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chrissymcbooknerd's review against another edition
5.0
I had never even heard of this one, but I'm glad I picked it up. We follow a surfer boy from his intellectual curiosities at home that lead him all the way to the Taliban itself. Very intriguing novel.
espe's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
emrobreads's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed reading this. There were a few things in it I could have done without, but overall, found it really interesting to see where John's life led him. I actually liked how it was left open what happened to him. Not everyone's story wraps up with a conclusive ending and I really like how you never know just what happened to him. It's as if all the readers are plucked into his parents' shoes and we walk away with the same questions they have.
meganannezoe's review against another edition
4.0
Please do not let the title throw you off - beautiful, heart breaking and honest. I highly recommend this read.
luvbug7554's review against another edition
4.0
I wasn't too excited about this book while listening to it. I didn't feel for the character, I thought that he was too cliche. I didn't like that he was supposed to be a 'typical' just graduated from high school American. He wasn't. The character is sooo smart at well versed in many types of literature. This didn't mesh with his lack of understanding of political climate in the Middle East.
However, I finished this book almost a week ago. I still am thinking about it. I'm still trying to pick apart the bits and pieces and cliffs at the end of the book.
Thought provoking, what more can you want from a book?
Oh yea, to not have meaningless gay sex. (At the end of the book, a reason becomes apparent, but I think its a stretch and the gay sex scene description is just needlessly gratuitous.)
However, I finished this book almost a week ago. I still am thinking about it. I'm still trying to pick apart the bits and pieces and cliffs at the end of the book.
Thought provoking, what more can you want from a book?
Oh yea, to not have meaningless gay sex. (At the end of the book, a reason becomes apparent, but I think its a stretch and the gay sex scene description is just needlessly gratuitous.)
beccah85's review against another edition
2.0
I didn't like this. It was interesting but I disliked the way the author chose to eliminate quotation marks during dialogue & I wonder what research went into this. It left me with more questions than answers.
jodie_saint's review
2.0
I feel underwhelmed by this story of privileged John Jude who finds himself attracted to Islam and gets involved in terrorism, something so much bigger than he understands. Abraham had a good concept, and I liked how she never allowed John to fall into believing stereotypical images many have of Muslims and Islam. John is always receptive to what he learns.
However, I think Abraham had difficulty creating unique and believable characters. I seriously could not stand John ignoring his gut feelings and entering terrorism just like THAT (although, maybe that's how it works, I don't know). Can it be that easy? He is such a dummy at times. The last part of the novel was particularly horrible since we get Barbara's POV. Who cares about Barbara? She's so annoying. Finally, I feel that Abraham wasted the characters who were truly interesting such as Noor. The novel needed more of her.
Overall, I found the novel choppy and inconsistent, although it had a good start and an interesting plot.
However, I think Abraham had difficulty creating unique and believable characters. I seriously could not stand John ignoring his gut feelings and entering terrorism just like THAT (although, maybe that's how it works, I don't know). Can it be that easy? He is such a dummy at times. The last part of the novel was particularly horrible since we get Barbara's POV. Who cares about Barbara? She's so annoying. Finally, I feel that Abraham wasted the characters who were truly interesting such as Noor. The novel needed more of her.
Overall, I found the novel choppy and inconsistent, although it had a good start and an interesting plot.
dannafs's review against another edition
3.0
This book starts off following John Jude Parish, the 18-year-old son of Barbara and Bill, hanging out with his surfer-girl friends in the Outer Banks (OBX) of Virginia. John is the product of an upper-class, loving upbringing, and is described as intelligent and well-adjusted. He has chosen to defer his acceptance to Brown University for one year in order to study different topics and really enjoy surfing and skateboarding. A skating injury throws a monkey wrench in his plans, and a series of events lands him studying Arabic in an exclusively Muslim school in Brooklyn, NY. John, who seems over-committed to everything he does, becomes so immersed in the Muslim culture that he decides to go to Pakistan to further his religious and educational progress. In Pakistan, he ends up training with the Taliban and is never heard from again. Instead, Abraham switches the novel's perspective to Barbara and Bill - distraught parents searching for their son. Abraham draws parallels to the real-life story of John Walker Lindh, implying that John Jude has followed a similar path.
I truly enjoyed the beginning of this book. I loved reading about John's rapture for surfing and his relationships with the Wahines, Katie, Jilly, and Sylvie. Abraham does an excellent job of describing how an intelligent teenager might get wrapped up in something bigger than himself - like a religion - and be unable to disentangle before going off the deep end. The book is intriguing and heartbreaking. I felt the first half of the book was better written than the second half. In the first few pages, I was struck by a number of quotes and descriptions, but was not impressed at all later on. The chapters are short and it is an easy read.
Favorite quotes:
"So he is committed to the daily minute, to living in the present in the present tense, to finding the extraordinary in ordinary time, in the here and now" (20).
One of my all-time favorite descriptions of sex: "So he awoke, and with long arms lifted and tucked her into his hips" (13).
I truly enjoyed the beginning of this book. I loved reading about John's rapture for surfing and his relationships with the Wahines, Katie, Jilly, and Sylvie. Abraham does an excellent job of describing how an intelligent teenager might get wrapped up in something bigger than himself - like a religion - and be unable to disentangle before going off the deep end. The book is intriguing and heartbreaking. I felt the first half of the book was better written than the second half. In the first few pages, I was struck by a number of quotes and descriptions, but was not impressed at all later on. The chapters are short and it is an easy read.
Favorite quotes:
"So he is committed to the daily minute, to living in the present in the present tense, to finding the extraordinary in ordinary time, in the here and now" (20).
One of my all-time favorite descriptions of sex: "So he awoke, and with long arms lifted and tucked her into his hips" (13).
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