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esshgee's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book and was frustrated when life got in the way of my reading it. I liked the characters, the change in time periods and the historical information woven through the stories
akublik's review against another edition
3.0
The meandering nature of this story suited the subject matter, and the narrator's storytelling style. Enjoyed it.
katie_chandler's review against another edition
4.0
A beautifully woven story. I cried. But I struggled to get into Manifest from the beginning. Maybe this is a pattern for me lately, or I've gotten used to having an early engaging plot. Either way, I wasn't motivated to read until more than halfway through the book.
michellehenriereads's review against another edition
5.0
I am thrilled with Clare Vanderpool and amazed that this is a first published novel! I highly recommend it as the people are interesting, the situation is nicely portrayed and it is creative.
Hope is a theme throughout the novel. The immigrants coming to America had hope for a better future. The young men heading off to war had hope of being heroes. The people left behind hoped their loved ones would come home. Jinx hoped to find a home. Shady hoped to be a better man. Miss Sadie hoped to be heard. Gideon hoped for his daughter's well-being. The town of Manifest was seeking for a hope to pull themselves out of the Depression. Abilene hoped for Gideon to return, and hope for a place to belong.
I loved how Vanderpool introduces the hodge podge of cultures in Manifest through the immigrants' native dishes and sporting games. It is also interesting to consider the plight of the immigrants' working conditions in 1936 compared to the conditions of today's immigrants. Aren't immigrants still seeking hope for a better future? In fact, isn't the American Dream truly a dream of ...
To read the full review go to ...http://talesuntangled.wordpress.com
Hope is a theme throughout the novel. The immigrants coming to America had hope for a better future. The young men heading off to war had hope of being heroes. The people left behind hoped their loved ones would come home. Jinx hoped to find a home. Shady hoped to be a better man. Miss Sadie hoped to be heard. Gideon hoped for his daughter's well-being. The town of Manifest was seeking for a hope to pull themselves out of the Depression. Abilene hoped for Gideon to return, and hope for a place to belong.
I loved how Vanderpool introduces the hodge podge of cultures in Manifest through the immigrants' native dishes and sporting games. It is also interesting to consider the plight of the immigrants' working conditions in 1936 compared to the conditions of today's immigrants. Aren't immigrants still seeking hope for a better future? In fact, isn't the American Dream truly a dream of ...
To read the full review go to ...http://talesuntangled.wordpress.com
caitlin_321's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-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
4.75
kristenremenar's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the voice and I like the author's style, but there was a lot going on in this story. Found myself flipping back to the list of characters in the front of the book too often.
jessdlibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
As I began reading Moon Over Manifest, I was very disappointed. The beginning was slow and boring. I couldn’t imagine why it had been picked as a Newberry Award winner, especially after reading Gauch’s article on “What Makes a Good Newberry Novel?” She claims at the beginning of the article that, “At the heart of every Newberry is a remarkable character . . . not just a character who carries the weight of the story, but a character original in voice, in spirit, in ideas” (Gauch 52). So, as I explored Vanderpool’s novel, I looked for these qualities. Certainly, Abilene didn’t have them. Gauch’s second claim regarding Newberry novels is that “The stage . . . is key. It has to be right for the hero or heroine, because it is his or her world” (54). Again, I didn’t see it. Abilene seems all wrong for this town. She wants adventure. She wants exhilaration like jumping off of the railroad tracks. She doesn’t like to follow the rules, and she is tired of being the new kid in town. This town is bone dry, literally. It’s washed up. All of the stereotypes are the same as ones she’s encountered time after time.
Yet as I thought about it and as I continued reading, I realized how wrong I was. From the minute Abilene jumped off the train, she was bound to encounter the adventure she longed for. She entered a town that was dry, but it needed watered. She was the water to help it grow again. She was exactly what Manifest needed. Gauch’s third key is that the “Newberry winner . . . moves. The author meets the character somewhere sends her . . . from here to there . . . but invariably we feel the wind in the wondrous wings of Newberry characters as they move through their story” (55-56). We met Abilene when she has been discarded by her father in a strange town where she knows no one. But, she has a quest. She wants to know more about her father and his connection to Manifest. From the beginning of the novel, that is what I wanted to discover. That is the key that kept me reading – the praxis of the story (Gauch 57).
Gauch, Patricia Lee. "What Makes a Good Newbery Novel?." Horn Book Magazine 87.4 (2011): 52-58. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 3 Sept. 2011.
Vanderpool, Clare. Moon Over Manifest. New York: Delacorte, 2010. Print.
Yet as I thought about it and as I continued reading, I realized how wrong I was. From the minute Abilene jumped off the train, she was bound to encounter the adventure she longed for. She entered a town that was dry, but it needed watered. She was the water to help it grow again. She was exactly what Manifest needed. Gauch’s third key is that the “Newberry winner . . . moves. The author meets the character somewhere sends her . . . from here to there . . . but invariably we feel the wind in the wondrous wings of Newberry characters as they move through their story” (55-56). We met Abilene when she has been discarded by her father in a strange town where she knows no one. But, she has a quest. She wants to know more about her father and his connection to Manifest. From the beginning of the novel, that is what I wanted to discover. That is the key that kept me reading – the praxis of the story (Gauch 57).
Gauch, Patricia Lee. "What Makes a Good Newbery Novel?." Horn Book Magazine 87.4 (2011): 52-58. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 3 Sept. 2011.
Vanderpool, Clare. Moon Over Manifest. New York: Delacorte, 2010. Print.
vcadari04's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
mbrandmaier's review against another edition
4.0
It took me awhile to get into, but eventually I grew to love all the characters and feel as if I knew them myself. I also liked the way author's use of language... very creative.