Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Lovely literary language. However, I never could quite connect to the characters and I am a bit lost regarding what makes this a YA book.
This book was wonderfully strange, and I didn't want to stop reading from the first page!
dark
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I was so afraid all the loose ends wouldn't come together, but I was so pleased when they did!
I've never read a book like this before, so the style of story telling seemed super creative. 7 separate stories progressing backward through time gets a little confusing, especially when the same names and motifs keep popping up in different but overlapping ways. It did make for some compelling reading as I was anxious to see how everything fit together. Fortunately some pieces do unfold along the way, so it's definitely not one of those nothing-makes-sense-until-the-end stories.
I've never read a book like this before, so the style of story telling seemed super creative. 7 separate stories progressing backward through time gets a little confusing, especially when the same names and motifs keep popping up in different but overlapping ways. It did make for some compelling reading as I was anxious to see how everything fit together. Fortunately some pieces do unfold along the way, so it's definitely not one of those nothing-makes-sense-until-the-end stories.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
Wow, Midwinterblood was...unexpected, and a pleasant surprise. I'm glad that Midwinterblood won the 2014 Printz Award, otherwise I never would have picked it up, between the cover and the mention of a vampire. The book jacket information, the title, and the cover (which makes the book look like some mediocre paranormal romance novel), definitely do not convey the story or or mood of Midwinterblood at all, and I'm not sure that I can either.
Marcus Sedgwick tells seven intertwined short stories, which, while different, also all tell the same story, at least in an allegorical sense. The stories always feature the same three souls: Eric, Merle and Tor. Eric and Merle are soul mates (not necessarily in the romantic sense), and throughout their seven lifetimes, they find and bring each other happiness and sorrow across time, distance and relationships, and Tor is the reaper who eventually tears Eric and Merle apart. The seven stories are told in reverse chronological order, and Sedgwick links them not only in theme, but with motifs that reappear in each story, and masterfully maintains an overarching ominous and foreboding tone. Somehow, I'm assuming due to Sedgwick's talents as a writer, this actually works, at least in my opinion, rather than just being a pretentious, gimmicky construct. The language is fairly simple, and the chapters are short, tugging at the reader to continue until the big picture (pun somewhat intended) is revealed.
Although I enjoyed Midwinterblood, I'm not sure that everyone would like it, due to the reverse chronology/entertwined short story form and how the book dabbles in the macabre. Furthermore, I find it odd that Midwinterblood is being marketed largely as a YA book, and especially that it won the Printz Award, since it's not as overtly emotionally-engaging and filled with teen angst, or even set near the present, as I would expect to be broadly appealing to teenagers.
P.S. It did grate on me at first that Sedgewick doesn't use any contractions, like they taught in high school, but I got over it, especially since the stories after the first two take place further in the past, when contractions would seem more out of place.
Marcus Sedgwick tells seven intertwined short stories, which, while different, also all tell the same story, at least in an allegorical sense. The stories always feature the same three souls: Eric, Merle and Tor. Eric and Merle are soul mates (not necessarily in the romantic sense), and throughout their seven lifetimes, they find and bring each other happiness and sorrow across time, distance and relationships, and Tor is the reaper who eventually tears Eric and Merle apart. The seven stories are told in reverse chronological order, and Sedgwick links them not only in theme, but with motifs that reappear in each story, and masterfully maintains an overarching ominous and foreboding tone. Somehow, I'm assuming due to Sedgwick's talents as a writer, this actually works, at least in my opinion, rather than just being a pretentious, gimmicky construct. The language is fairly simple, and the chapters are short, tugging at the reader to continue until the big picture (pun somewhat intended) is revealed.
Although I enjoyed Midwinterblood, I'm not sure that everyone would like it, due to the reverse chronology/entertwined short story form and how the book dabbles in the macabre. Furthermore, I find it odd that Midwinterblood is being marketed largely as a YA book, and especially that it won the Printz Award, since it's not as overtly emotionally-engaging and filled with teen angst, or even set near the present, as I would expect to be broadly appealing to teenagers.
P.S. It did grate on me at first that Sedgewick doesn't use any contractions, like they taught in high school, but I got over it, especially since the stories after the first two take place further in the past, when contractions would seem more out of place.
This book was a bit of a mix. On one hand, I loved the idea and the plots and characters of the individual short stories, and the symbolism throughout was really enjoyable for me as a reader. However, I just did not like how this was written. The stark writing style was very simplistic, and for me this just let the book down. As this is the only book of Marcus Sedgwick's that I have ever read, I am not sure if this is his usual style or not, but for me it really did not work in a book that needed rich, mysterious writing to bring the story to life.
I also felt like the romantic side to the story was weak and underdeveloped- I preferred the stories where Sedgwick really toys with our idea of love, such as that of a mother and her son, or an old man and a little girl because these actually made me feel something. Most of the romantic stories felt cold and lifeless and they could have been given a lot more depth.
That was my main problem with the book- it felt too shallow, never enough of what could have been a really enjoyable read. It was just a skeleton without the flesh and skin. There were so many things that I wanted to know more about- Blessed and the characters that lived on it mainly. It felt really flat.
Although this was not for me, others may really enjoy Sedgwick's simple style and the uncertainty around the book's characters, setting and plot. Personally though, I can't help thinking about what this book could have been- deliciously dark, rich with a gothic atmosphere, and a romance that made me cry by the end. It really is a pity that Midwinterblood just did not deliver.
I also felt like the romantic side to the story was weak and underdeveloped- I preferred the stories where Sedgwick really toys with our idea of love, such as that of a mother and her son, or an old man and a little girl because these actually made me feel something. Most of the romantic stories felt cold and lifeless and they could have been given a lot more depth.
That was my main problem with the book- it felt too shallow, never enough of what could have been a really enjoyable read. It was just a skeleton without the flesh and skin. There were so many things that I wanted to know more about- Blessed and the characters that lived on it mainly. It felt really flat.
Although this was not for me, others may really enjoy Sedgwick's simple style and the uncertainty around the book's characters, setting and plot. Personally though, I can't help thinking about what this book could have been- deliciously dark, rich with a gothic atmosphere, and a romance that made me cry by the end. It really is a pity that Midwinterblood just did not deliver.
So many layers to consider. Marcua Sedgwick gets creepy, foreboding, and scary. Hard to turn the pages at times. but worth it.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes