Scan barcode
jilianh's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
2.0
I read this for my Read the World challenge for my German author as I wanted something unrelated to the holocaust.
I am a 27 year old with no kids and I have no nostalgic attachment to this book or movie as I had no previous exposure. The Neverending Story most certainly felt never-ending. It was a tedious read for me. I am evidently not the target audience!
There are certainly fantastical creatures and situations to which I applaud the author's creativity, but none of the stakes or conflict held any gravity, and every new problem gets resolved quickly. This means a new problem must be created, then instantly fixed, and then repeat. I didn't feel attachment towards any characters, and while it addresses some difficult themes for middle-graders (death, depression, following true wishes, etc.) They are all such short segments that it feels jarring and superficial. The book reads almost like fables do,
which is just not my personal taste.
I did like that whenever we parted with a character we got the little missing piece of their story and " but that's another story and shall be told another time". It makes the side character stories feel more important and also helped make plot threads feel wrapped up.
I am a 27 year old with no kids and I have no nostalgic attachment to this book or movie as I had no previous exposure. The Neverending Story most certainly felt never-ending. It was a tedious read for me. I am evidently not the target audience!
There are certainly fantastical creatures and situations to which I applaud the author's creativity, but none of the stakes or conflict held any gravity, and every new problem gets resolved quickly. This means a new problem must be created, then instantly fixed, and then repeat. I didn't feel attachment towards any characters, and while it addresses some difficult themes for middle-graders (death, depression, following true wishes, etc.) They are all such short segments that it feels jarring and superficial. The book reads almost like fables do,
which is just not my personal taste.
I did like that whenever we parted with a character we got the little missing piece of their story and " but that's another story and shall be told another time". It makes the side character stories feel more important and also helped make plot threads feel wrapped up.
ronpayne's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
4.0
A combination of nostalgia for a movie I loved as a child and curiosity about its source material that I had never read led me to pick this up. A young boy steals a book from a bookshop, plays hooky from school to read it, and eventually is transported to a magical world. It's quite charming, and worth reading for people who have seen the film as it does a lot more break down its theme of learning to accept oneself.
lisamoony's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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? It's complicated
5.0
wollstonecrafty's review against another edition
allicatca's review against another edition
4.0
Long ago, when I was a teen, this was a book I liked so much I read it several times. I have now read it aloud to my son (which took several weeks... the joke in our family was that it was truly a neverending story) and I still like it.
It's a well-written fantasy. My son and I discussed the lessons we took away. Imagination is important and necessary. Be true to yourself. It is honorable to be loyal to your friends.
There were WAY more characters than I remembered and more violence, but overall a book that I liked as an adult as well as a child.
It's a well-written fantasy. My son and I discussed the lessons we took away. Imagination is important and necessary. Be true to yourself. It is honorable to be loyal to your friends.
There were WAY more characters than I remembered and more violence, but overall a book that I liked as an adult as well as a child.
hlflosser's review against another edition
4.0
The story was longer than I had anticipated but I did enjoy my time in Fantastica. “But that’s a story for another time” lol
softsamflower's review against another edition
5.0
I just love this book so much. I can't put it into words its nostalgic and makes me soft and sensitive, love it so much, it's such a complex yet perfectly made story
checokrispis's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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? Yes
5.0