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katykelly's review
4.0
Fast-moving, twisty, OCD thriller that chomps at the bit of believability but is hugely entertaining.
4.5 stars
There's a comparison being made to 'Curious Incident' which I'd prefer to disregard straightaway - just because a protagonist has a condition, and there's a murder (or something similar) is not enough to push this. It's not fair on either, White Rabbit is a completely different 'beast', shall we say?
Our narrator is a very disturbed young man, prone to awful panic attacks, though like Christopher (sorry, a comparison I know) Peter is a mathematician of huge talent. With an adored twin sister and fellow sufferer friend Ingrid, his small circle try to keep him from inflicting damage on himself.
At an awards event for his mother, a world-renowned and important scientist, Peter is forced into a very unfamiliar and frightening world, with a series of revelations, claims, secrets, and the story moves suddenly to a thriller and chase structure.
I really took to Peter, I wasn't sure at the start but he rose to the challenge of the plot and didn't become a stereotype, the humour as well as mathematical details made this very entertaining and something a little bit different.
Some very capable and tenacious female characters around Peter, with a plot that verged on silly/unbelievable but managed to explain its own eccentricities and questions as it went along.
I thought this was a very entertaining expedition into Peter's psyche and very uncommon family. It's exciting, tense and has plenty to offer a Young Adult reader or general reader looking for something a little offbeat.
With thanks to Walker Books for the advance reading copy.
4.5 stars
There's a comparison being made to 'Curious Incident' which I'd prefer to disregard straightaway - just because a protagonist has a condition, and there's a murder (or something similar) is not enough to push this. It's not fair on either, White Rabbit is a completely different 'beast', shall we say?
Our narrator is a very disturbed young man, prone to awful panic attacks, though like Christopher (sorry, a comparison I know) Peter is a mathematician of huge talent. With an adored twin sister and fellow sufferer friend Ingrid, his small circle try to keep him from inflicting damage on himself.
At an awards event for his mother, a world-renowned and important scientist, Peter is forced into a very unfamiliar and frightening world, with a series of revelations, claims, secrets, and the story moves suddenly to a thriller and chase structure.
I really took to Peter, I wasn't sure at the start but he rose to the challenge of the plot and didn't become a stereotype, the humour as well as mathematical details made this very entertaining and something a little bit different.
Some very capable and tenacious female characters around Peter, with a plot that verged on silly/unbelievable but managed to explain its own eccentricities and questions as it went along.
I thought this was a very entertaining expedition into Peter's psyche and very uncommon family. It's exciting, tense and has plenty to offer a Young Adult reader or general reader looking for something a little offbeat.
With thanks to Walker Books for the advance reading copy.
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
5.0
Dankzij de Book Box Club had ik Heartstream, een ander boek van Tom Pollock al gelezen, en door mijn medelezers werd me meermaals verteld dat dit boek NOG beter was. (Ik vond het heel lastig om me dat voor te stellen, want ik vond Heartstream dus ook gewoon echt heel erg briljant). Ik sprong dan ook drie kilometer hoog de lucht in toen dit boek onderdeel was van de Hebban adventskalender en het gratis op mijn Ipad belandde.
Vanaf het allereerste begin is dit boek een grote rollercoaster. Normaal gesproken probeer ik hier een beetje uit te leggen hoe het plot in elkaar zit, maar eigenlijk is alles wat ik hier schrijf al per definitie een woord te veel. Het plot is een rollercoaster. En dat is eigenlijk alles wat je erover hoeft te weten. Alles wat je meer weet, gaat de lol, de verslaving en het overweldigende eraf halen. En dat zou zonde zijn.
Pete is absoluut niet het makkelijkste karakter om je mee te verbinden, maar ik vond zijn emoties, de manier waarop hij zijn paniekaanvallen en zijn angst beleefde, zo ongelooflijk goed geschreven dat ik helemaal met hem mee kon voelen. Dusdanig dat ik tijdens het naar huis lopen vanaf de bushalte een beetje harder ging lopen toen ik achter me voetstappen hoorde. De angst was ook bij mij een beetje in mijn lijf en hoofd gaan zitten.
