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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
What a pleasant surprise this book was. It's the first one I've read by [a:Marcus Sedgwick|110234|Marcus Sedgwick|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1298204345p2/110234.jpg], I've been putting off reading his other works after hearing them repeatedly described as "weird". And I get that, this was extremely weird and the kind of book that makes very little sense until the end. But it was a great story, the writing was brilliant and I really liked the whole concept.
This is a very difficult review to write beyond using rather empty adjectives like "amazing" and "great", mostly because it was so odd. What can I write without giving something important away? I will say that this has made my mind up about needing to read the author's other books, I already have [b:Revolver|6491917|Revolver|Marcus Sedgwick|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1319727900s/6491917.jpg|6683327] sitting on my shelf and I plan on getting to it as soon as possible.
The actual idea behind this story is one that has been explored many times but the way in which it is done here is highly original (and slightly mind-boggling). I can understand why Sedgwick's books are not very widely read, especially seeing as he is writing for a teenage audience. In my local library, his books aren't even in the teen section, but on the 8-12 shelves. There's very little chance that younger readers will care for his writing even if they do manage to understand it. Perhaps both he and his publisher need to rethink the target audience?
Many thanks to UK Book Tours for sending me this ARC.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A very gripping tale, not the thing of nightmares. Well told and loved the twist and how the reincarnation aspect was woven in.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Lovely, lovely, lovely. I love the changing time periods, the recurring pieces that are woven into each story, the epic love between Eric and Merle. Quite creepy to begin with, only to gently touch my heart at the end.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It's hard to genre this incredible book. So many time periods and how they all wrap up beautifully. A true love story through the ages.
A journalist in the late 21st century visits a secluded island where he instantly feels a sense of mutual romantic attraction and familiarity with a local woman. In the next section of the text, set decades earlier, there are two other people there who share their names, and so on back through seven different time periods in all. The implication is that these are the same souls, reincarnating and remaining forever connected across history, but the execution of this idea doesn't really land for me. I don't buy the bond between these characters in the first place, when they're skinny-dipping and imagining a future together, let alone when their prior selves instead manifest as siblings, or parent and child, or adult stranger and tween whose photograph he recognizes in her father's wallet, and so on.
If this book were strictly a collection of unrelated short stories, I would probably give it three-out-of-five stars. No individual chapter impresses me too much, but most are interesting enough for their length and I especially enjoy the few that more overtly verge on the supernatural elements that are otherwise generally backgrounded throughout the work. But the framework joining these disparate plots is a mess, and there's no particular thematic echoing or boldness of format changes that strengthen the superficially similar structure of a novel like Cloud Atlas. Ultimately I just don't care about most of these protagonists, particularly when considered as repeated iterations of some bland eternal love affair.
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If this book were strictly a collection of unrelated short stories, I would probably give it three-out-of-five stars. No individual chapter impresses me too much, but most are interesting enough for their length and I especially enjoy the few that more overtly verge on the supernatural elements that are otherwise generally backgrounded throughout the work. But the framework joining these disparate plots is a mess, and there's no particular thematic echoing or boldness of format changes that strengthen the superficially similar structure of a novel like Cloud Atlas. Ultimately I just don't care about most of these protagonists, particularly when considered as repeated iterations of some bland eternal love affair.
Like this review?
--Throw me a quick one-time donation here!
https://ko-fi.com/lesserjoke
--Subscribe here to support my writing and weigh in on what I read next!
https://patreon.com/lesserjoke
--Follow along on Goodreads here!
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6288479-joe-kessler
--Or click here to browse through all my previous reviews!
https://lesserjoke.home.blog
The first story sets up the reader with a long list of questions - who are these characters, why do Eric and Merle seem to know each other, what is going on with this island, and the flowers. Subsequent stories provide clues and background to create a more complete story. Like the archaeologist in the second tale, the reader has to excavate the real story underneath the initial layers, and that is the aspect of this I enjoyed the most. There is some excitement and adventure, but the layering of the seven stories absolutely intrigues.
Sacrifice, homosexuality, reincarnation, death.
Sacrifice, homosexuality, reincarnation, death.
This book comprised of seven parts which were each influenced by a moon. It is the story of Eric and Merle whose souls are searching for the reason behind this familiar feeling they have in each life they live.
I have never read anything like this book before - it is really unclear in a weird way what is really going on until the end of the book. This concept has been taken on many times but this was written in a highly original way. I enjoyed the scene setting and the character building within the story. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to read something completely different.
I have never read anything like this book before - it is really unclear in a weird way what is really going on until the end of the book. This concept has been taken on many times but this was written in a highly original way. I enjoyed the scene setting and the character building within the story. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to read something completely different.