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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
I heard about this book somewhere - I can't remember where - but thought I'd give it a try. It was a fascinating enough concept to keep me reading until the end, but there... really wasn't much I enjoyed about it. Which is a shame because like I said, the initial concept and idea was intriguing, but it ended up being executed in a way that made it fall short. I'm honestly shocked that there aren't more negative/critical reviews on this than there is.
So, the idea of the book was one of the only pros for me. Peter's odd trances were as well, they caught my attention and I found myself wanting to learn more. I honestly could have left this book altogether and probably enjoyed a story about Peter's past with Jasper way more.
Cons... the biggest one is the characters. They were basically all obnoxious and unlikeable in one way or another. I didn't find myself particularly rooting for anyone, only vaguely hoping that Peter and Lola could win out against the machine but not particularly bothered about whether they did or not. Peter was the most tolerable; in part because of his past and in part probably because he was quieter and didn't constantly gripe or yell like the others.
Lola's temper got annoying, and there were several instances I just wanted her to shut up and let go of something. But while I didn't particularly care what happened to her, I downright hated the other characters in general. I'm sure I don't need to say why - Blossom was the worst by far but she and Oliver were wholly unlikeable and Abigail soon ended up that way too. I think I lost what scrap of a chance of liking her when she kept going back to Oliver despite him being a raging dic*hea*.
Add to that the fact that barely any of the characters were developed and were generally just flat, and you get a recipe for not being engaged with a book or caring about how it ends.
Another con was the ending. It seemed like there wasn't really a resolution. Peter and Lola went through all that duress only to find out they don't get to be free, or even some semblance of a reward for beating the machine - they're just carted off to an island with everyone else, presumably for another type of life where they get no freedom.
I get that this is an allegory. That the whole point is psychology, the way humanity will react if put into these situations, the fact that a future like the one briefly touched on in the book - another far more interesting plot point I would have preferred to see - is very possible with the way the government and society acts, the fact that good, actually moral behaviour (such as refusing to be cruel even in the most difficult of circumstances) is often rarely rewarded and instead seen as inferior... I get it.
But it doesn't change the fact that the story ultimately fell flat. If a book has boring or outright unlikeable characters, not even the most intriguing plot in the world can save it. If I don't care one iota whether the characters survive or not, then the plot doesn't matter. It's just a bunch of filler, world building, and things happening from a distance while annoying or dull characters kind of mill around in the foreground.
Overall, I wish I could have enjoyed this book more. I wish I could have understood why others liked it so much but alas. I just... didn't care. I read it all because I'm at work and bored, and it was something to do, and I hoped maybe it'd get better/hoped to hear more about Peter's past.
I hope I find a book someday with a similar premise that actually engages me and makes me feel something because it really is a wonderful concept.
So, the idea of the book was one of the only pros for me. Peter's odd trances were as well, they caught my attention and I found myself wanting to learn more. I honestly could have left this book altogether and probably enjoyed a story about Peter's past with Jasper way more.
Cons... the biggest one is the characters. They were basically all obnoxious and unlikeable in one way or another. I didn't find myself particularly rooting for anyone, only vaguely hoping that Peter and Lola could win out against the machine but not particularly bothered about whether they did or not. Peter was the most tolerable; in part because of his past and in part probably because he was quieter and didn't constantly gripe or yell like the others.
Lola's temper got annoying, and there were several instances I just wanted her to shut up and let go of something. But while I didn't particularly care what happened to her, I downright hated the other characters in general. I'm sure I don't need to say why - Blossom was the worst by far but she and Oliver were wholly unlikeable and Abigail soon ended up that way too. I think I lost what scrap of a chance of liking her when she kept going back to Oliver despite him being a raging dic*hea*.
Add to that the fact that barely any of the characters were developed and were generally just flat, and you get a recipe for not being engaged with a book or caring about how it ends.
Another con was the ending. It seemed like there wasn't really a resolution. Peter and Lola went through all that duress only to find out they don't get to be free, or even some semblance of a reward for beating the machine - they're just carted off to an island with everyone else, presumably for another type of life where they get no freedom.
I get that this is an allegory. That the whole point is psychology, the way humanity will react if put into these situations, the fact that a future like the one briefly touched on in the book - another far more interesting plot point I would have preferred to see - is very possible with the way the government and society acts, the fact that good, actually moral behaviour (such as refusing to be cruel even in the most difficult of circumstances) is often rarely rewarded and instead seen as inferior... I get it.
