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lisa_nog's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyable middle grades fiction. I found this a little hard to get into for reasons I'm not sure I understand. The second and third portions of the book pace very well.
I feel like this book was mis-titled also. I am crotchety!
I feel like this book was mis-titled also. I am crotchety!
nlalbert's review against another edition
3.0
This book is from the author of Wonder, and a major deviation from that famous book. This book is reminiscent of the movie True Grit, but not nearly as entertaining. There were a lot of themes that could have been better explored; in fact, I think this could have been a great book for adults if more detail was added. Also, the old fashioned language and references would not make sense to most kids. While I found this book a bit slow and boring, I do think this could be a good classroom novel for 4th-5th grade, since the teacher could guide their students through the vocabulary and historical references.
annemariemulksibb's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
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? No
5.0
rjhamberger's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
fast-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
4.75
hinesy_books's review against another edition
5.0
Had a really good vibe to it and love it and the western vibe. Loved it so much
sunshine_mel's review against another edition
3.0
A good read that felt a little too magical (ie predictable / convenient) at times
riandi_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
bizarrebezoar's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
lynburn's review against another edition
3.0
3 stars. Boy on a journey. A coming of age story. There are ghosts and a “mysterious” horse (I found him fairly ordinary myself). But, the ending was good if a little too perfect.
greenlivingaudioworm's review
3.0
“Maybe life knows where it’s going before you do sometimes.”
I had really high hopes for this one and unfortunately, this book fell far short of my expectations. I had heard this book was different from [b:Wonder|11387515|Wonder (Wonder, #1)|R.J. Palacio|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1545695751l/11387515._SY75_.jpg|16319487] and I don't blame [a:R.J. Palacio|4859212|R.J. Palacio|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] for writing a book that is completely different from the masterpiece of Wonder. One of the things I loved most about Wonder was just how rich all of the different characters were - and we followed a variety of characters through the story of Wonder. I figured I would grow that much more attached to the main character, Silas, as he was the only perspective we got this story from.
Unfortunately, Silas was not a character I particularly cared about. I don't know if that's because this book was historical fiction (although I typically enjoy historical fiction) or what happened, but I found myself not really caring what happened to Silas. While his journey was certainly important to him, it didn't have the same sense of urgency I have felt in other historical fiction novels nor did it have the magic of letting the story unfold like Wonder did. Even as the story progressed, I kept expecting to feel some sort of connection with Silas but that never happened.
It seems I am in the minority of not particularly enjoying this story, so if you're curious to find out if this book is just as good as Wonder or if you'll enjoy Palacio's branching out into writing other genres, I encourage you to check this book out. For whatever reason, this book didn't work for me but I will definitely continue reading R.J. Palacio in the future.
TW: violence, death
I had really high hopes for this one and unfortunately, this book fell far short of my expectations. I had heard this book was different from [b:Wonder|11387515|Wonder (Wonder, #1)|R.J. Palacio|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1545695751l/11387515._SY75_.jpg|16319487] and I don't blame [a:R.J. Palacio|4859212|R.J. Palacio|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] for writing a book that is completely different from the masterpiece of Wonder. One of the things I loved most about Wonder was just how rich all of the different characters were - and we followed a variety of characters through the story of Wonder. I figured I would grow that much more attached to the main character, Silas, as he was the only perspective we got this story from.
Unfortunately, Silas was not a character I particularly cared about. I don't know if that's because this book was historical fiction (although I typically enjoy historical fiction) or what happened, but I found myself not really caring what happened to Silas. While his journey was certainly important to him, it didn't have the same sense of urgency I have felt in other historical fiction novels nor did it have the magic of letting the story unfold like Wonder did. Even as the story progressed, I kept expecting to feel some sort of connection with Silas but that never happened.
It seems I am in the minority of not particularly enjoying this story, so if you're curious to find out if this book is just as good as Wonder or if you'll enjoy Palacio's branching out into writing other genres, I encourage you to check this book out. For whatever reason, this book didn't work for me but I will definitely continue reading R.J. Palacio in the future.
TW: violence, death