Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
Oh man, this book. Abarat blew my mind the first time I read it; a heroine that speaks her mind, is amazed by the world(s) around her, is kind but not a doormat, not swayed (too much!) by her heart etc! The idea of times of day as islands is something that could have only come out of Barker's odd, odd mind. At Abarat's heart is the usual story: girl goes on a journey and meets a cast of eccentric characters but Abarat delights, Abarat entertains and it feels like you're in there, right next to Candy, swept by the waves. Barker's language is delightfully alive, the characters feel real even when they are like something created from dreams and Abarat itself feels like it has come to alive inside me.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Good imagery and mysterious, but I found all the made up language hard to follow at times.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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:
Yes
I am thoroughly confused by the good ratings of this book. Granted I am reading it on my Kindle and so I cannot see the artwork, but for something that is rated above 4 stars I would expect at least a fairly decent and original plot. Absolutely nothing about this book is original, except some of the physical characteristics of the characters I suppose. The plot line is flat and anything that happens has happened in a million other fantasy books. I can't even finish this.
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
Alice in Wonderland, Spirited Away, His Dark Materials and Coraline are some of my favourite stories that share the same premise: a girl gets lost in a fantastical and scary realm. In Abarat, the protagonist Candy Quackenbush is forced to enter the (fantastical and scary) archipelago of Abarat. There she must try to survive and find her way back home. Although Abarat is aimed at YA readers, I enjoyed it and will likely read the next one too.
I'm quite upset that I didn't get into Clive Barker's writing earlier, because I know my Labyrinth and MirrorMask obsessed teenage self would have devoured this series in less than a month.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
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:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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:
No