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3.06 AVERAGE
3.06 AVERAGE
Days later, all I’m thinking about is that somehow Bice learned a Babel language but never figured out ASL
Katherine Kellgren has an extraordinary talent for accents. Russian, French, Italian, British (various kinds), American, you name it she's got it down pat. So with all the different voices in Another Faust, it was necessary to have a narrator with this sort of talent. Kellgren has the type of voice that makes you feel like you are being read a fairy tale which added an entertaining element to this audio book. You feel like you are being transported into a magical world through her voice. It's really quite astounding.
Another Faust, by Daniel and Dina Nayeri, is about 5 15-year olds, 3 of which have sold their souls to the devil in the form of their governess Madame Vileroy. But all 5 want something. Christian wants to be a successful athlete, Victoria wants power, Valentin wants the gift of writing, Belle wants to be beautiful and Bice wants to speak every language. They attend the prestigious Marlowe school in Manhattan and get into all sorts of trouble with their gifts.
Kellgren does an amazing job keeping all the characters distinct by giving them unique voices. There is one scene in which all 5 characters are in a room together talking and she switches back and forth between them with ease. It sounded as though it were 5 narrators instead of just 1. I couldn't help getting lost in the world of the Faust children and Madame Vileroy. Listening to this audio book was such an amazing experience.
Another Faust, by Daniel and Dina Nayeri, is about 5 15-year olds, 3 of which have sold their souls to the devil in the form of their governess Madame Vileroy. But all 5 want something. Christian wants to be a successful athlete, Victoria wants power, Valentin wants the gift of writing, Belle wants to be beautiful and Bice wants to speak every language. They attend the prestigious Marlowe school in Manhattan and get into all sorts of trouble with their gifts.
Kellgren does an amazing job keeping all the characters distinct by giving them unique voices. There is one scene in which all 5 characters are in a room together talking and she switches back and forth between them with ease. It sounded as though it were 5 narrators instead of just 1. I couldn't help getting lost in the world of the Faust children and Madame Vileroy. Listening to this audio book was such an amazing experience.
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a very unique story. Deals with the devil are often find in literature, but with this one spin off you will find the theme more enticing that is has ever been before.
It starts off with 5 children who have nothing in common. Their pasts are different, their desires, their strengths, etc. But they do have one thing in common, they want more. They are touched by one of the 7 deadly sins, Greed. For some of them, it is not really necessary, but for others it's a necessary means to a goal. They meet this beautiful woman, who promises them all they ever wanted, and more. One night, 5 children disappear, only to be seen 5 years later on the streets of New York city.
This story is as dark as the night. It read to me as in Gossip Girl with a devilish twist. It wasn't all about gossip, but it had all the style of GG.
The characters are complicated. Nothing is as it seems on the outer shell. You got Victoria, my least favorite character, which is the greediest of them all. She wants power, and will go till the extremes to get it. Even if she has to run you down with a truck. Even if she has to cheat to get it.
Valentine, the tortured poet. With his talent for lying, this kid thinks he can go to great heights.
Christian, the jock who only wants to be the best at sports. Who doesn't want to be poor, or go hungry. And if that means he has to steal, well, bring it on.
Belle, the beautiful one. Everybody wants her, but nobody can get close enough to actually touch her. Her smell is foul, as if her soul were rotting inside.
And finally Bice, who only wants to be alone, which she accomplishes by hiding away from people, but at the same time, she is desperately in need of a friend.
Easy? I didn't think so. The authors put some weird names to the powers of this characters, which really irritated me. While putting new names to the techniques we already know might put some extra uniqueness to the story, it just gets on the border of annoying after a while.
At sometimes the story was confusing. I am not going to lie. But highly enjoyable. Which kept me turning the pages, trying to solve the riddle.
