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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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
I like using this with my October Owl storytime. 10/11
Used again. 10/25/12
Went over okay with the 2 boys that began Story Time. 10/21/14
Didn't go over as well, this time...
Used again. 10/25/12
Went over okay with the 2 boys that began Story Time. 10/21/14
Didn't go over as well, this time...
An unusual story with an inside to what kind of people criminals might be that's not Hollywood cheese or ultimate evil. Interesting narrative point.
One of the reasons why I love being part of a book club is that you get to read books you wouldn't have picked up or even know about in a million years. Sometimes they turn out to be a brilliant read. "I'm not scared" is an example of that happening to me.
Not knowing anything at all about the book (I try not to read the blurb on the back and stay clear of reading reviews beforehand in order to avoid the book being spoilt for me), I got into it within minutes and by the end of chapter 3 was struggling to define the kind of book I was reading; was it a thriller? A childhood memoir? Young Adult fiction?
Well, soon after I decided that it was definitely not the latter - because this storyline is not for the faint-hearted (like me!). It was probably the first time I was reading a book whilst trying to look away from the letters on the page (well, screen) at the same time with my hair standing on end. Creepy things happening slowly, sometimes very fast. An unpredictable pace to the story-telling, which - from a 9 year old's point of view - was naïve yet insightful at the same time.
Whilst the ending was a bit of a let-down for me (a. too abrupt and b. somewhat predictable), I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys well-written, poignant fiction that has you itching to get your work out of the way so you can return to your book.
Not knowing anything at all about the book (I try not to read the blurb on the back and stay clear of reading reviews beforehand in order to avoid the book being spoilt for me), I got into it within minutes and by the end of chapter 3 was struggling to define the kind of book I was reading; was it a thriller? A childhood memoir? Young Adult fiction?
Well, soon after I decided that it was definitely not the latter - because this storyline is not for the faint-hearted (like me!). It was probably the first time I was reading a book whilst trying to look away from the letters on the page (well, screen) at the same time with my hair standing on end. Creepy things happening slowly, sometimes very fast. An unpredictable pace to the story-telling, which - from a 9 year old's point of view - was naïve yet insightful at the same time.
Whilst the ending was a bit of a let-down for me (a. too abrupt and b. somewhat predictable), I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys well-written, poignant fiction that has you itching to get your work out of the way so you can return to your book.
In the beginning, this struck me as a sort of cross between Stand by Me and Lord of the Flies. I wasn't immediately taken in, but it didn't take me too long to get into this. It's a coming-of-age with a thriller twist. I was hooked - read through the book in about a day and half and would have made it quicker if work hadn't gotten in the way. I'm often put off by the ending in thrillers, but this one didn't disappoint.
I really enjoyed this book. International Bestseller is right... and Niccolo Ammaniti is a genius with detail. This was so enthralling, I literally couldn't put it down. It's only 200 pages, and it's so real. It's set in Italy and all of the characters are extremely detailed and different from one another. The horrible truth behind the parents' lives is appalling and heartbreaking. I couldn't stop reading until I found out what happened to the boy, and then I wish it would have kept going. I don't give out the 5-star rating very often, but this truly deserved it.
I understand the Italian version is better but I don't read Italian so ... this is the story of a summer in the 1970s told by a nine-year-old boy in a hot, dry, bleak Southern Italian village. He makes a discovery, which must be kept secret, and learns hard lessons about the world around him. He also rides his bicycle around the countryside a bit -- which I like, of course.I read this for a "Pages of Italy" book club a local shop is running.
Rural Italy, a hot summer in the late seventies, a terrible secret discovered by a nine-year-old boy - these are the elements that Ammaniti combines to create one of the most suspenseful books I’ve read in quite a while. Filled with the fears and magic of childhood, this is a spell-binding tale of how one fearful boy makes the discovery within himself that he has the power to make a difference. I couldn’t put it down.
Rural Italy, a hot summer in the late seventies, a terrible secret discovered by a nine-year-old boy - these are the elements that Ammaniti combines to create one of the most suspenseful books I’ve read in quite a while. Filled with the fears and magic of childhood, this is a spell-binding tale of how one fearful boy makes the discovery within himself that he has the power to make a difference. I couldn’t put it down.