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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
Will come back to it, probly, I just didn't love some of the narrators accent choices and I need even more cozy vibes right now.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
3.5 stars
This was a solid follow-up to the first book that ended up being a lot more complex with plots within plots, writers trying to change the story, stories taking on a life of their own, and plenty of humor, heart, and action. I listened to this book while reading along, and while Brendan Fraser is a pretty decent narrator, I didn't find him nearly as consistent as Lynn Redgrave, who narrates the first book. There were moments when it just felt like the story got away from him, which I suppose is appropriate since this story got away from Fenoglio pretty much the whole way through. Overall, even though the book suffers some from the old "sophomore book syndrome", I still found it interesting, and the ending even had me tearing up.
There were some things that I liked more in this book, including the incredible world-building, but this story suffered from pacing issues and there were places when I definitely wanted the story to move along. That may have been partly because of the narration, but I really do think that this book could have been edited down by at least 100 pages and not suffered.
I also am not sure about Farid and Meggie's "romance". I mean, I get that they liked each other, but really, she is 13, which just seems a bit young, at least in our world. I work with many 13-year-olds, and most of them wouldn't have this thought of a long-term relationship. But then again, none of them have endured all that Meggie has gone through, so perhaps it makes a bit more sense than my initial reaction. But this story is written for middle school kids, so it just seems unnecessary. I think if she had written in a "best friends" type of relationship, I would have found it more believable.
I found the sheer number of characters overwhelming at times and found myself consulting the cast of characters several times to remind me of how they fit into the grand scheme of things. Besides the obvious "bad guys" like Basta and Adderhead, there were those like Fenoglio that started out as a wonderful grandad/writer in the first book and turned into an arrogant, obnoxious villain in his own right, which I found both frustrating and interesting. In many ways, it felt like she was making fun of writers in general (and herself) as this story started taking all sorts of left turns. Then there was Orpheus, who was more obviously awful. I do wish that Elinor had not been left behind with him and I'm really hoping she ends up being a bigger part of the third book because I found her hysterical in the first book.
Overall, I think the author did a great job creating this world--yes, there are some rough spots, but I can see why it would appeal to kids who love reading. It's a book about books and authors, it pulls you into another world, and it leaves room for all sorts of "what ifs" in the imagination. Sensitive young readers might want to give this a pass because it does get violent in places (death and torture), but otherwise, I'd say this is a fine book for adolescents. And yes, as much as I didn't rate this as highly as the first book, I still want to read the finale.
This was a solid follow-up to the first book that ended up being a lot more complex with plots within plots, writers trying to change the story, stories taking on a life of their own, and plenty of humor, heart, and action. I listened to this book while reading along, and while Brendan Fraser is a pretty decent narrator, I didn't find him nearly as consistent as Lynn Redgrave, who narrates the first book. There were moments when it just felt like the story got away from him, which I suppose is appropriate since this story got away from Fenoglio pretty much the whole way through. Overall, even though the book suffers some from the old "sophomore book syndrome", I still found it interesting, and the ending even had me tearing up.
There were some things that I liked more in this book, including the incredible world-building, but this story suffered from pacing issues and there were places when I definitely wanted the story to move along. That may have been partly because of the narration, but I really do think that this book could have been edited down by at least 100 pages and not suffered.
I also am not sure about Farid and Meggie's "romance". I mean, I get that they liked each other, but really, she is 13, which just seems a bit young, at least in our world. I work with many 13-year-olds, and most of them wouldn't have this thought of a long-term relationship. But then again, none of them have endured all that Meggie has gone through, so perhaps it makes a bit more sense than my initial reaction. But this story is written for middle school kids, so it just seems unnecessary. I think if she had written in a "best friends" type of relationship, I would have found it more believable.
I found the sheer number of characters overwhelming at times and found myself consulting the cast of characters several times to remind me of how they fit into the grand scheme of things. Besides the obvious "bad guys" like Basta and Adderhead, there were those like Fenoglio that started out as a wonderful grandad/writer in the first book and turned into an arrogant, obnoxious villain in his own right, which I found both frustrating and interesting. In many ways, it felt like she was making fun of writers in general (and herself) as this story started taking all sorts of left turns. Then there was Orpheus, who was more obviously awful. I do wish that Elinor had not been left behind with him and I'm really hoping she ends up being a bigger part of the third book because I found her hysterical in the first book.
Overall, I think the author did a great job creating this world--yes, there are some rough spots, but I can see why it would appeal to kids who love reading. It's a book about books and authors, it pulls you into another world, and it leaves room for all sorts of "what ifs" in the imagination. Sensitive young readers might want to give this a pass because it does get violent in places (death and torture), but otherwise, I'd say this is a fine book for adolescents. And yes, as much as I didn't rate this as highly as the first book, I still want to read the finale.
The idea of entering a story to observe and become a part of it thoroughly fascinated me. Ms. Funke spins her tale masterfully out of the control of its author Fenoglio who was sent to Inkworld at the end of the first book. In Inkworld, things are just as Fenoglio has imagined them only the story has taken on a life of its own and is not following the path he proscribed. Bad things have happened, people he loved have died and the story has somehow spun out of his control. When Dustfinger, Meggie, Farid and eventually Mo and Resa enter, adventure and tragedy ensue. Four Stars for fun, but Funke leaves you hanging in the end. Guess I am going to have to get Inkdeath.
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
The sequel to Inkheart weighs in at 600+ pages, but is a fantastic read. Meggie's family only gets one year of rest from their last adventure to their new adventure, which takes place in the Inkworld.
Hörbuch-Reread (gibt es da kein besseres Wort für?), da ich mich an praktisch nichts mehr aus den Büchern erinnere. So gut wie Teil fand ich Tintenblut aber nicht.
adventurous
emotional
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:
Yes
Long, laborious. This book dissappoints, of course her books have been leaning that way for some time. I just found the drudgery of her use of language eclipsed the quality of the story (as it is a wonderful story). I'll be done with the series now, sadly.