Daarnaast vond ik het gebruik van de Wiskunde ongelooflijk tof. Als iemand die een voorliefde voor lezen altijd met een voorliefde voor wiskunde en andere exacte vakken heeft gecombineerd was dit boek echt een droom. Ik kon de wiskunde zowaar ook nog volgen (ondanks dat mijn jaartje wiskunde studie toch al wel even geleden is) en herkende heel veel reeksen, stellingen en ontdekkingen. De reeks van Fibonacci is ook altijd mijn favoriete wiskundige reeks geweest (tot grote irritatie van mijn familieleden aan wie ik hem constant probeerde uit te leggen toen ik 12 was).
En net als bij een echte achtbaan, gaat het nog wel eventjes duren voor ik gevoelsmatig ook echt uit die achtbaan ben gestapt. Ik ben voorlopig nog niet klaar met dit boek en ik vraag me ernstig af of ik dat ooit ga zijn.
Vanaf het allereerste begin is dit boek een grote rollercoaster. Normaal gesproken probeer ik hier een beetje uit te leggen hoe het plot in elkaar zit, maar eigenlijk is alles wat ik hier schrijf al per definitie een woord te veel. Het plot is een rollercoaster. En dat is eigenlijk alles wat je erover hoeft te weten. Alles wat je meer weet, gaat de lol, de verslaving en het overweldigende eraf halen. En dat zou zonde zijn.
Pete is absoluut niet het makkelijkste karakter om je mee te verbinden, maar ik vond zijn emoties, de manier waarop hij zijn paniekaanvallen en zijn angst beleefde, zo ongelooflijk goed geschreven dat ik helemaal met hem mee kon voelen. Dusdanig dat ik tijdens het naar huis lopen vanaf de bushalte een beetje harder ging lopen toen ik achter me voetstappen hoorde. De angst was ook bij mij een beetje in mijn lijf en hoofd gaan zitten.
Daarnaast vond ik het gebruik van de Wiskunde ongelooflijk tof. Als iemand die een voorliefde voor lezen altijd met een voorliefde voor wiskunde en andere exacte vakken heeft gecombineerd was dit boek echt een droom. Ik kon de wiskunde zowaar ook nog volgen (ondanks dat mijn jaartje wiskunde studie toch al wel even geleden is) en herkende heel veel reeksen, stellingen en ontdekkingen. De reeks van Fibonacci is ook altijd mijn favoriete wiskundige reeks geweest (tot grote irritatie van mijn familieleden aan wie ik hem constant probeerde uit te leggen toen ik 12 was).
En net als bij een echte achtbaan, gaat het nog wel eventjes duren voor ik gevoelsmatig ook echt uit die achtbaan ben gestapt. Ik ben voorlopig nog niet klaar met dit boek en ik vraag me ernstig af of ik dat ooit ga zijn.
thebooklender's review
4.0
17 year old Peter Blankman is scared of almost everything, thanks to an extreme anxiety disorder. The only things in his life he can rely on are his mum, his twin sister Bel, his best friend Ingrid and mathematics.
Peter’s mum is due to receive a prestigious award for her scientific research - to be presented by the Prime Minister and to be broadcast on TV. Before the ceremony, a mystery assailant makes an assassination attempt on Peter’s mother, starting a chain of events that leads to the unravelling of everything that Peter thought he knew - it turns out no one and nothing is who or what he thought they were.
This book is really difficult to review without giving away spoilers. It is a thrilling page turner full of conspiracies, secret government agencies, murder, maths, mental health and a plot that twists and turns and keeps you on your toes all the way through.
The story and character were inspired by Pollock’s own experiences with depression and anxiety. Peter’s condition is shown as both a burden and a strength - indeed, almost a superpower. His anxiety and natural paranoia allow him to see through the lies and conspiracies that surround him.
