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amychant07's review against another edition
5.0
For the full review please visit my blog: Following the Reader
Oh my golly gosh. This book was awesome. If you could publish awesome, it would be in the form of this book. Big statement I know. But stay with me, because this book deserves much more attention!
Most of the YA community (in my experience) has read or at least heard of the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld. Don't get me wrong, I adored that series too. But this? This was on a whole other level.
Oh my golly gosh. This book was awesome. If you could publish awesome, it would be in the form of this book. Big statement I know. But stay with me, because this book deserves much more attention!
Most of the YA community (in my experience) has read or at least heard of the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld. Don't get me wrong, I adored that series too. But this? This was on a whole other level.
yennn's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This was a very self indulgent reread for me - it’s the first trilogy I ever finished reading way back in secondary school.for Certain scenes stuck with me (rain and first flight), and I was thrilled to rediscover this because I barely remember anything beyond that!
The world is as beautifully woven as I remember, with a great balance of eerie suspense and mystery, action scenes, and gorgeous visuals as we discover the magic of the secret midnight hour alongside Jess, the new girl. There is just the right amount of mystery and trepidation to keep the reader hooked and wondering. My fave character is still Jonathan, and not just because of his power!
It fell a little short for me in terms of the plot, as it didn't really feel like much was happening at all. I'm hopeful that this book sets the scene and it'll properly kick off in book 2 and 3!
It fell a little short for me in terms of the plot, as it didn't really feel like much was happening at all. I'm hopeful that this book sets the scene and it'll properly kick off in book 2 and 3!
Revisiting this as an adult, there are some instances of behaviour that didn’t sit right with me: the erasure of Native Americans, the unethical manipulation by Melissa and Rex behind other character’s backs, the characters' judgement of Jess for wearing makeup, and Beth's treatment of her poor unemployed dad :(
Two random notes. First: there’s so much more maths than I remembered (some of it doesn’t math for me), but it’s so nice to see some good rep for the number 13. Second: what is in the water of Bixy? I’m genuinely curious. Am I missing something here?
Overall, a great and short read for anybody looking for alternative fantasy read.
ladybaela's review against another edition
2.0
I picked this up from a charity shop in February and read the first 120 pages, but I found it boring and the characters bland.
I just saw it on my shelf yesterday and decided to finish it as a book of 2012.
It isn't a terrible book, but I've read much better from the YA library.
There are two sequels but neither are on my to read list as yet.
I just saw it on my shelf yesterday and decided to finish it as a book of 2012.
It isn't a terrible book, but I've read much better from the YA library.
There are two sequels but neither are on my to read list as yet.
thelibrarylady42's review against another edition
4.0
This was recommended to me by a student. We had the first book in the library and we had to ILL the next two RIGHT away. He wanted to talk about them so badly I had to read them immediately.
What I Liked: What is there not to like about Scott Westerfeld? The answer for me is not much. The story is pretty basic. New girl moves to town, discovers something interesting about the people around her, discovers something interesting about her, then does something really cool. It's not that we haven't heard this story before but it was just really fun for me. I liked the lore behind the midnight hour. Who hasn't wanted a secret world all to themselves?
What I Didn't Like: All the unanswered questions. Why only Bixby? Are there other places? What is the Jessica's purpose? Why does Melissa dislike Jessica? I'm sure these questions and many more will be answered in the next two books. I have trouble with everything in YA literature being a series these days but that's a personal struggle.
The Verdict: These seem to be very popular with young readers I will definitely purchase the last two volumes for my library.
What I Liked: What is there not to like about Scott Westerfeld? The answer for me is not much. The story is pretty basic. New girl moves to town, discovers something interesting about the people around her, discovers something interesting about her, then does something really cool. It's not that we haven't heard this story before but it was just really fun for me. I liked the lore behind the midnight hour. Who hasn't wanted a secret world all to themselves?
What I Didn't Like: All the unanswered questions. Why only Bixby? Are there other places? What is the Jessica's purpose? Why does Melissa dislike Jessica? I'm sure these questions and many more will be answered in the next two books. I have trouble with everything in YA literature being a series these days but that's a personal struggle.
The Verdict: These seem to be very popular with young readers I will definitely purchase the last two volumes for my library.
embereye's review against another edition
3.0
This is a beginning to a promising idea regarding an extra hour existing in time where everything stops but a few special people are able to experience that hour of time. Not a ton happens in the book as it's mostly set up, but it's a quick read and enjoyable.
emerygirl's review against another edition
2.0
Not my favorite Westerfeld book. I don't like science fiction and this is a little science ficionty for my taste. I will read the second book however, mostly just to figure out where he is going with this.
nndemeo's review against another edition
4.0
I liked the premise of the book, but I thought the characters were underdeveloped.