Scan barcode
tiny_faust's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
4.25
the first book in my entire life to have genuinely scared the absolute *shit* out of me. Esp as someone who grew up in Southern California. Nightmare fuel indeed. Loved it.
natalieyanka's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
keele103's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
rereader33's review against another edition
5.0
Okay, I can't handle it, I loved this book so much! I enjoyed the story, the characters, and the path this story took. One of the things that I love about Shusterman's books is that they are very easy to dive into. His writing style is simple but that makes it easier to engage in the story rather than feeling isolated from it. There were times when I was reading where I felt like this was the reality I was living in it was that realistic, and I feel that his writing had a lot to do with it. Something I appreciated was Shusterman made the story seem realistic without making it unnecessarily dark. Some people may be put off with how "tame" some of the scenarios are and how neatly the ending wraps up, but honestly I appreciated it. I don't think Shusterman sought out to make the grittiest, darkest, worst-case scenario story, he sought out to make a realistic one while making it accessible to teens. He could have made it more graphic, but chose not to, rather letting the readers' minds do the heavy-lifting. It may seem small to some, but I really enjoyed his writing and how he chose to tell this story.
The aspect of this novel that I appreciated the most was the characters. Not necessarily who the were as people, though I did enjoy them quite a bit, but the perspectives they offered due to their circumstances. It would have been so easy to write characters who were all dealing with the situation in the same way; that is, having to roll with the punches because the Tap Out was unexpected, like Alyssa. However, with Kelton, readers see a character that is rarely seen in these stories-one who has been prepared for this very event. Because Kelton's parents are survivalists, they have been planning for something like this to happen for awhile, thus Kelton has supplies and knowledge outside of what most characters would in this circumstance. He added a nice, original touch without seeming out of place. Of course, a street-smart loner type is necessary, and while I felt Jacqui was not as well-rounded as Alyssa and Kelton, she was a necessary element to the story and her resolve and newfound humanity towards the end was pleasant to witness. Henry is the one I felt I had to suspend my disbelief over simply because he was effectively a salesman in a teenager body. Granted his character added an interesting dynamic to the story and his negotiation skills seemed realistic, but his age was the most unrealistic part of his character. And boy, was he a terrible person! The ending took his character in a way I didn't expect, but I kind of enjoyed it, even if it made me hate him even more. Garrett was the last of the main group, and honestly I couldn't connect with him but didn't hate him either. He annoyed me by constantly wandering off, but he's ten years old, so I could forgive it. I wouldn't say they were the best characters ever written, but I enjoyed what each of them brought to the story, their group dynamic, and who they were as people. As always, Shusterman does a great making fun, interesting, at times frustrating, characters.
What I liked about this survival story is that when people are behaving horribly/irrationally, it's over something truly vital to their existence. Sometimes I read stories meant to be about "surviving against all odds" and everyone is acting like a blood-thirsty lunatic, but its over something like property or some other resource. In this story, it's about water, the most precious resource for survival. It's said that humans can last weeks without food, but only a three days without water, and that's under good conditions. Since this is a harsh drought, it's easier to imagine that they can only last about a day without water, so when people are acting wicked/violent over water, it makes sense. This is something essential for keeping the body alive for another day, not some other resource that can potentially be replaced or shelter that can be made from anything. It added so many layers to the story and made everyone's desperation and actions born from it more realistic.
I honestly could go on and on about everything little thing I loved about this book, and I might update this review at another time if I want to, but for now I'll leave this review as is. This was a wonderful novel written by a truly spectacular author. If you want to read an engaging, thought-provoking yet fast-paced novel about a potential drought apocalypse, then give this one a shot. If you simply want a fun, thrilling read, then this is will work just as well.
The aspect of this novel that I appreciated the most was the characters. Not necessarily who the were as people, though I did enjoy them quite a bit, but the perspectives they offered due to their circumstances. It would have been so easy to write characters who were all dealing with the situation in the same way; that is, having to roll with the punches because the Tap Out was unexpected, like Alyssa. However, with Kelton, readers see a character that is rarely seen in these stories-one who has been prepared for this very event. Because Kelton's parents are survivalists, they have been planning for something like this to happen for awhile, thus Kelton has supplies and knowledge outside of what most characters would in this circumstance. He added a nice, original touch without seeming out of place. Of course, a street-smart loner type is necessary, and while I felt Jacqui was not as well-rounded as Alyssa and Kelton, she was a necessary element to the story and her resolve and newfound humanity towards the end was pleasant to witness. Henry is the one I felt I had to suspend my disbelief over simply because he was effectively a salesman in a teenager body. Granted his character added an interesting dynamic to the story and his negotiation skills seemed realistic, but his age was the most unrealistic part of his character. And boy, was he a terrible person! The ending took his character in a way I didn't expect, but I kind of enjoyed it, even if it made me hate him even more. Garrett was the last of the main group, and honestly I couldn't connect with him but didn't hate him either. He annoyed me by constantly wandering off, but he's ten years old, so I could forgive it. I wouldn't say they were the best characters ever written, but I enjoyed what each of them brought to the story, their group dynamic, and who they were as people. As always, Shusterman does a great making fun, interesting, at times frustrating, characters.
What I liked about this survival story is that when people are behaving horribly/irrationally, it's over something truly vital to their existence. Sometimes I read stories meant to be about "surviving against all odds" and everyone is acting like a blood-thirsty lunatic, but its over something like property or some other resource. In this story, it's about water, the most precious resource for survival. It's said that humans can last weeks without food, but only a three days without water, and that's under good conditions. Since this is a harsh drought, it's easier to imagine that they can only last about a day without water, so when people are acting wicked/violent over water, it makes sense. This is something essential for keeping the body alive for another day, not some other resource that can potentially be replaced or shelter that can be made from anything. It added so many layers to the story and made everyone's desperation and actions born from it more realistic.
I honestly could go on and on about everything little thing I loved about this book, and I might update this review at another time if I want to, but for now I'll leave this review as is. This was a wonderful novel written by a truly spectacular author. If you want to read an engaging, thought-provoking yet fast-paced novel about a potential drought apocalypse, then give this one a shot. If you simply want a fun, thrilling read, then this is will work just as well.
marleens's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I loved everything about this book except the very end. I thought the way things wrapped up was too quick and quite unsatisfying. But I definitely loved the tense atmosphere, and I always enjoy stories that show how different people react to and deal with big disasters like this. How easily society could fall apart. The main characters actions and priorities are a bit questionable every now and then, but hey, they are teenagers, I thought it was believable.
And in conclusion: like so many others who read this book: yes, it made me really thirsty…. Not taking the water out of my tap for granted, that’s for sure!
And in conclusion: like so many others who read this book: yes, it made me really thirsty…. Not taking the water out of my tap for granted, that’s for sure!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Sexual assault
fr_eddie's review against another edition
3.0
3,75 niente male, anche se ho preferito "Unwind" di Shusterman.
Le parti scritte in prima persona mi sono sembrate un po' strane, certe frasi messe lì solo per fare esposizione, però la lettura non mi è dispiaciuta.
Le parti scritte in prima persona mi sono sembrate un po' strane, certe frasi messe lì solo per fare esposizione, però la lettura non mi è dispiaciuta.