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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
For those adult and YA readers who loved reading Harry Potter, and also have a taste for a bit of sci-fi, this is for you. This would make (if it is not intended to be already) an excellent YA (middle and high school on up) novel. Like Harry Potter, this has themes involving children that are still readable/enjoyable to the adults.
The ending had a little too much deus ex for me (randomly coming in at the same time), as well as too much of a "happy miniseries ending."
But, reviewing this book not as to my personal enjoyment but to its qualities, it is very well-written and I think would sit nicely with the aforementioned YA set.
The ending had a little too much deus ex for me (randomly coming in at the same time), as well as too much of a "happy miniseries ending."
But, reviewing this book not as to my personal enjoyment but to its qualities, it is very well-written and I think would sit nicely with the aforementioned YA set.
A quirky magic/tech adventure that leaves just enough for the reader to envision what they will. This was a very unique read and though I never felt overly attached to any characters I enjoyed almost every minute I was reading and definitely recommend. I would have probably given 5 stars if it hadn't been for the small bits where I was worried for the safety of fictional animals (and that's just a personal preference.)
I could not categorise this book. It’s magical realism crossed with science fiction. I’ve not read anything else like it. Two children become friends, one is a witch, the other is a scientist. Their friendship can both destroy the world or save it. Both the children were great characters, in their own way. I would like to read more by this author.
This is a sci-fi novel about the end of the world, featuring a witch named Patricia who talks to birds and uber-geek Laurence. A lot of what happens in terms of world destruction seems plausible, and the fantasy elements are interesting.
I really enjoyed this one. Read the paperback at the beach. It's an interesting book that is somehow both whimsical and thought-provoking. The sci-fi elements were fun and convincing while maintaining a 'Douglas Adams-esque' humor. I loved how the author contrasted magic with technology throughout the book, the same way she contrasts Patricia with Laurence and the witches with the techno-geeks. The novel seems to suggest the key to life (and/or saving the world from armageddon) is to reconcile and embrace our differences the way The Tree and Peregrine eventually do. Clever, well-written and thoughtful. This one deserved all the awards!
Very good. I'm tempted to give three stars but I suspect that may be due to my general aversion to magical realism (suck it Bulgakov and Rushdie!). That aside, this book was very well written and original take on a blend of old tropes. A quick read which is a solid plus here because it really didn't fall into the pretension that alot of realists (mad dogs rushdie again) seem to be vulnerable to.
Urban fantasy + coming of age + sci-fi + magic + witches — a bunch of fun ingredients, what’s not to like? Altogether, they work in some ways but not in others.
I loved the two main characters, Laurence and a Patricia. Very well developed, I especially liked their early years in the first part of the book. The conflict with parents and their peers and other authority figures was very compelling. They were both awkward trying to figure out their respective powers and where they were going.
After they grow up they’re both less likable, but I suppose that’s what happens to most of us. Laurence and Patricia have both become members of these powerful groups but they’re still impetuous and unsure of themselves.
I’ve maybe grown tired of the “it’s the end of the world” as a backdrop but this particular version wasn’t as compelling to me. Not to mention that one of the main people trying to prevent it, Laurence’s boss Milton, is virtually nonexistent in the story. I get it, this is about Laurence, but the shadowy yet one dimensional Milton was distracting. Like, a far less interesting Lex Luthor.
Patricia’s world of tricksters and healers was far more interesting, and the backstory worked a lot better, in my opinion, was more interesting and creative.
In the end, A.I. integrates with nature, and this is a pretty interesting idea. Something to explore more possibly. But the destruction of the world was what most of the story’s time and energy was spent on.
I loved the two main characters, Laurence and a Patricia. Very well developed, I especially liked their early years in the first part of the book. The conflict with parents and their peers and other authority figures was very compelling. They were both awkward trying to figure out their respective powers and where they were going.
After they grow up they’re both less likable, but I suppose that’s what happens to most of us. Laurence and Patricia have both become members of these powerful groups but they’re still impetuous and unsure of themselves.
I’ve maybe grown tired of the “it’s the end of the world” as a backdrop but this particular version wasn’t as compelling to me. Not to mention that one of the main people trying to prevent it, Laurence’s boss Milton, is virtually nonexistent in the story. I get it, this is about Laurence, but the shadowy yet one dimensional Milton was distracting. Like, a far less interesting Lex Luthor.
Patricia’s world of tricksters and healers was far more interesting, and the backstory worked a lot better, in my opinion, was more interesting and creative.
In the end, A.I. integrates with nature, and this is a pretty interesting idea. Something to explore more possibly. But the destruction of the world was what most of the story’s time and energy was spent on.
I wanted to like this book much more Thani actually did. I just couldn't get into the characters at all.
The most fun I've had reading about impending doom that seemed all too real.
A very usual combination of fantasy and science-fiction, in which the author manages to successfully combine almost all the fantasy and science-fiction tropes, including the two main characters that are a witch and mad scientist. Using their crazy and marvelous relationship, this novel explores the wonderful differences between the fantastic and the science, both as literary devices and ways to look at the real world.