Scan barcode
natashairene's review
3.0
It started out wonderfully, then it abruptly ended. The ending was thoroughly disappointing which kind of ruined the experience for me.
keen23's review
4.0
This was NOT what I expected, and was great. Unsettling. Unique twist on end of the world dystopian story. I read the entire book in under two hours.
jaymilynn96's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
jwilding's review
4.0
"In the distance, I watched Seth Moreno throw a rock over the chain-link fence and into the canyon. I had the feeling that he cared about important things. His sadness was always apparent. It was in the angry whip of his wrist as he let the rock go. It was in the tired motion of his head. It was in the way he squinted at the sky but would not look away."
"How much sweeter life would be if it all happened in reverse, if, after decades of disappointments, you finally arrived at an age when you had conceded how my parents' lives once shimmered in front of them, half-hidden, like buried god. Back then the future was whatever they imagined--and they never imagined this.
But doesn't every previous era feel like fiction once it's gone? After a while, certain vestigial sayings are all that remain. Decades after the invention of the automobile, for instance, we continue to warn each other not to put the cart before the horse. So, too, we do still have daydreams and nightmares, and the early-morning clock hours are still known colloquially (if increasingly mysteriously) as the crack of dawn. Similarly, even as they grew apart, my parents never stopped calling each other sweetheart."
"With a little persuasion, any familiar thing can turn abnormal on the mind. Here's a thought experiment. Consider this brutal bit of magic: A human grows a second human in a space inside her belly; she grows a heart and a second brain. second eyes and second limbs, a complete set of second body parts as if for use as spares, and then, after almost a year, she expels that second screaming being out of her belly and into the world, alive.
Bizarre, isn't it?"
"How much sweeter life would be if it all happened in reverse, if, after decades of disappointments, you finally arrived at an age when you had conceded how my parents' lives once shimmered in front of them, half-hidden, like buried god. Back then the future was whatever they imagined--and they never imagined this.
But doesn't every previous era feel like fiction once it's gone? After a while, certain vestigial sayings are all that remain. Decades after the invention of the automobile, for instance, we continue to warn each other not to put the cart before the horse. So, too, we do still have daydreams and nightmares, and the early-morning clock hours are still known colloquially (if increasingly mysteriously) as the crack of dawn. Similarly, even as they grew apart, my parents never stopped calling each other sweetheart."
"With a little persuasion, any familiar thing can turn abnormal on the mind. Here's a thought experiment. Consider this brutal bit of magic: A human grows a second human in a space inside her belly; she grows a heart and a second brain. second eyes and second limbs, a complete set of second body parts as if for use as spares, and then, after almost a year, she expels that second screaming being out of her belly and into the world, alive.
Bizarre, isn't it?"
dunnadam's review
4.0
The novel concerns a young woman, Julia, and her life as it relates to the new earthly phenomenon "the slowing". It seems the earth has stopped rotating as fast as it once did and is now constantly slowing, creating longer and longer days and more and more problems for the planet's inhabitants.
The events surround "the slowing" unfold and the author keeps giving little hints as to what's to come, almost at the end of every chapter. This felt a little forced to me, every chapter would end with a line like "We didn't understand all the symptoms then, but we soon would...." and then you'd have to turn the page and start reading the next chapter right away. While this device was perhaps a bit overused, it did work and it really did keep me turning the pages.
Julia as a character doesn't seem fully fleshed out, but her life in combination with the world events are what keeps you going. Julia as a character is a great eye into the events surrounding "the slowing" and her child's eye view reminded me of say Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird.
The end of the book feels a bit rushed, I was shocked to find I only had about 10 pages left at the point in the story I was at, but also as "the slowing" continues, physical events get overly complex and it ended up working for me, rather than have a 12 year old girl explain the theory of the earth's magnetic pull, these technical details are largely skipped over, especially as the book diverges more from scientific fact into imagined possibilities. That being said, the story never seems bogged down with details which I appreciated. I was kind of worried an "Armageddon" type scenario would unfold with Ben Affleck going to the moon but despite a difficult task, the author ends the book well and on a satisfying note.
The Age of Miracles is released on June 26, 2012 and will be the perfect summer read, while at the same time making you think, feel, and appreciate your electricity.
The events surround "the slowing" unfold and the author keeps giving little hints as to what's to come, almost at the end of every chapter. This felt a little forced to me, every chapter would end with a line like "We didn't understand all the symptoms then, but we soon would...." and then you'd have to turn the page and start reading the next chapter right away. While this device was perhaps a bit overused, it did work and it really did keep me turning the pages.
Julia as a character doesn't seem fully fleshed out, but her life in combination with the world events are what keeps you going. Julia as a character is a great eye into the events surrounding "the slowing" and her child's eye view reminded me of say Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird.
The end of the book feels a bit rushed, I was shocked to find I only had about 10 pages left at the point in the story I was at, but also as "the slowing" continues, physical events get overly complex and it ended up working for me, rather than have a 12 year old girl explain the theory of the earth's magnetic pull, these technical details are largely skipped over, especially as the book diverges more from scientific fact into imagined possibilities. That being said, the story never seems bogged down with details which I appreciated. I was kind of worried an "Armageddon" type scenario would unfold with Ben Affleck going to the moon but despite a difficult task, the author ends the book well and on a satisfying note.
The Age of Miracles is released on June 26, 2012 and will be the perfect summer read, while at the same time making you think, feel, and appreciate your electricity.
outoftheblue14's review
3.0
The main character in The Age of Miracles is Julia, a eleven-year-old girl who lives with her parents in California. She has a quiet life revolving around schhol, piano lessons, and her best friend, Hanna. However, one day people notice that the earth's rotation is slowing down, and the days are getting longer and longer. At first, it's just minutes, but then it's hours. Soon, clock time is no longer reflecting real time. This causes a variety of problems and much alarm in the population, even though people try to go on with their lives as usual. Many people move away. Julia has a crush on Seth Moreno, a boy from her school who recently lost his mother. They slowly become friends.
I liked this book, but think it could have been much more. The premises are very good - the rotation of the earth slowing down, a prelude to disasters - but then nothing dramatic happens. The worst things that happens is that Julia and her friend Hanna grow apart. The romance between Julia and Seth is sweet. I expected better, since I had read very good reviews.
I liked this book, but think it could have been much more. The premises are very good - the rotation of the earth slowing down, a prelude to disasters - but then nothing dramatic happens. The worst things that happens is that Julia and her friend Hanna grow apart. The romance between Julia and Seth is sweet. I expected better, since I had read very good reviews.
theamandashuman's review
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
pminkler's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
heathercottledillon's review
4.0
This is very different from all the other apocalyptic fiction I've read, but I liked it. It's much more literary than I expected. Since we're seeing things from the perspective of a child, we don't get as much information about the scientific side of things or how the Slowing is affecting the rest of the world. I was curious about those things, but it fits with the point of view and it let me use my imagination a little, which was fun. I usually don't care for inconclusive endings, but I felt like it worked really well in this novel. The whole thing, actually, just seemed to flow and fit together perfectly. It felt like a real story, like something that could really happen, and Julia felt like a real girl. I certainly related to her on several levels. That, and the beautiful writing, make it one that I'm going to be recommending to a lot of people.