It starts off with 5 children who have nothing in common. Their pasts are different, their desires, their strengths, etc. But they do have one thing in common, they want more. They are touched by one of the 7 deadly sins, Greed. For some of them, it is not really necessary, but for others it's a necessary means to a goal. They meet this beautiful woman, who promises them all they ever wanted, and more. One night, 5 children disappear, only to be seen 5 years later on the streets of New York city.
This story is as dark as the night. It read to me as in Gossip Girl with a devilish twist. It wasn't all about gossip, but it had all the style of GG.
The characters are complicated. Nothing is as it seems on the outer shell. You got Victoria, my least favorite character, which is the greediest of them all. She wants power, and will go till the extremes to get it. Even if she has to run you down with a truck. Even if she has to cheat to get it.
Valentine, the tortured poet. With his talent for lying, this kid thinks he can go to great heights.
Christian, the jock who only wants to be the best at sports. Who doesn't want to be poor, or go hungry. And if that means he has to steal, well, bring it on.
Belle, the beautiful one. Everybody wants her, but nobody can get close enough to actually touch her. Her smell is foul, as if her soul were rotting inside.
And finally Bice, who only wants to be alone, which she accomplishes by hiding away from people, but at the same time, she is desperately in need of a friend.
Easy? I didn't think so. The authors put some weird names to the powers of this characters, which really irritated me. While putting new names to the techniques we already know might put some extra uniqueness to the story, it just gets on the border of annoying after a while.
At sometimes the story was confusing. I am not going to lie. But highly enjoyable. Which kept me turning the pages, trying to solve the riddle.
I really, really wanted to like this one. The premise was interesting, as were the characters. While I liked the characters, I found that there were some parts of the book that dragged. The pacing made it hard for me to get through, and I had to set it down and come back to it. Still, I'm interested to how the story progresses, and if the pacing improved, in the second book.
A beautiful women finds and adopts 5 children who unknowingly sell her their souls in exchange for what she can give them: beauty, sports ability, time manipulation, mind reading, etc.
An interesting twist on the Faust-ian plot line. However, it was difficult at the beginning to keep the characters straight. There is more about character development than plot, for those who like that sort of thing.
An interesting twist on the Faust-ian plot line. However, it was difficult at the beginning to keep the characters straight. There is more about character development than plot, for those who like that sort of thing.
The premise of this book is interesting. The characters are compelling. The dramatic tension is exciting. 5 extremely talented children, stolen from their homes, live with their governess, who gives them 'gifts' to improve their talents. But the more they use these gifts, the more addicted they become. And each new gift comes with a new 'deal.' 3 children, who have sold their souls to the devil. One who changed his mind. One who never made the deal. The two not 'in the game' don't remember their pasts, before she came. Can the devil win back the two who refuse to deal? Will those who have made deals choose to take the penalties that come with breaking away from their addictions?
The only issue I really had with this book was the very last chapter - a final 2 or 3 pages - which should have been edited out. The sudden pompous moralizing and 'good triumphs over evil' sermon was jarring and felt out of place, overblown, and unnecessary. The novel could stand on its own - and make a better case for its points - without that last unnecessary 'in conclusion: you must be good. they suffered their punishments but were satisfied to be away from the devil and her bargains.' I would say this bit drops my rating by at least 1/2 star. (I would rate it a 3.5, I think, in the end)
The only issue I really had with this book was the very last chapter - a final 2 or 3 pages - which should have been edited out. The sudden pompous moralizing and 'good triumphs over evil' sermon was jarring and felt out of place, overblown, and unnecessary. The novel could stand on its own - and make a better case for its points - without that last unnecessary 'in conclusion: you must be good. they suffered their punishments but were satisfied to be away from the devil and her bargains.' I would say this bit drops my rating by at least 1/2 star. (I would rate it a 3.5, I think, in the end)
maybe 2.5. I felt like it could have been half the length and been better.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I thought this book was AMAZING! I really enjoyed reading it. I loved the characters and plot of the story. I thought it was very orginial. Now I can not wait to read more from this series.