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mutablemoon's review against another edition
2.0
Okay, now I understand why I didn't understand the book, this is fourth in the series. How very foolish of me! Not sure I want to read the others though. May have gone past the age of actually being interested in these sorts of book.
abookishgirl's review against another edition
2.0
What an odd book. Honestly, if I hadn’t loved Jaclyn Moriarty’s other books (especially “Becoming Bindy Mackenzie”), I’d have DNFed this. It does really pick up in the last 150 pages, but there’s so much to get through before that!
emburklin's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
hannahxuereb's review against another edition
5.0
I gave this book 5 stars.
Here's why:
* Star no. 1 - amazing plot. I mean gothic fiction....what's not to like?
* Star no. 2 - utterly amazing and totally believable characters.
* Star no. 3 - stunningly original layout. This is pretty much the only book I've ever read which consists of essays, blogs, meetings and letters ONLY!
* Star no. 4 - the merge of black holes, Irish folklore, Irish convicts, past and present
* Star no. 5 - the number of twists in this beautifully written book
Also if I could give this book a 6th star, I would,
Mostly because of Riley’s letter to Amelia, here it is:
PS: IF YOU HAVE'NT READ THE BOOK I WOULNT READ THIS NEXT BIT! IT MAY BE SPOILER LIKE:
Dear Amelia,
I hear there are giant jellyfish in the Arctic,
tentacles longer than train carriages.
Haystacks fly over cities in whirlwinds, and fish frogs and turtles rain on towns.
There are spaces of perfect nothing that they call black holes.
Nothing's impossible- that's what you think I'm trying to say.
But I'm not.
There are things that are impossible - unimaginable even- and here they are: That I broke you.
Betrayed you.
Said I'd given up on you. Sent you flying to a park in a thunderstorm.
That I've been wrong about you all along- saw something in your face each time you faded to your past, when the opposite was true.
That all this time you've been lost and that I won't get a second chance to find you.
Amelia your name is a song. It's a name you can't say without smiling or crying, without casting both shadows and light. But there are too many places to hide or get lost in a name like Amelia.
So this is me shouting that name. They say nobody ever escapes from a black hole. They don't know the strength in my Amelia. The strength in your grip when you want to stay out dancing- the strength in your wicked smile.
Riley
Here's why:
* Star no. 1 - amazing plot. I mean gothic fiction....what's not to like?
* Star no. 2 - utterly amazing and totally believable characters.
* Star no. 3 - stunningly original layout. This is pretty much the only book I've ever read which consists of essays, blogs, meetings and letters ONLY!
* Star no. 4 - the merge of black holes, Irish folklore, Irish convicts, past and present
* Star no. 5 - the number of twists in this beautifully written book
Also if I could give this book a 6th star, I would,
Mostly because of Riley’s letter to Amelia, here it is:
PS: IF YOU HAVE'NT READ THE BOOK I WOULNT READ THIS NEXT BIT! IT MAY BE SPOILER LIKE:
Dear Amelia,
I hear there are giant jellyfish in the Arctic,
tentacles longer than train carriages.
Haystacks fly over cities in whirlwinds, and fish frogs and turtles rain on towns.
There are spaces of perfect nothing that they call black holes.
Nothing's impossible- that's what you think I'm trying to say.
But I'm not.
There are things that are impossible - unimaginable even- and here they are: That I broke you.
Betrayed you.
Said I'd given up on you. Sent you flying to a park in a thunderstorm.
That I've been wrong about you all along- saw something in your face each time you faded to your past, when the opposite was true.
That all this time you've been lost and that I won't get a second chance to find you.
Amelia your name is a song. It's a name you can't say without smiling or crying, without casting both shadows and light. But there are too many places to hide or get lost in a name like Amelia.
So this is me shouting that name. They say nobody ever escapes from a black hole. They don't know the strength in my Amelia. The strength in your grip when you want to stay out dancing- the strength in your wicked smile.
Riley
rachelchloe's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
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? Yes
5.0
agirlsnightbookbash's review against another edition
4.0
It had a rather slow start but all in all, another winner from Moriarty.
agirlsnightbookbash's review against another edition
4.0
It had a rather slow start but all in all, another winner from Moriarty.
poachedeggs's review against another edition
4.0
This is really quirky/weird, even improbable, but I love the way Moriarty's mind works, and how she makes the whole book revolve around Gothic literature while emphasising its totally modern adolescent concerns.
I don't really know how to summarise or review this book, truth be told, except to say that you do have to read the Ashbury/Brookfield series in sequence, in order to appreciate its richness and how awesome its characters are, both teenage and adult. (You definitely have to read [b:The Year of Secret Assignments|82780|The Year of Secret Assignments (Ashbury/Brookfield, #2)|Jaclyn Moriarty|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1328868849s/82780.jpg|2161186] before this one.)