“Check you out,” [Bel] says. “Doctor of Fear.”
“I like the way you say that… Like it’s a superpower, rather than the product of living seventeen years with various nervous bowel conditions.”
She shrugs. “Any reason it can’t be both?”
This is a title I would recommend to older or more mature readers - it does get violent in places, and the ending… oh, the ending. There’s so much going on here - ideas on maths and science, mental health, bullying. But it never feels like it’s lecturing or preaching.
White Rabbit, Red Wolf is a thrilling, intriguing and engaging story that raises as many questions as it answers.
Peter’s mum is due to receive a prestigious award for her scientific research - to be presented by the Prime Minister and to be broadcast on TV. Before the ceremony, a mystery assailant makes an assassination attempt on Peter’s mother, starting a chain of events that leads to the unravelling of everything that Peter thought he knew - it turns out no one and nothing is who or what he thought they were.
This book is really difficult to review without giving away spoilers. It is a thrilling page turner full of conspiracies, secret government agencies, murder, maths, mental health and a plot that twists and turns and keeps you on your toes all the way through.
The story and character were inspired by Pollock’s own experiences with depression and anxiety. Peter’s condition is shown as both a burden and a strength - indeed, almost a superpower. His anxiety and natural paranoia allow him to see through the lies and conspiracies that surround him.
“Check you out,” [Bel] says. “Doctor of Fear.”
“I like the way you say that… Like it’s a superpower, rather than the product of living seventeen years with various nervous bowel conditions.”
She shrugs. “Any reason it can’t be both?”
This is a title I would recommend to older or more mature readers - it does get violent in places, and the ending… oh, the ending. There’s so much going on here - ideas on maths and science, mental health, bullying. But it never feels like it’s lecturing or preaching.
White Rabbit, Red Wolf is a thrilling, intriguing and engaging story that raises as many questions as it answers.
tomiitooo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
patchworkbunny's review
4.0
White Rabbit, Red Wolf is a twisty turny young adult thriller which challenges the stereotype of the spy book hero. It is so twisty it's a bit hard to review much about the plot without giving things away. I read most of it in one day, which is a big endorsement from me these days.
The story opens on a panic attack, showing how bad things are for Peter, where he compulsively eats when his maths fails him. It also shows the supportive nature of his mother, who doesn't question him, just tends to his injuries. I loved that he had understanding people in his life, which makes what unfolds even more shocking.
His mental health makes it hard for him to make friends and he is an easy victim of the school bullies. His twin sister Bel looks out for him but things do start to look up when he befriends Ingrid, a girl with OCD. But wait, this is not a smooshy teen romance and you will go between doubting every relationship to being grateful for them like a ping pong.
There's a small element of science fiction which is important to the plot. I'm not sure I liked the very ending, it seemed a bit of an unkind thing to do to Peter. I suppose that was the point, it leaves both you and the character wondering and ties in nicely with the liar's paradox, a philosophical (and in this case mathematical) problem resulting from the sentence "this statement is a lie". That gives you a hint to how mind-bending this book will be...
The story opens on a panic attack, showing how bad things are for Peter, where he compulsively eats when his maths fails him. It also shows the supportive nature of his mother, who doesn't question him, just tends to his injuries. I loved that he had understanding people in his life, which makes what unfolds even more shocking.
His mental health makes it hard for him to make friends and he is an easy victim of the school bullies. His twin sister Bel looks out for him but things do start to look up when he befriends Ingrid, a girl with OCD. But wait, this is not a smooshy teen romance and you will go between doubting every relationship to being grateful for them like a ping pong.
