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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
My youngest son recommended this and I'm really glad I read it. The book is about the kids who aren't fighting the immortals and trying to seal up fissures to another world - they're worrying about exams and leaving school and who they should fall in love with. Each chapter has a summary of what's going on in a more heroic world, while the book itself deals with a group of kids who are more ordinary. Ok, one of them is a quarter God - but in this book that just makes him more attractive to cats. Incredibly well written - Patrick Ness is a favourite of both my sons - it contextualises fantasy fiction in a really useful way. Great for pre/teens and also good fun for grown ups.
3.5 stars
I really loved the concept of this book, I definitely won’t be able to watch any superhero movies without thinking about it!
I really loved the concept of this book, I definitely won’t be able to watch any superhero movies without thinking about it!
I enjoyed this more than I expected to. It's Young Adult / Fantasy, but fantasy really takes a back seat. It's more about friendships, ending school, finding yourself, relationships, dealing with your family, your mental health. An enjoyable read, great characters and relationships, with a really easy writing style that makes it easy to whiz through.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
a 4.75 read
I went into this book with relatively low expectations, and came out smiling like an idiot. It is such a raw, real story that I find myself so indulged in, so much that I can't stop reading. The characters were beautiful, the dialogues were meaningful. Emotions hit you like a bus what with the pain, suffering, growth, and all the cliche but not so cliche teenage roller coasters.
I went into this book with relatively low expectations, and came out smiling like an idiot. It is such a raw, real story that I find myself so indulged in, so much that I can't stop reading. The characters were beautiful, the dialogues were meaningful. Emotions hit you like a bus what with the pain, suffering, growth, and all the cliche but not so cliche teenage roller coasters.
A four star read, but I had to give one more since one of the main characters (Henna) shares my name and is also Finnish :D
There is not a single thing in this book I disliked. It's hilarious and complex and so affectionate and real and a little freaky and the characters all truly care about each other and I'm just overwhelmed by how great it is. I want every book to be like this. I'm going to be meeting Patrick Ness and I won't be able to look him in the eye because I admire him too much.
I picked up this book as I was trying to decide where to place it in my library organized by genre. The subject headings, teenagers, dystopias, fantasy, and humorous stories, are all over the place. I wanted to read it to see if I could make a definitive placement.(Sidenote: I did not! This book defies genre.) And I enjoyed the weirdness of Patrick Ness's last book, More Than This. So I dove in. I continued to read and finished the book because I really needed to know what happened to the protagonist, Mike. Mike and his friends are about to graduate and leave their small town which is currently being terrorized by the Immortals. The fantasy element of the book is a bit vague and really not the focus. The focus is on the evolution of the friendships and the growth the characters experience as they prepare to transition from high school to college. What will the future hold? How will their friendships fare? These questions are triggering Mike's OCD and Mel's anorexia. Can they pull themselves out to the loops that seem to trap them? I like Jared's philosophy: "Not everyone has to be the Chosen One. Not everyone has to be the guy who saves the world. Most people just have to live their lives the best they can, doing the things that are great for them, having great friends, trying to make their lives better, loving people properly. All the while knowing that the world makes no sense but trying to find a way to be happy anyway." Words to live by for most of us "ordinary" folks.
I will recommend this book to readers who enjoy the weirdness of Andrew Smith and the wit of John Green. It's a weirdly smart fun read.
I will recommend this book to readers who enjoy the weirdness of Andrew Smith and the wit of John Green. It's a weirdly smart fun read.
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
I love a book where the main characters are in the background of a bigger fantasy story.
I liked this so much more than I thought I would. I picked it up as a quick read while waiting for two books of the Great Library series to arrive.
It's a subtle little book that deals with mental illness and longing and coming of age, and in the meantime, Buffy-style adventures are happening in the background. If you're not the chosen one (or an indie kid), what happens when vampires are blowing up your school or soul-sucking ghosts are trying to take over the world?
Apparently you just try to live your life and only occasionally interact with the weirdness.
It was a fun take on the genre, but I liked the characters most of all. Mikey, who has anxiety and OCD. Mel, Mikey's sister who's recovering from anorexia (in a believable, painfully honest way). Henna, who could have so easily been the "cool girl" but wasn't. Jared, who is... well, don't want to spoil Jared.
Definitely worth a read.
It's a subtle little book that deals with mental illness and longing and coming of age, and in the meantime, Buffy-style adventures are happening in the background. If you're not the chosen one (or an indie kid), what happens when vampires are blowing up your school or soul-sucking ghosts are trying to take over the world?
Apparently you just try to live your life and only occasionally interact with the weirdness.
It was a fun take on the genre, but I liked the characters most of all. Mikey, who has anxiety and OCD. Mel, Mikey's sister who's recovering from anorexia (in a believable, painfully honest way). Henna, who could have so easily been the "cool girl" but wasn't. Jared, who is... well, don't want to spoil Jared.
Definitely worth a read.