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blepard's review against another edition
2.0
Probably more like a 2.5.
I think I'm just finally at that point in adulthood where I don't want to read about kids with undiagnosed and untreated mental health issues, I'm sorry.
I think I'm just finally at that point in adulthood where I don't want to read about kids with undiagnosed and untreated mental health issues, I'm sorry.
kellysue's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
ajg417's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
steph01924's review against another edition
3.0
This was a strange book. Pretty good, but strange. Definitely not what I was expecting. I've never read anything by A.S. King before, so maybe it's par for the course. [Edit: I lied, I've read Please Ignore Vera Dietz. Didn't realize that was King. So yes, some of this is definitely on par with how she writes; however, I really enjoyed Vera and this book a lot less, so I think my issues with this book are definitely more about the story itself than her overall writing style.) Glory, as a character, is a little too intense and gloomy for me. I could see Aubrey Plaza as April in Parks and Rec playing her easily. She says nothing of what she means (for the most part) and she's very in her own head. Plus she'd have the staring intensely at people while getting transmissions down.
The other thing I wasn't crazy about was the
Also, I know Darla is the impetus of so much for Glory, but I was really sick of reading her ramblings or Glory's thoughts on her ramblings. Obviously she was mentally unbalanced, and I sympathize with that, normally. But I guess my tolerance for READING about the mentally ill was just really low during this book, because I was getting super bored and frustrated with her weirdo photos and her 'deep' poems and whether or not she was really a brilliant, funny person or just a freaking selfish nutjob who took her own life. It was probably all wonderful and deep, but in my current mindset, I was feeling way too practical for this book. I wanted to tell everyone to get over themselves multiple times. /rant
While I may have enjoyed parts, these pieces just left me with some raised eyebrows.
The other thing I wasn't crazy about was the
Spoiler
reasoning behind the future civil war. Someone decided to make a law to stop women from basically doing anything in society? And this passed? And people just let it all happen? Huh? I dunno. I just call bullshit on this. It was just strange. I think we're supposed to assume that this future stuff is true, based on the visions Glory and Ellie see in the present coming true, so...yeah. Also, how convenient that all the people in Glory's small town have such important roles to play in the future civil war. Glad she could piece it all together using just people and their future offspring in a twenty mile radius.Also, I know Darla is the impetus of so much for Glory, but I was really sick of reading her ramblings or Glory's thoughts on her ramblings. Obviously she was mentally unbalanced, and I sympathize with that, normally. But I guess my tolerance for READING about the mentally ill was just really low during this book, because I was getting super bored and frustrated with her weirdo photos and her 'deep' poems and whether or not she was really a brilliant, funny person or just a freaking selfish nutjob who took her own life. It was probably all wonderful and deep, but in my current mindset, I was feeling way too practical for this book. I wanted to tell everyone to get over themselves multiple times. /rant
While I may have enjoyed parts, these pieces just left me with some raised eyebrows.
mmotleyu's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting book... still has me thinking about it. So much happening, maybe trying to cover too much? Glory is graduating high school and trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life. Her photographer mother committed suicide when Glory was 4, and Glory and her dad have been stuck in neutral since that day. As Glory has her summer of self-discovery, she and her dad are able to move on. The magical realism element of suddenly seeing others' infinities and the peek into a dystopian future are strangely woven into this coming of age story. I liked each subplot, but I"m still left trying to wrap my head around how it all comes together. I love Glory's witty, sardonic voice (the teen narrator is always one of my favorite parts of any YA book). This is my first A.S. King book. From what little I've read, she is a polarizing author-- a critical favorite and mixed reviews by the regular folk. Happy to have been "forced" to read this as I am writing Battle questions for it.
thebookhaze's review against another edition
3.0
I actually enjoyed it quite a bit, but there were things that didn't make sense to me. The whole issue was just a non-issue to me.
I don't see why anyone would oppose a Fair Pay act, when the time comes, but even if they did, I don't see how a legislation to make it illegal for women to work would ever be approved. Hello, we have women in the government, we have men in the government who rely on women who work for them, we have too many people who believe that it's a good thing women are working (even if they opposed the Fair Pay act), to ever agree to making it illegal for women to work.
The cost of women not working, the cost of welfare for them, etc. would be much higher than paying them fairly. Even the most chauvinistic males wouldn't think it was a great idea to make it illegal for women not to work. In fact, probably the chauvinistic males would prefer their women to keep working for them.
I don't buy it.
Also, if it's such a man's world, why when Glory sees the future, does she see her descendants going by the name O'Brien? Wouldn't they be taking her husband's name?
Of course, unless they've been fighting back against the patriarchal society and decided to use her name rather than her husbands' name, in which case, she would probably have mentioned it because it would be an important part of the story, to make a point of it.
Nope, I think it was a mistake.
However, I did like the rest of the story, and I do like A.S. King.
I don't see why anyone would oppose a Fair Pay act, when the time comes, but even if they did, I don't see how a legislation to make it illegal for women to work would ever be approved. Hello, we have women in the government, we have men in the government who rely on women who work for them, we have too many people who believe that it's a good thing women are working (even if they opposed the Fair Pay act), to ever agree to making it illegal for women to work.
