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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
oh how important this entire series was to me in high school!
Spooky and well written; can't wait for the rest of the series.
I picked this book solely on the title and the picture on the cover. I knew nothing about it going into it but I figured it had to be interesting. As I started reading this, the main character is a teenager. So I went to Barnes and Noble’s website and looked up the information on it, I discovered this was a young adult book.
Now, I don’t have any problems with young adult books because I have an 11-year-old and sometimes I think it is good to read something before her just to make sure it is acceptable reading material. So I proceeded reading this book and I have to say I just adored it!
The characters are charming and the story line is quirky, complicated and intriguing. Jacob is a loner teenager who grew up listening to his grandfather’s ‘tales’ of peculiar children at the home his grandfather grew up in and monsters. One day his grandfather is killed and Jacob’s life is turned upside down as he battles nightmares and general depression. He begins to see a shrink who encourages him to seek out the home off the coast of Wales. Once Jacob begins his journey, he encounters may wonderful and peculiar people and things.
What I loved about this story- apparently this book was written around a collection of photographs the author received from various people. The pictures are included in the book and they are fascinating. I found myself staring at them and returning to them throughout the story because they really added to the story I imagined in my head while reading. I also loved the characters and the story behind each of the peculiar children. Again, having the pictures to reference for my own benefit really proved to enrich the story for me and creating a multimedia story.
The only thing that really threw me for a loop (no pun intended which you will see after you read the story) was the explanation for the time travel. It was very complicated and I am not sure a 13-17 year old would fully understand it (because I didn’t). I had to re-read that section a number of times and I finally gave up and said hey, the author knows what he is talking about.
I hope my daughter ends up reading it… I told her to add it to her list but she never listens to me. It is a good read for both kids and adults and I recommend it.
Now, I don’t have any problems with young adult books because I have an 11-year-old and sometimes I think it is good to read something before her just to make sure it is acceptable reading material. So I proceeded reading this book and I have to say I just adored it!
The characters are charming and the story line is quirky, complicated and intriguing. Jacob is a loner teenager who grew up listening to his grandfather’s ‘tales’ of peculiar children at the home his grandfather grew up in and monsters. One day his grandfather is killed and Jacob’s life is turned upside down as he battles nightmares and general depression. He begins to see a shrink who encourages him to seek out the home off the coast of Wales. Once Jacob begins his journey, he encounters may wonderful and peculiar people and things.
What I loved about this story- apparently this book was written around a collection of photographs the author received from various people. The pictures are included in the book and they are fascinating. I found myself staring at them and returning to them throughout the story because they really added to the story I imagined in my head while reading. I also loved the characters and the story behind each of the peculiar children. Again, having the pictures to reference for my own benefit really proved to enrich the story for me and creating a multimedia story.
The only thing that really threw me for a loop (no pun intended which you will see after you read the story) was the explanation for the time travel. It was very complicated and I am not sure a 13-17 year old would fully understand it (because I didn’t). I had to re-read that section a number of times and I finally gave up and said hey, the author knows what he is talking about.
I hope my daughter ends up reading it… I told her to add it to her list but she never listens to me. It is a good read for both kids and adults and I recommend it.
I actually enjoyed this book. I don't know if I actually rank it up with my other 4 star books, but giving it three stars just didn't seem fair.
I wasn't really sure what to expect of this book and I must admit that when I first found out Jacob's grandfather was Jewish, I thought the monsters were just the Nazis and I had another (albeit different take on) a WWII/Holocaust book on my hands. Not that I don't like those books, I was just pleasantly surprised that this turned out to be quite different.
Overall, I think it started off very strong. Creepy, yet endearing. Different. It got a little fantastical at the end and I worry that as the series continues it will get more so and will lose what I liked about the book. But I think they are worth the read.