There's a small element of science fiction which is important to the plot. I'm not sure I liked the very ending, it seemed a bit of an unkind thing to do to Peter. I suppose that was the point, it leaves both you and the character wondering and ties in nicely with the liar's paradox, a philosophical (and in this case mathematical) problem resulting from the sentence "this statement is a lie". That gives you a hint to how mind-bending this book will be...
alongreader's review
3.0
The story itself was interesting, exciting and confusing in various measures. I'm scoring it down, though, because absolutely nothing is explained by the end; in fact, the last chapter adds several more questions on top of the ones we've been nursing through the book so far. I don't know if this is meant to be a series, or if this is all there is, but either way it's immensely frustrating to read all the way through and not be given any answers.
As an action story, though, it's fine, with exciting and terrifying scenes in about equal measure. I do wish the flashbacks had been in order, though; it's hard to keep a timeline in my head while reading.
I received a proof copy from Walker Books. This has not affected my review in any way.
As an action story, though, it's fine, with exciting and terrifying scenes in about equal measure. I do wish the flashbacks had been in order, though; it's hard to keep a timeline in my head while reading.
I received a proof copy from Walker Books. This has not affected my review in any way.
carolineroche's review
5.0
This book is amazing! Combining maths with a very clever and tense spy thriller this is a book to have you on the edge of your seats guessing all the way! No spoilers from me but this is a book you just have to have in your school library and a possible for the Carnegie lists next year. Get it when it comes out!
irispj's review against another edition
3.0
Estuve meditándolo y creo que su calificación es 3.5
Me encantó su inicio. Rápidamente me engancho con el misterio, con la forma en que ocurrieron las cosas y cómo no podía confiar en nadie (mientras estaba sufriendo ataques de ansiedad)...pero con el giro que da mi emoción decayó.
Entiendo que ese giro es lo que requiere la historia para no ser un típico libro de espías, pero en el proceso ocurren sucesos un poco descabellados que mermaron lo mucho que me estaba gustando.
Eso sí, es un libro entretenido y emocionante que trata correctamente los problemas de ansiedad de su protagonista.
Me encantó su inicio. Rápidamente me engancho con el misterio, con la forma en que ocurrieron las cosas y cómo no podía confiar en nadie (mientras estaba sufriendo ataques de ansiedad)...pero con el giro que da mi emoción decayó.
Entiendo que ese giro es lo que requiere la historia para no ser un típico libro de espías, pero en el proceso ocurren sucesos un poco descabellados que mermaron lo mucho que me estaba gustando.
Eso sí, es un libro entretenido y emocionante que trata correctamente los problemas de ansiedad de su protagonista.
cassiewbee's review
4.0
4/5
I’m having a tough time deciding my thoughts on this one. While I was reading it there were times I felt like it could be a 5 star read, but then other times where it felt a bit clunky and closer to 3 stars.
The reason I picked this one up originally was because of the anxiety rep, which you don’t see that often. I think the author did a good job of delivering a story coming from an anxious mind. If you live with anxiety I think one common theme - even if your individual symptoms and triggers are different - is that your mind creates an unreliable narrative about your world. I think the author has done a fantastic job in weaving this aspect into the narrative.
My main critique was that the writing style I found clunky at times. It read a little on the younger side of YA, feeling more middle grade. But the themes and plot where definitely not middle grade! So I found myself not being able to immerse myself in the story at times because of this disparity in the way it was written.
Overall though, 5 ⭐️ for the anxiety rep.
I’m having a tough time deciding my thoughts on this one. While I was reading it there were times I felt like it could be a 5 star read, but then other times where it felt a bit clunky and closer to 3 stars.
The reason I picked this one up originally was because of the anxiety rep, which you don’t see that often. I think the author did a good job of delivering a story coming from an anxious mind. If you live with anxiety I think one common theme - even if your individual symptoms and triggers are different - is that your mind creates an unreliable narrative about your world. I think the author has done a fantastic job in weaving this aspect into the narrative.
My main critique was that the writing style I found clunky at times. It read a little on the younger side of YA, feeling more middle grade. But the themes and plot where definitely not middle grade! So I found myself not being able to immerse myself in the story at times because of this disparity in the way it was written.
Overall though, 5 ⭐️ for the anxiety rep.