The cost of women not working, the cost of welfare for them, etc. would be much higher than paying them fairly. Even the most chauvinistic males wouldn't think it was a great idea to make it illegal for women not to work. In fact, probably the chauvinistic males would prefer their women to keep working for them.
I don't buy it.
Also, if it's such a man's world, why when Glory sees the future, does she see her descendants going by the name O'Brien? Wouldn't they be taking her husband's name?
Of course, unless they've been fighting back against the patriarchal society and decided to use her name rather than her husbands' name, in which case, she would probably have mentioned it because it would be an important part of the story, to make a point of it.
Nope, I think it was a mistake.
However, I did like the rest of the story, and I do like A.S. King.
hayleybeale's review against another edition
5.0
A. S. KIng always comes up with something really interesting and this is no exception. A mix of planet-shaking scifi and everyday surburban life that somehow works tremendously well. See my full review here.
missbookiverse's review against another edition
4.0
[3.75 Sterne]
Ich habe lange kein YA Contemporary mehr gelesen, aber A.S. King eignet sich hervorragend für den Wiedereinstieg, einfach weil ihr Stil nicht so rein funktional ist, sondern in die literarische, künstlerische Richtung geht. Außerdem fängt sie perfekt diese melancholische (in Glorys Fall eigentlich traumatische und tragische) Emotionalität des Erwachsenwerdens ein. High School ist abgehakt und der Sommer liegt genauso unberührt vor ihr wie ihre Zukunft. Glorys Stimme ist dabei roh, ehrlich, verwirrt und schwankend. Ihre Ideale sind noch nicht vollständig geformt, sie hegt ebenso unfaire, aber nachvollziehbare Gedanken, v. a. gegenüber ihrer besten Freundin. Am schönsten fand ich die Beziehung zu ihrem Vater (stolzer Feminist) und wie sie es gemeinsam ganz langsam endlich schaffen, das Trauma der verlorenen Mutter/Ehefrau anzugehen.
Typisch für A.S. King gibt es auch wieder eine magische Komponente, Glory kann nämlich die Zukunft und Vergangenheit der Menschen um sie herum sehen. Einerseits passt das zum Thema der Fotografie (hält Vergangenheit fest), des Suizids (löscht Zukunft aus) und der ungewissen Zukunft, die vor Glory liegt, andererseits haben die wahllosen Informationen, die Glory über alle möglichen Menschen, denen sie begegnet (oft Unbekannte) manchmal überhand genommen und mich gelangweilt. Die politische Zukunft, die A.S. King schon 2014 durch Glorys Augen zusammengesponnen hat, ist teilweise allerdings erschreckend akkurat.
Besonders interessant fand ich schließlich noch die Organisation der Kommune, neben der Glory wohnt und der ihre beste Freundin angehört. Am Ende wird die Frage aufgeworfen, und ich wünschte, der Roman wäre dieser Frage schon früher nachgegangen, weil sie viel spannendes Diskussionspotenzial bietet.
Ich habe lange kein YA Contemporary mehr gelesen, aber A.S. King eignet sich hervorragend für den Wiedereinstieg, einfach weil ihr Stil nicht so rein funktional ist, sondern in die literarische, künstlerische Richtung geht. Außerdem fängt sie perfekt diese melancholische (in Glorys Fall eigentlich traumatische und tragische) Emotionalität des Erwachsenwerdens ein. High School ist abgehakt und der Sommer liegt genauso unberührt vor ihr wie ihre Zukunft. Glorys Stimme ist dabei roh, ehrlich, verwirrt und schwankend. Ihre Ideale sind noch nicht vollständig geformt, sie hegt ebenso unfaire, aber nachvollziehbare Gedanken, v. a. gegenüber ihrer besten Freundin. Am schönsten fand ich die Beziehung zu ihrem Vater (stolzer Feminist) und wie sie es gemeinsam ganz langsam endlich schaffen, das Trauma der verlorenen Mutter/Ehefrau anzugehen.
Typisch für A.S. King gibt es auch wieder eine magische Komponente, Glory kann nämlich die Zukunft und Vergangenheit der Menschen um sie herum sehen. Einerseits passt das zum Thema der Fotografie (hält Vergangenheit fest), des Suizids (löscht Zukunft aus) und der ungewissen Zukunft, die vor Glory liegt, andererseits haben die wahllosen Informationen, die Glory über alle möglichen Menschen, denen sie begegnet (oft Unbekannte) manchmal überhand genommen und mich gelangweilt. Die politische Zukunft, die A.S. King schon 2014 durch Glorys Augen zusammengesponnen hat, ist teilweise allerdings erschreckend akkurat.
Besonders interessant fand ich schließlich noch die Organisation der Kommune, neben der Glory wohnt und der ihre beste Freundin angehört. Am Ende wird die Frage aufgeworfen,
Spoiler
ob es sich dabei nicht sogar um einen Kult handeltelizabethcordo's review against another edition
3.0
This book is definitely one of the weirdest books I've read in a long time. From the moment I realized that Glory and her "friend" Ellie gained their power of seeing people's pasts and futures by drinking the remains of some dead bat that they believed had strange powers, I considered putting the book down. Honestly, the only thing that kept me reading was the futures that Glory "read" from the transmissions she saw. Other than that, I didn't get too much out of this.