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stephxsu's review against another edition
3.0
LUMINOUS was…interesting. Okay, “interesting” might be a tad generous. LUMINOUS is ambitious, and beautifully written, but at times it was a confusing and emotionally distant read for me.
Dawn Metcalf’s writing is astounding, an awe-inspiring combination between the rhythmic hypnotism of freestyle poetry and deliciousness of rich and unusual prose. This is something I feel like I don’t see much of in current YA, that I wouldn’t mind seeing more of, these creative risks with writing style.
The concept of the Flow is very intriguing, and certainly unlike anything I’ve read. True to the whimsy of the writing style, the Flow is never fully explained, or at least is not explained in a way that solidifies its presence and purpose for me. Thus, my head was spinning for a great portion of the book, because I had never fully grasped the concept.
The same goes for the characters. LUMINOUS shifts between multiple characters’ points of view rather arbitrarily, making it so that the identity of the murderer is not long a secret. I would be alright with this, except that I felt like the murderer’s justification for his cold-blooded actions was only partially explored, and existed mostly in circular monologues declaiming his self-importance or the righteousness of his motives. Consuela did not feel as developed as she could’ve been, either. So she has this astounding new talent, and wants very much to return home to her family, but beyond that she did not seem to have much else to make her really “fill out” as a three-dimensional character. My lack of connection to the characters, along with the book’s uneven pacing—I was intrigued at the beginning, and then felt like things were dragging on and on—left me feeling a little “on the outside” of the story.
Still, LUMINOUS packs some powerful and thought-provoking themes, and may be extremely rewarding for the patient reader who likes the supernatural challenge. Check it out if it seems up your alley or if you want something different.
Dawn Metcalf’s writing is astounding, an awe-inspiring combination between the rhythmic hypnotism of freestyle poetry and deliciousness of rich and unusual prose. This is something I feel like I don’t see much of in current YA, that I wouldn’t mind seeing more of, these creative risks with writing style.
The concept of the Flow is very intriguing, and certainly unlike anything I’ve read. True to the whimsy of the writing style, the Flow is never fully explained, or at least is not explained in a way that solidifies its presence and purpose for me. Thus, my head was spinning for a great portion of the book, because I had never fully grasped the concept.
The same goes for the characters. LUMINOUS shifts between multiple characters’ points of view rather arbitrarily, making it so that the identity of the murderer is not long a secret. I would be alright with this, except that I felt like the murderer’s justification for his cold-blooded actions was only partially explored, and existed mostly in circular monologues declaiming his self-importance or the righteousness of his motives. Consuela did not feel as developed as she could’ve been, either. So she has this astounding new talent, and wants very much to return home to her family, but beyond that she did not seem to have much else to make her really “fill out” as a three-dimensional character. My lack of connection to the characters, along with the book’s uneven pacing—I was intrigued at the beginning, and then felt like things were dragging on and on—left me feeling a little “on the outside” of the story.
Still, LUMINOUS packs some powerful and thought-provoking themes, and may be extremely rewarding for the patient reader who likes the supernatural challenge. Check it out if it seems up your alley or if you want something different.
kelleemoye's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to give this book 3 stars, but the more I thought about it I couldn't. I just never felt a connection to this book and for over 100 pages I was quite confused about what was even going on. I respect Dawn Metcalf for undertaking something as complex as her own mythology; however, it just didn't work for me. But, I could see this book being enjoyed by other readers.
(Parts of this book reminded me of Neal Shusterman's Skinjacker series and Gabrielle Zevin's book Elsewhere.)
(Parts of this book reminded me of Neal Shusterman's Skinjacker series and Gabrielle Zevin's book Elsewhere.)
perilous1's review against another edition
3.0
Originally reviewed for YA Books Central: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/10401-luminous
A brave and elaborately imagined tale—laden with unforgettable imagery.
One thing I can say for certain about Luminous… I’ve never encountered anything quite like it. Metcalf fuses an eloquent knack for description with a unique blend of urban-fantasy, cultural mysticism, and horror. The basic premise alone is intriguing—the idea of there being a suspended state somewhere between life and death, and that the rare occupiers of this realm could be given guardian angel-like assignments—has more potential hooks than a literary tackle box. Add to that the enrichment of a plus-sized Hispanic heroine, and I was enthralled from the get-go.
There were a few taste-based downsides, however.
*The romance felt too close to inexplicable insta-love for this readers preference, and the lack of getting-to-know-you intimacy made it overall difficult to buy into.
*The characters, with the exception of the villain, all felt emotionally disengaged. As a result, when the body count stared to rise, I didn’t really feel the concern or turmoil I probably should have. I wanted to relate to and feel invested in them—especially Consuela. But I found I kept reading to learn would happen, rather than because I cared about the ensemble cast or their relationships.
*The worldbuilding and transitions were frequently confusing. I was never quite sure of the rules and/or limitations of the place where we spend nearly the entire book. And while that kept things from feeling predictable, it also raised aspects that felt a little too convenient to the plot.
I almost never comment on or care about cover art, but in this case, I have to make an exception. The cover, while lovely, doesn’t do this book any favors. I’d argue it’s actually a detriment. The feel is so pristine and light fantasy, you'd never suspect the macabre detour the story takes. And the blurb on the back doesn't even half-prepare you for the extent of the ethereal day-of-the-dead strangeness you are about to encounter.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVED the originality of this concept—the atmospheric miasma of the story itself. But the book simply doesn’t deliver on the impression the cover seemed to be promising.
I’d like to stress, this is definitely an author I plan to keep an eye on. It’s been several years now since this book’s release. I’d love to see what she might do given a little more time and a different kind of storyline.