But it doesn't change the fact that the story ultimately fell flat. If a book has boring or outright unlikeable characters, not even the most intriguing plot in the world can save it. If I don't care one iota whether the characters survive or not, then the plot doesn't matter. It's just a bunch of filler, world building, and things happening from a distance while annoying or dull characters kind of mill around in the foreground.
Overall, I wish I could have enjoyed this book more. I wish I could have understood why others liked it so much but alas. I just... didn't care. I read it all because I'm at work and bored, and it was something to do, and I hoped maybe it'd get better/hoped to hear more about Peter's past.
I hope I find a book someday with a similar premise that actually engages me and makes me feel something because it really is a wonderful concept.
(Read dates wildly approximated - read in high school)
Creepy book with an appropriately creepy ending that I still vividly remember even 30+ years after reading it
Creepy book with an appropriately creepy ending that I still vividly remember even 30+ years after reading it
I wound up reading this book in one sitting. Easy to read, and delightfully unsettling throughout. There was some world building that was being teased and that was never fully fleshed out; while I wish it had been I also realize that there was no where really in this story where it could have been - it does lead to a lot of seemingly contradictory ideas about what is going on outside and I wish it had been a little more clear.
I loved the character development paths that all the characters took. Some were obvious, such as Lola, Oliver, and Blossom, and others were less so, like Abigail and Peter, which was realistic.
Overall, I really enjoyed this. Also, I was super stoked that Peter was gay (and let's face it, that's probably why it was on my list.)
I loved the character development paths that all the characters took. Some were obvious, such as Lola, Oliver, and Blossom, and others were less so, like Abigail and Peter, which was realistic.
Overall, I really enjoyed this. Also, I was super stoked that Peter was gay (and let's face it, that's probably why it was on my list.)
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Five sixteen year old orphans are dropped into a very strange place - a seemingly endless place of endless stairs. But the need for survival will hold them to one machine that will make them perform ever more depraved tasks for even a morsel of food. How far will each of them go to keep the food coming? And who among them, if any, has the strength to resist the increasingly demanding machine to save themselves? This was a quick, engrossing read.
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Violence
Minor: Car accident, Death of parent
This book is suspenseful and creepy and hard to describe. The ending left me unsettled, the characters are rarely likeable, the atmosphere is claustrophobic, but the whole thing still manages to be brilliant.
Ich hab das Buch dereinst in der Schule lesen müssen und hab es gehasst wie die Pest - und nebenbei die schlimmsten Albträume meines Lebens davon bekommen und ich zähle zu Staub zerfallende Leichen unter meinem Bett schon zu den schöneren Träumen.
Ich werde nie begreifen, warum man Kinder zwingt, etwas so verstörendes, angsteinflößendes und furchtbares wie dieses Buch zu lesen. Hinterher habe ich mich gefühlt, als könnte jedem von uns das jederzeit passieren, dass man einfach entführt und eingesperrt wird, um Teil eines riesigen Experiments zu werden. Schlimm genug, dass Menschen bösartig genug sind, sich so etwas auszumalen, aber müssen sie es auch noch aufschreiben und damit andere vielleicht auf dumme Gedanken bringen?
Ich werde nie begreifen, warum man Kinder zwingt, etwas so verstörendes, angsteinflößendes und furchtbares wie dieses Buch zu lesen. Hinterher habe ich mich gefühlt, als könnte jedem von uns das jederzeit passieren, dass man einfach entführt und eingesperrt wird, um Teil eines riesigen Experiments zu werden. Schlimm genug, dass Menschen bösartig genug sind, sich so etwas auszumalen, aber müssen sie es auch noch aufschreiben und damit andere vielleicht auf dumme Gedanken bringen?
I read this over 10 years ago and still think about it! Weird and impactful book.
This book stuck in my head for years. It is gratifying to see that it has similarly stuck with other people, as I often would wonder just why this particular book would come rising up out of the depths of memory to poke me. I couldn't even remember the name of it until I finally got tired of having the recollection of it resurface over and over again and went to Google to see if I could track it down. I don't recall loving it, or having any strong opinions of it, but it just found a tiny little corner in my brain and took up permanent residence there. Something about the endless maze of stairs, more than anything else.