Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
Good example of what good cover design and publicity can do for a mediocre book - the perspectives of the four main characters struggle to find their own voice and bleed together; lots of outdated 'teen' references to make you cringe and an unnecessary love triangle.
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I listened to this book via audible. I enjoyed the story, but I wish that I had physically read it. I didn't love the performers. But the story is so good! I was constantly facing questions about life and death, and how the end of the world really would be. I definitely recommend this for something different!
Overall I can't find anything wrong with this book. Great concept, strong writing, interesting realistic characters and dialogue. But I lost interest half way through and I wonder if it's because it was SO real it became kind of depressing? I read the last 1/4 pretty fast just to get to the end and was kind of disappointed with how the very end was handled. But no spoilers as to why. While I liked elements of this book, it didn't add up to a greater whole. But not through any fault of its own, just personal preference.
Other than another lame librarian sterotype, I liked this one.
Full review on my blog
Having four main characters means that this book reads mostly like a character piece. To review it fairly, I'll discuss the story of all four characters from favourite to least favourite.
1. Peter
Oh Peter. His narrative is the first one in the book and also my favourite. Though he starts off so very cliché (dumb jock that wants more from life but can't figure out how), the reader soon figures out that he's anything but cliché. The thing I really liked about Peter? He's nice. Just really really nice. No alternative motives or big plans - Peter is just nice to people and always believes the best in everyone. I loved that about him, because there are not many nice guy narrators around. He's a jock, he's kinda dumb and you can't help but love him because he loves everyone else. Just a small warning: he will break your heart.
2. Anita
Anita; another cliché at the beginning who turns out to be so much more. I loved the fact that she's the brainy girl and she's African American! Finally some diversity! She's trying to please her parents while also finding her own way and she really struggles with that more than the average teen does. In the end, she's so likeable because she's witty and tries to do the right thing whenever she can and you can't help but admire her for that.
3. Andy
I wasn't sure whether to rate Andy or Eliza third, since they both really annoyed me for several different reasons. With Andy, I just didn't get him. At all. I didn't get why he did what he did, I didn't understand his thought process and if I had to read one more time about him thinking about sex, I would have gone crazy. I couldn't relate to him at all, but he did do some entertaining things that made the story more fun to read so I could handle him. Plus I think other readers will understand him better than I did.
4. Eliza
Who I couldn't handle was Eliza - the gorgeous girl who doesn't believe she's gorgeous but everyone else thinks she is. Yawn. I liked her in the beginning because she slept around and she talked about it like it was empowering to her. Finally a YA book where female virginity isn't held up like the crème de la crème - Eliza wasn't scared to use her sexuality to please herself and others. Unfortunately at the end, she says she regrets all the guys she has slept with, she's embarrassed and doesn't want to do it anymore. I felt bad for her, her father is dying and her mother is missing, but I wish she would have been so much less cliché at the end. Maybe what I hated most about Eliza was the fact that I really liked her in the beginning and was just so disappointed in her character development.
SO MULTIPLE PEOPLE AS NARRATORS...
Did it work? I think Tommy Wallach is one of the few authors I've read who was really successful in juggling four different narrations. Though I didn't like all the characters, they all had enough depth to be enjoyable to read and I think other people will like the characters I disliked - it's a taste thing. Since it's a tale about the world possibly ending, I think seeing how that fact changes several people's lives is very effective - it just makes it more interesting and realistic. Everyone is different and everyone responds different to the threat of an ending world.
RATING
We All Looked Up is a solid four. I didn't really like the ending nor all the characters, but the writing is fast paced, easy to read and the concept of an ending world in a contemporary book works really well. I definitely enjoyed it and I think almost everyone can find something to love in this book.
Having four main characters means that this book reads mostly like a character piece. To review it fairly, I'll discuss the story of all four characters from favourite to least favourite.