I don't really know how to summarise or review this book, truth be told, except to say that you do have to read the Ashbury/Brookfield series in sequence, in order to appreciate its richness and how awesome its characters are, both teenage and adult. (You definitely have to read [b:The Year of Secret Assignments|82780|The Year of Secret Assignments (Ashbury/Brookfield, #2)|Jaclyn Moriarty|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1328868849s/82780.jpg|2161186] before this one.)
sammy234's review against another edition
5.0
I could wax poetic on this series as a whole , or go into mad hysterics talking about the humor and dialogue and amazing character development and mystery and suspense and brilliance and romance and friendship and atmosphere and plotting and that overall " I'm home and in my favorite sweatpants" feeling that I always get when I open a Jaclyn Moriarty book , but I won't.
It would be serious gibberish and embarrassing for all parties involved.
( Plus , all the ands I've just used are proof that it's really easy to abuse the English language SORRY ENGLISH LANGUAGE I WAS EXCITED)
All I'm going to say is that I sort of want to read the whole series over immediately. And I'm sad because I don't when I'll find a series like this again.
It's a Jane Eyre moment for me.
Meaning I felt the same as I did when I read that passage where Jane and Mr. Rochester are sitting on the bench underneath the tree being all emotionally repressed and Mr. Rochester says , " OMIGOSH A MOTH LOOK AT IT JANE SO PRETTY IT'S FLOWN JANE WHY ARE YOU CRYING I'M JUST SENDING YOU TO IRELAND WHAT DO YOU HAVE AGAINST THE IRISH AND BY THE WAY WHEN YOU ARE GONE I BLEED INWARDLY LOVE ME YOU ELFISH THING EVEN THOUGH I HAVE A CRAZY WIFE THAT SOMETIMES BITES PEOPLE IN HER ATTIC IT'S NOT RELEVANT AT THIS MOMENT SHE'S FINE IT'S TOTALLY FINE"
Yeah. This book gave me the swoons that that book did.
And I don't even mean romantic swoons , though that happened. Just OVERALL.
Read it. It's like eating a chocolate bar drizzled in caramel and a sprinkle of love and gothicness. I'm sorry if that makes no sense but I'm not in a calm state of mind.
Totally , Totally recommend it.
Content : Clean
It would be serious gibberish and embarrassing for all parties involved.
( Plus , all the ands I've just used are proof that it's really easy to abuse the English language SORRY ENGLISH LANGUAGE I WAS EXCITED)
All I'm going to say is that I sort of want to read the whole series over immediately. And I'm sad because I don't when I'll find a series like this again.
It's a Jane Eyre moment for me.
Meaning I felt the same as I did when I read that passage where Jane and Mr. Rochester are sitting on the bench underneath the tree being all emotionally repressed and Mr. Rochester says , " OMIGOSH A MOTH LOOK AT IT JANE SO PRETTY IT'S FLOWN JANE WHY ARE YOU CRYING I'M JUST SENDING YOU TO IRELAND WHAT DO YOU HAVE AGAINST THE IRISH AND BY THE WAY WHEN YOU ARE GONE I BLEED INWARDLY LOVE ME YOU ELFISH THING EVEN THOUGH I HAVE A CRAZY WIFE THAT SOMETIMES BITES PEOPLE IN HER ATTIC IT'S NOT RELEVANT AT THIS MOMENT SHE'S FINE IT'S TOTALLY FINE"
Yeah. This book gave me the swoons that that book did.
And I don't even mean romantic swoons , though that happened. Just OVERALL.
Read it. It's like eating a chocolate bar drizzled in caramel and a sprinkle of love and gothicness. I'm sorry if that makes no sense but I'm not in a calm state of mind.
Totally , Totally recommend it.
Content : Clean
allisonjul's review against another edition
Reading Jaclyn Moriarty's books is like slowly savoring a special treat that feels so rare and precious and like this personalized gift from her. They're books that I get, and books that seem to get me too.
I couldn't say enough kind things about this book. The epistolary style, the characters and their distinct voices, the overall structure/plot progression, the interweaving of storylines, and her signature big reveals at the end - she just nails them all.
It's brilliant and beautiful and the purest joy to read and just please go pick up this book if you haven't and let's talk about it.
I couldn't say enough kind things about this book. The epistolary style, the characters and their distinct voices, the overall structure/plot progression, the interweaving of storylines, and her signature big reveals at the end - she just nails them all.
It's brilliant and beautiful and the purest joy to read and just please go pick up this book if you haven't and let's talk about it.