A brave and elaborately imagined tale—laden with unforgettable imagery.
One thing I can say for certain about Luminous… I’ve never encountered anything quite like it. Metcalf fuses an eloquent knack for description with a unique blend of urban-fantasy, cultural mysticism, and horror. The basic premise alone is intriguing—the idea of there being a suspended state somewhere between life and death, and that the rare occupiers of this realm could be given guardian angel-like assignments—has more potential hooks than a literary tackle box. Add to that the enrichment of a plus-sized Hispanic heroine, and I was enthralled from the get-go.
There were a few taste-based downsides, however.
*The romance felt too close to inexplicable insta-love for this readers preference, and the lack of getting-to-know-you intimacy made it overall difficult to buy into.
*The characters, with the exception of the villain, all felt emotionally disengaged. As a result, when the body count stared to rise, I didn’t really feel the concern or turmoil I probably should have. I wanted to relate to and feel invested in them—especially Consuela. But I found I kept reading to learn would happen, rather than because I cared about the ensemble cast or their relationships.
*The worldbuilding and transitions were frequently confusing. I was never quite sure of the rules and/or limitations of the place where we spend nearly the entire book. And while that kept things from feeling predictable, it also raised aspects that felt a little too convenient to the plot.
I almost never comment on or care about cover art, but in this case, I have to make an exception. The cover, while lovely, doesn’t do this book any favors. I’d argue it’s actually a detriment. The feel is so pristine and light fantasy, you'd never suspect the macabre detour the story takes. And the blurb on the back doesn't even half-prepare you for the extent of the ethereal day-of-the-dead strangeness you are about to encounter.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVED the originality of this concept—the atmospheric miasma of the story itself. But the book simply doesn’t deliver on the impression the cover seemed to be promising.
I’d like to stress, this is definitely an author I plan to keep an eye on. It’s been several years now since this book’s release. I’d love to see what she might do given a little more time and a different kind of storyline.
kristid's review against another edition
2.0
Luminous is unlike any other book I've read.
This is a hard review for me to write, there are things about this story that I was enamored with but at the same time there were other aspects of the story that just fell flat for me.
The creativity of the story was amazing... the concept of the Flow, it's inhabitants, those aspects of the story where intriguing. Metcalf had a very distinguished writing style, one that I haven't encountered in any previous young adult novels, it was as creative as the story it was telling.... very different.
I didn't exactly understand what the Flow was... and as a result I found myself confused durning most of the story... confused and not really caring what happened as a result. The characters, were interesting, but they lacked the development that I needed to feel connected to them. Instead of feeling engrossed in the story, I felt cut off. I didn't have that drive to find out what was going to transpire.
Although Luminous didn't completely work for me, I think that it will definitely appeal to other readers.
This is a hard review for me to write, there are things about this story that I was enamored with but at the same time there were other aspects of the story that just fell flat for me.
The creativity of the story was amazing... the concept of the Flow, it's inhabitants, those aspects of the story where intriguing. Metcalf had a very distinguished writing style, one that I haven't encountered in any previous young adult novels, it was as creative as the story it was telling.... very different.
I didn't exactly understand what the Flow was... and as a result I found myself confused durning most of the story... confused and not really caring what happened as a result. The characters, were interesting, but they lacked the development that I needed to feel connected to them. Instead of feeling engrossed in the story, I felt cut off. I didn't have that drive to find out what was going to transpire.
Although Luminous didn't completely work for me, I think that it will definitely appeal to other readers.
trisha_thomas's review against another edition
2.0
I had had such high hopes for this one. The cover is so pretty, I thought I would find a story I loved inside.
instead, I found an odd, disjointed story that just never caught my attention.
instead, I found an odd, disjointed story that just never caught my attention.
minty's review against another edition
2.0
Just not good enough. Weird and compelling, fast moving, but not that good.
chllybrd's review against another edition
Reviewed by http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blogspot.com/
LUMINOUS is yet another book I just could not get into and could not finish. I'm sad to say that it lost me just a few chapters in. It was extremely strange and it first lost me when Consuela found out she could take off her skin, Yes you heard me right she took off her skin so she was nothing but bones and she thought it was fantastic. Yeah I just could not get into the world that Dawn was writing about. The story what I read of it was fast paced and seemed to have some interesting characters in a high fantasy world, it just wasn't for me. If it sounds like something you would like I definitely recommend borrowing a copy from your local library.
LUMINOUS is yet another book I just could not get into and could not finish. I'm sad to say that it lost me just a few chapters in. It was extremely strange and it first lost me when Consuela found out she could take off her skin, Yes you heard me right she took off her skin so she was nothing but bones and she thought it was fantastic. Yeah I just could not get into the world that Dawn was writing about. The story what I read of it was fast paced and seemed to have some interesting characters in a high fantasy world, it just wasn't for me. If it sounds like something you would like I definitely recommend borrowing a copy from your local library.
clarkco's review against another edition
4.0
Consuela Chavez has seemingly just died and has been reborn as a Guardian Angel in the Flow, a place between life and death. As Tessa meets her fellow guardians and begins saving people she finds out some interesting things about her new world. Like, the fact she's not supposed to be there and that someone is trying to end the Flow permanently.
This reminded me more of magical realism, than straight up fantasy. I think the ending suffered a little from being rushed.
This reminded me more of magical realism, than straight up fantasy. I think the ending suffered a little from being rushed.
sonshinelibrarian's review against another edition
2.75
For some reason, I'm really struggling with rating and reviewing this. Because I did like it but I also feel almost aggressively apathetic towards it in a way that I can't quite understand.
lpcoolgirl's review
5.0
Great, great book, really enjoyed it! And it was really unique, but sad, and I can't wait to read the next book!