I loved the peculiar children. Jacob was a sullen yet likeable teenager. Everything was just creepy enough to put you on edge, yet when he walked into 1940, it was somehow believable. Like I said, a little too crazy at the end. I worry that it will end up like some other teen fiction series (like Percy Jackson and the ones by Michael Scott, the sorcerer or something like that) where every second the characters are about to die and they somehow get away. The beginning of this book did a great job of including every day things (it's one of my favorite things about HP) Even amidst turmoil there are "normal days". Some authors forget that. I hope that doesn't happen. Fingers crossed. At the very least, the first book in the series is worth the read.
I wasn't really sure what to expect of this book and I must admit that when I first found out Jacob's grandfather was Jewish, I thought the monsters were just the Nazis and I had another (albeit different take on) a WWII/Holocaust book on my hands. Not that I don't like those books, I was just pleasantly surprised that this turned out to be quite different.
Overall, I think it started off very strong. Creepy, yet endearing. Different. It got a little fantastical at the end and I worry that as the series continues it will get more so and will lose what I liked about the book. But I think they are worth the read.
I loved the peculiar children. Jacob was a sullen yet likeable teenager. Everything was just creepy enough to put you on edge, yet when he walked into 1940, it was somehow believable. Like I said, a little too crazy at the end. I worry that it will end up like some other teen fiction series (like Percy Jackson and the ones by Michael Scott, the sorcerer or something like that) where every second the characters are about to die and they somehow get away. The beginning of this book did a great job of including every day things (it's one of my favorite things about HP) Even amidst turmoil there are "normal days". Some authors forget that. I hope that doesn't happen. Fingers crossed. At the very least, the first book in the series is worth the read.
So I screwed up and watched the movie before reading the book. Really wished I hadn't, because I think then maybe I would have enjoyed it more, as the movie IS SO DIFFERENT.
This confused me so much going through it. Especially how Emma (fire girl) in the book is the love interest, and Emma in the movie is has Olive's (in the book) abilities. The most confusing part is that the girl looks more or less the same, but are completely different characters.
Another thing was many of the more action packed events, especially the climax are very different. Half the time I was super confused as my background knowledge completely failed me. Like I don't know why Tim made the Movie so different, maybe he knew it wasn't gonna be that great so he decided he wanted a finish piece instead of a true adaptation. But it was still more like the book was inspiration.
All in all, its super easy to read. Pictures are cool looking. Jacob's character development was good enough. So I'm really curious to see how the rest of the books are gonna be. I'm hoping Riggs will flush out his characters a bit more, cuz they are a wee bit on the flat side.
It's a good if you want to read something without a ton of commitment. Like set it down, pick it up read a couple chapters, not feel stressed about putting it down, you get the idea. Also worth to pick up, for no other reason than to look at the pictures.
This confused me so much going through it. Especially how Emma (fire girl) in the book is the love interest, and Emma in the movie is has Olive's (in the book) abilities. The most confusing part is that the girl looks more or less the same, but are completely different characters.
Another thing was many of the more action packed events, especially the climax are very different. Half the time I was super confused as my background knowledge completely failed me. Like I don't know why Tim made the Movie so different, maybe he knew it wasn't gonna be that great so he decided he wanted a finish piece instead of a true adaptation. But it was still more like the book was inspiration.
All in all, its super easy to read. Pictures are cool looking. Jacob's character development was good enough. So I'm really curious to see how the rest of the books are gonna be. I'm hoping Riggs will flush out his characters a bit more, cuz they are a wee bit on the flat side.
It's a good if you want to read something without a ton of commitment. Like set it down, pick it up read a couple chapters, not feel stressed about putting it down, you get the idea. Also worth to pick up, for no other reason than to look at the pictures.
It was okay the problem I had is that it was so slow. I loved the world building however and I'm in love with Emma.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A rich story more in line with adult fantasy than teen. The weaving of ww2 history, a romping monster hunting adventure, and discovering a grandparent's past life were all well done. Plus, I always love a story where the lonely kid ends up not quite so lonely.
A lot different than what I expected. I thought there would be more of a "creepy" factor, but it turned out to be a great fantasy/adventure story. I'm looking forward to the next installment and interested in how they will turn this into a movie.