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dedkake's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
x_librarian's review
3.0
A cute read but I was disappointed. I really expected more from Neil Gaiman.
katykelly's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
Fans of the genre will probably rate this higher. I'm not a huge SF reader, but like Gaiman enough to have given this a go. I also read the audio version, which was well narrated.
This has a premise that's been dipped into in Sci-Fi stories more than once, but this is a version for young adults. Parallel universes - I was interested to see how the science behind it was written for a younger-than-usual audience.
Joey Harker, a boy who can't find his way around his own school, manages to get lost while out on a field trip, and stumbles into another dimension. He discovers that there are multiple worlds, some very like his own, some not so - there are some worlds that are ruled by scientific principles, others that lean strongly towards magic (i.e. religions), and many that use both (such as his own). He also learns that the worlds are involved in a war, in which Lord Dogstar and Lady Indigo are plotting destruction, and it is only the Joey Harkers (and his equivalents) in each parallel universe that possess the skills to defeat them.
I will admit, I lost interest at times (this really isn't a genre I have an inclination towards), mostly towards the end. I enjoyed Joey's early story - finding himself in the rather unique situation of being a dimension-hopper, how he learns what the universe really is, and how he must decide between his own home world and saving them all... That one was actually a very moving scene.
There is a sequel, which I don't think is for me, but I'm glad I tried this, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to SF fans, there are some fascinating scientific ideas here to think about. Joey himself, average as he is meant to be, isn't a typical hero, more an everyman (or rather boy), but this does make the plot funny at times, seeing the various incarnation of him that exist in different worlds.
Age ranges, I would say it would be most enjoyed by 10-14 year olds.
Fans of the genre will probably rate this higher. I'm not a huge SF reader, but like Gaiman enough to have given this a go. I also read the audio version, which was well narrated.
This has a premise that's been dipped into in Sci-Fi stories more than once, but this is a version for young adults. Parallel universes - I was interested to see how the science behind it was written for a younger-than-usual audience.
Joey Harker, a boy who can't find his way around his own school, manages to get lost while out on a field trip, and stumbles into another dimension. He discovers that there are multiple worlds, some very like his own, some not so - there are some worlds that are ruled by scientific principles, others that lean strongly towards magic (i.e. religions), and many that use both (such as his own). He also learns that the worlds are involved in a war, in which Lord Dogstar and Lady Indigo are plotting destruction, and it is only the Joey Harkers (and his equivalents) in each parallel universe that possess the skills to defeat them.
I will admit, I lost interest at times (this really isn't a genre I have an inclination towards), mostly towards the end. I enjoyed Joey's early story - finding himself in the rather unique situation of being a dimension-hopper, how he learns what the universe really is, and how he must decide between his own home world and saving them all... That one was actually a very moving scene.
There is a sequel, which I don't think is for me, but I'm glad I tried this, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to SF fans, there are some fascinating scientific ideas here to think about. Joey himself, average as he is meant to be, isn't a typical hero, more an everyman (or rather boy), but this does make the plot funny at times, seeing the various incarnation of him that exist in different worlds.
Age ranges, I would say it would be most enjoyed by 10-14 year olds.
eddaros's review
5.0
Absolutely loved it. I could see a lot of Gaiman in the story, and the characters, but it was interesting to feel that there was something else as well, something unfamiliar.
Anyway I love the idea of multiple universes, trousers of time and all that shit. <3 <3 <3
Anyway I love the idea of multiple universes, trousers of time and all that shit. <3 <3 <3
tarawe's review
3.0
I found it hard to get into this book but I really enjoyed the last quarter or so. I'm tempted to continue the series but I might not do it as audiobooks, I think I'd need physical books to get into the story more.
shareen17's review
3.0
I liked this book, because I really enjoy Neil Gaiman's storytelling style. However, this has a stronger childrens/ja feel to me than The Graveyard Book. Plus it's more sci-fi, which I don't really like as much as fantasy.