarely from the perspective of such a small town.
-The mystery is fun and keeps you guessing and I probably didn't appreciate it as much when I was 11.
-I love all the characters and that's why I'm crying so hard. I understand Abilene's desperation to have a little bit of her father's history. I can sympathize with the feeling that you constantly mess up other's lives.
You know, I don't remember having this intense of a reaction the first time I read this story. But here I am, sobbing my eyes out in the middle of the night.
Still a favorite. Still keeping this in my collection for rereads in the future.
I just don't know how to describe all the things that make this story great. I can try:
- The flashbacks usually get on my nerves when they're done in TV shows and movies but these were woven in so cohesively that I didn't get that same sense of disorientation I usually do
- I hate history. It's so boring. However, this brings to life a time in history that you can read about but rarely from the perspective of such a small town.
-The mystery is fun and keeps you guessing and I probably didn't appreciate it as much when I was 11.
-I love all the characters and that's why I'm crying so hard. I understand Abilene's desperation to have a little bit of her father's history. I can sympathize with the feeling that you constantly mess up other's lives.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a young adult book, but as an adult I still found it an enjoyable but fast read. The themes are relatable at any age.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Reasons this book is amazing:
1. The "small country town" feel. Front porches, gardens, sandwiches from the icebox, run-down cemeteries, main street, treehouses, springs, summer freedom—and of course everyone knows everyone.
2. Abilene, Shady, Jinx, Miss Sadie, and all the other unique characters of Manifest. 3D and (for the most part) very hard not to love.
3. The variety of narrative devices—flashbacks, newspaper articles, letters. Ms. Vanderpool knows how to reveal the backstory of a town.
4. The diversity. Manifest is packed with people of many nationalities. (Sure, it may be a bit cliche at times, but it's an admirable element.)
5. The ending—of course I'm going to give a good ending five stars. It was slow and steady and strong, a careful settling of peace.
1. The "small country town" feel. Front porches, gardens, sandwiches from the icebox, run-down cemeteries, main street, treehouses, springs, summer freedom—and of course everyone knows everyone.
2. Abilene, Shady, Jinx, Miss Sadie, and all the other unique characters of Manifest. 3D and (for the most part) very hard not to love.
3. The variety of narrative devices—flashbacks, newspaper articles, letters. Ms. Vanderpool knows how to reveal the backstory of a town.
4. The diversity. Manifest is packed with people of many nationalities. (Sure, it may be a bit cliche at times, but it's an admirable element.)
5. The ending—of course I'm going to give a good ending five stars. It was slow and steady and strong, a careful settling of peace.
I enjoyed reading this book. It is the story of Abilene who is sent by her father to stay for the summer in the town he grew up in while he works for the railroad. It is historical fiction, and it has a good mystery too. Two stories are told. One is the story of what happens to Abilene in the town of Manifest and the other is what happened in the town many years ago. Both stories are interesting and come together in a satisfying ending.
Meh. I acknowledge that the writing is quite good, but this book just didn't impress me. I was never really pulled in the story, and it made me sad that I cared WAY more about the flashback sequences than I did about Abilene's current situation. I also kind of think that this book could have been edited down just a bit. Still, I did enjoy (even if I did not love) all of the different threads and the way that they came together. Someone else will probably love this book more than I did.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I read this for a literacy class, and even when the professor went through our options and described it, it didn't jump out at me. But then I saw the over, and I immediately picked it up. Not only did I know that girl on the cover, I loved her already. Abilene is a sweet and charming character and her story and the flashbacks are both lovely and tough. Really, really loved this book.