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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
2.5 stars really
So. Much. Expository. I think I really could have loved this book if not for that. Yes, I realize then it would be an entirely different sort of book, but that highlights best why this book just wasn't the right fit for me. I actually like to see scenes unfold, hear conversations in my head, live with the characters as I read. The long passages of exposition in this made that impossible and distanced me from both Sam and Emily. Added to that were all the details about all the countless people who don't really matter to the story being told. I get that Sloan was trying to make the reader feel the connectedness of the cosmos and all that, but there was too much of that and too little focus on the characters who mattered. As a result Emily is flatter than a pancake and Sam is too perfect to be real. It is a good story idea and I adored Emily's family and Riddle. It was for them that I kept reading to the end.
So. Much. Expository. I think I really could have loved this book if not for that. Yes, I realize then it would be an entirely different sort of book, but that highlights best why this book just wasn't the right fit for me. I actually like to see scenes unfold, hear conversations in my head, live with the characters as I read. The long passages of exposition in this made that impossible and distanced me from both Sam and Emily. Added to that were all the details about all the countless people who don't really matter to the story being told. I get that Sloan was trying to make the reader feel the connectedness of the cosmos and all that, but there was too much of that and too little focus on the characters who mattered. As a result Emily is flatter than a pancake and Sam is too perfect to be real. It is a good story idea and I adored Emily's family and Riddle. It was for them that I kept reading to the end.
Story of connection, brothers, love. Very "Love Actually" in how the author sets up interconnections. Good, quick read.
Sam Border has never had a stable home. Every time he gets situated, his abusive, crazy father forces Sam and his little brother Riddle to pick up and move. When he meets Emily Bell, he falls in love with her and her family because they provide comfort. The novel is written in third-person omniscent and bounces between the voices of Sam, Emily, and 12-year-old Riddle who doesn't speak but draws constantly. Additionally, it shifts to the points-of-view of the adults in the story, as well.
This is a novel that speaks of devotion and loyalty. The unrelenting love between the characters is what makes this book shine for me. Emily's mother adopts the boys in a way that makes the reader feel warm and fuzzy. The only reason I gave it three stars is because there were a lot of coincidences. Additionally, while I loved the characters, I found it very difficult to connect to them. They felt like characters in a book rather than real people. Overall, this is a fantastic book.
This is a novel that speaks of devotion and loyalty. The unrelenting love between the characters is what makes this book shine for me. Emily's mother adopts the boys in a way that makes the reader feel warm and fuzzy. The only reason I gave it three stars is because there were a lot of coincidences. Additionally, while I loved the characters, I found it very difficult to connect to them. They felt like characters in a book rather than real people. Overall, this is a fantastic book.
What a wonderful story of friendship and love and family. It was a great teenage romance story and had so many different themes that would appeal to many readers. I listened to an audio version and would recommend.
Another one I couldn't finish. All tell, no show; the whole thing just felt distant.
This is one of the best books I have *ever* read. I don’t want to call it something cliche like “achingly beautiful” but honestly, it was. This is a book you could read a thousand times and still love.
3.5 for me. It took me a little bit to get into, as the blurb on the inside cover didn’t really give any indication as to where the plot was going to go, just that it was about “human connection.” While I liked how many characters were involved, from the hair stylist to the paleontologists, and it truly had a TON of connections, at times it seemed a little forced? Not forced maybe, but like when you watch a movie and you’re like, “oh howww convenient, x happened.” It was kind of like that at points, which made this book to me seem like it could even be a middle grade read, not just a teen read, especially since there wasn’t any crazy language or any real sexual references.
Riddle was an adorable character, once he opened up, but I was really disappointed to not know more about Sam. I know that was kind of the point, that he was this big mystery, but it made his and Emily’s relation seem less real, because they had built up this huge connection that you didn’t really have any evidence behind.
It seems like I’m just ragging on this book, but it did have good things about it! I spent like 4 hours straight reading it, so I appreciated the short passages that composed each chapter to really keep the story moving.
Riddle was an adorable character, once he opened up, but I was really disappointed to not know more about Sam. I know that was kind of the point, that he was this big mystery, but it made his and Emily’s relation seem less real, because they had built up this huge connection that you didn’t really have any evidence behind.
It seems like I’m just ragging on this book, but it did have good things about it! I spent like 4 hours straight reading it, so I appreciated the short passages that composed each chapter to really keep the story moving.
This book was just SPECTACULAR. It was well written and engaging and just grabs you from the get go. The story's a bit unbelievable, but that doesn't take anything away from the book. I loved the characters, i loved how real their emotions were to me, and I loved how the book made me feel. I just love it.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
I might come back and revisit it, but there are too many other things I want/need to read now. The earnestness, the multiple perspectives, and the lack of dialogue were all strong negatives here.