1. Peter
Oh Peter. His narrative is the first one in the book and also my favourite. Though he starts off so very cliché (dumb jock that wants more from life but can't figure out how), the reader soon figures out that he's anything but cliché. The thing I really liked about Peter? He's nice. Just really really nice. No alternative motives or big plans - Peter is just nice to people and always believes the best in everyone. I loved that about him, because there are not many nice guy narrators around. He's a jock, he's kinda dumb and you can't help but love him because he loves everyone else. Just a small warning: he will break your heart.
2. Anita
Anita; another cliché at the beginning who turns out to be so much more. I loved the fact that she's the brainy girl and she's African American! Finally some diversity! She's trying to please her parents while also finding her own way and she really struggles with that more than the average teen does. In the end, she's so likeable because she's witty and tries to do the right thing whenever she can and you can't help but admire her for that.
3. Andy
I wasn't sure whether to rate Andy or Eliza third, since they both really annoyed me for several different reasons. With Andy, I just didn't get him. At all. I didn't get why he did what he did, I didn't understand his thought process and if I had to read one more time about him thinking about sex, I would have gone crazy. I couldn't relate to him at all, but he did do some entertaining things that made the story more fun to read so I could handle him. Plus I think other readers will understand him better than I did.
4. Eliza
Who I couldn't handle was Eliza - the gorgeous girl who doesn't believe she's gorgeous but everyone else thinks she is. Yawn. I liked her in the beginning because she slept around and she talked about it like it was empowering to her. Finally a YA book where female virginity isn't held up like the crème de la crème - Eliza wasn't scared to use her sexuality to please herself and others. Unfortunately at the end, she says she regrets all the guys she has slept with, she's embarrassed and doesn't want to do it anymore. I felt bad for her, her father is dying and her mother is missing, but I wish she would have been so much less cliché at the end. Maybe what I hated most about Eliza was the fact that I really liked her in the beginning and was just so disappointed in her character development.
SO MULTIPLE PEOPLE AS NARRATORS...
Did it work? I think Tommy Wallach is one of the few authors I've read who was really successful in juggling four different narrations. Though I didn't like all the characters, they all had enough depth to be enjoyable to read and I think other people will like the characters I disliked - it's a taste thing. Since it's a tale about the world possibly ending, I think seeing how that fact changes several people's lives is very effective - it just makes it more interesting and realistic. Everyone is different and everyone responds different to the threat of an ending world.
RATING
We All Looked Up is a solid four. I didn't really like the ending nor all the characters, but the writing is fast paced, easy to read and the concept of an ending world in a contemporary book works really well. I definitely enjoyed it and I think almost everyone can find something to love in this book.
(I received this book from Net galley in exchange for my honest review)
This book was a lot more brutally honest than I expected, which was really great as it made the story more real in terms of what actually goes on in a teenagers life, including drugs, casual sex and mindless violence. Following this it felt as if the characters resembled at least one person you went to school with as they were so well constructed in representing specific members in our society, yet were completely authentic.
This book was a lot more brutally honest than I expected, which was really great as it made the story more real in terms of what actually goes on in a teenagers life, including drugs, casual sex and mindless violence. Following this it felt as if the characters resembled at least one person you went to school with as they were so well constructed in representing specific members in our society, yet were completely authentic.
It was just okay.
The book has an interesting subject and it definitely helps forward the reader throughout the book. However, with the multiple POV's the dialogue becomes confusing and the chapters are sometimes redundant. I found myself skimming quite a lot.
I felt the ending was rushed and it left me unsatisfied.
The book has an interesting subject and it definitely helps forward the reader throughout the book. However, with the multiple POV's the dialogue becomes confusing and the chapters are sometimes redundant. I found myself skimming quite a lot.
I felt the ending was rushed and it left me unsatisfied.
Meh. That's all I really have for this one. I wanted to read it because I was interested, but if I'd follow my own rules on reading, I probably wouldn't have missed anything major. I thought about giving this one three stars because at first, it was kind of good! It just progressively became less of an interest and more of a "Well, I'm already this far into it... " kind of read. I was just overall dissatisfied with the story - it felt so unrealistic and insane at times that I could scarcely believe it mattered at all in the face of Ardor.