Scan barcode
theretiredlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
A quick read, but intense! The main character, Valley, is the narrator and she jumps from present to past and back again. The reader really has to pay attention to really figure out what's going on.
lizpatanders's review against another edition
4.0
Black Helicopters is a messed up little story, and while it's imperfect, it's worth the read.
It's reasonably obvious from the synopsis that Woolston’s novel is about a suicide bomber, but that only touches the surface of the story. It's about conspiracy theorists. To me, it was also about how strongly a person's upbringing shapes them and how deeply embedded values that are taught at a young age can become. Since I don't think I've seen other reviews mention it, it's worth noting that Black Helicopters alternates between present day and flashbacks from Valley's childhood.
Read the full review here:
http://www.consumedbybooks.com/2013/11/review-of-black-helicopters-by-blythe.html
It's reasonably obvious from the synopsis that Woolston’s novel is about a suicide bomber, but that only touches the surface of the story. It's about conspiracy theorists. To me, it was also about how strongly a person's upbringing shapes them and how deeply embedded values that are taught at a young age can become. Since I don't think I've seen other reviews mention it, it's worth noting that Black Helicopters alternates between present day and flashbacks from Valley's childhood.
Read the full review here:
http://www.consumedbybooks.com/2013/11/review-of-black-helicopters-by-blythe.html
kitkatscanread's review against another edition
3.0
This book was effing confusing, I tell you.
It kept me hooked, because the main character narrating left you in the unknown all the time.
I found myself asking questions that I never found the answers to.
Who and what are these black helicopters?
Are they really bad?
I did like it, but I didn't connect to it.
The ending was so strange, I literally spoke the words "what the hell" out loud when finishing the book.
I think this book will confuse a lot of people because how it is written.
I only wish things were answered and made more clear.
Full review: http://kitkat1242.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/review-black-helicopters-by-blythe.html
It kept me hooked, because the main character narrating left you in the unknown all the time.
I found myself asking questions that I never found the answers to.
Who and what are these black helicopters?
Are they really bad?
I did like it, but I didn't connect to it.
The ending was so strange, I literally spoke the words "what the hell" out loud when finishing the book.
I think this book will confuse a lot of people because how it is written.
I only wish things were answered and made more clear.
Full review: http://kitkat1242.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/review-black-helicopters-by-blythe.html
literary_princess's review against another edition
5.0
What a sad, sad book. I really admire Blythe Woolston for putting me so thoroughly into Valley's existence and doing it without dragging the story on and on but also without short changing the experience. An intensely challenging balance, and it was done incredibly well. Wow.
europa_erupts's review against another edition
5.0
thatlibrarynerd's review against another edition
1.0
This book is pieces that do not fit together, too many threads and themes and unconnected events. There are too many references and metaphors--to Tarzan, to chess, to sharks, to Vikings. The references are the only consistent things throughout the book.
Meanwhile next to nothing of the plot is actually explained. The main character, Valley, is underdeveloped so that when she suddenly has a burst of judgmental rage, it's like she suddenly developed a personality nearly at the end of the book.
I think this was meant to be two stories side-by-side, the story of Valley as she is now and of how she became Valley. The backstory is deeply flawed. It seemed to just together survivalists, paranoia, drugs, and sexual abuse, and spend no time fleshing out any of these things.
I didn't learn from this book. I'm not sure I even gained from it. Saddest of all, though, there were some compelling scenes. It could have been so much more than it is.
Meanwhile next to nothing of the plot is actually explained. The main character, Valley, is underdeveloped so that when she suddenly has a burst of judgmental rage, it's like she suddenly developed a personality nearly at the end of the book.
I think this was meant to be two stories side-by-side, the story of Valley as she is now and of how she became Valley. The backstory is deeply flawed. It seemed to just together survivalists, paranoia, drugs, and sexual abuse, and spend no time fleshing out any of these things.
I didn't learn from this book. I'm not sure I even gained from it. Saddest of all, though, there were some compelling scenes. It could have been so much more than it is.
booksandbosox's review
4.0
http://librarianosnark.blogspot.com/2014/02/review-black-helicopters.html
taymwoods's review against another edition
3.0
Throughout the book I was maybe 70% in-tune with it. The other 30% of me was waiting for something to happen. Part of me really wanted there to be a turning point for Valley, maybe she realize what bad she is doing. However it makes sense that in the end she still made that haunting decision to suicide-bomb the helicopter that was saving her. If it weren't for the ending, I would've probably disliked the book.
samuraijenn's review against another edition
2.0
I can see where the author was trying to go with the story, but it just seemed to muddled and all over the place that I couldn't get into it. On top of that, I didn't care about the main character, Valley. She was so devoid of personality that I honestly didn't care much what happened to her.