Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
This definitely stretches the definition of "novel" a bit (connected stories set in the same mysterious place, in times ranging from 2073 to sometime before the Vikings) but it was satisfying. An excellent piece of storytelling. Not everything is answered directly, but the trail left along the way made for an interesting read. The audiobook narrator was vexcellent, as well.
This was an unusual read for me because it wasn’t a book I would have picked for myself. I got it from Sarah during our book club Christmas exchange, and I will say I relished the feeling of reading a book I didn’t know anything about and with no expectations of where it was going.
That being said, I found it a bit frustrating overall. I’m going to try very hard not to spoil anything, so I’ll try explain what I mean without going into details. The book is 263 pages long and it’s split into seven parts, and I suppose that’s why it felt too fragmented for me. There were plenty of moments where I though, oh this is great, I like where this is going - but then we’re already off to the next part. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had been able to linger more in each part. My favorite hands down was part five - I liked every single word of that.
I do think a lot of it was me rather than the book - judging from the publisher and the Goodreads category, it’s YA, and I just don’t enjoy YA that much (which is fine because I am not its target audience). The same goes for the fact that the first couple of parts are written in present tense, which is something I tend to have to tolerate rather than enjoy. (Which is to say I read it but I find it irritating in 95% of the pages - it’s kind of like sushi for me. Lots of people like it, and I do see why sometimes, but nowhere near as often as I encounter it.)
That being said, I liked the eerie atmosphere of the book, the setting and scenery of the island, and the overall concept. The execution just didn’t quite work for me, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad book. Part five was - aptly- a five star read for me, but the rest fluctuated too much for me to give it more than three stars. But I’m glad I read it.
That being said, I found it a bit frustrating overall. I’m going to try very hard not to spoil anything, so I’ll try explain what I mean without going into details. The book is 263 pages long and it’s split into seven parts, and I suppose that’s why it felt too fragmented for me. There were plenty of moments where I though, oh this is great, I like where this is going - but then we’re already off to the next part. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had been able to linger more in each part. My favorite hands down was part five - I liked every single word of that.
I do think a lot of it was me rather than the book - judging from the publisher and the Goodreads category, it’s YA, and I just don’t enjoy YA that much (which is fine because I am not its target audience). The same goes for the fact that the first couple of parts are written in present tense, which is something I tend to have to tolerate rather than enjoy. (Which is to say I read it but I find it irritating in 95% of the pages - it’s kind of like sushi for me. Lots of people like it, and I do see why sometimes, but nowhere near as often as I encounter it.)
That being said, I liked the eerie atmosphere of the book, the setting and scenery of the island, and the overall concept. The execution just didn’t quite work for me, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad book. Part five was - aptly- a five star read for me, but the rest fluctuated too much for me to give it more than three stars. But I’m glad I read it.
This was... uhhh.. okay?
It centers around the seven lives/reincarnations of Erik and Merle, two lovers who follow each other through various lifetimes and always ending up loving each other in some form (whether that be husband/wife, mother/child, brother/sister).
Unfortunately, there seems to be a bit of a gap between what I'm interpreting from the reading and what the author wants me to interpret. This is one of those books that makes me feel as though I really missed the big picture somehow.
The author's writing is absolutely beautiful, and he certainly has a way with flow, spacing, and prose. Despite how much I enjoyed the various little stories I just never found myself overly invested in the plot or what happened to the characters at all. I didn't know if I was supposed to be sympathetic toward them or care about them in any particular way because of the confusing relationship dynamic shifts. In one short story, they actually never met at all, which read as strange to me. It was all very reminiscent of that X-Files episode where Mulder goes through past lives and Scully is always there in some aspect (at one point she was his general).
Overall, I think this was written by a great author but just needed a strong editor to bring it down to Earth a bit.
It centers around the seven lives/reincarnations of Erik and Merle, two lovers who follow each other through various lifetimes and always ending up loving each other in some form (whether that be husband/wife, mother/child, brother/sister).
Unfortunately, there seems to be a bit of a gap between what I'm interpreting from the reading and what the author wants me to interpret. This is one of those books that makes me feel as though I really missed the big picture somehow.
The author's writing is absolutely beautiful, and he certainly has a way with flow, spacing, and prose. Despite how much I enjoyed the various little stories I just never found myself overly invested in the plot or what happened to the characters at all. I didn't know if I was supposed to be sympathetic toward them or care about them in any particular way because of the confusing relationship dynamic shifts. In one short story, they actually never met at all, which read as strange to me. It was all very reminiscent of that X-Files episode where Mulder goes through past lives and Scully is always there in some aspect (at one point she was his general).
Overall, I think this was written by a great author but just needed a strong editor to bring it down to Earth a bit.
I'm not sure if I would've enjoyed this book as much if I had read it. The audio was amazing! The mystery surrounding the island definitely kept me intrigued through each of the stories and I loved the ending. Not really sure about teen appeal though. I think adults might appreciate the language and storyline more...not to say teens aren't on that level. Just saying....
So so good! This slow reader read it in 2.5 days! Couldn't put down-kept me captivated.
LOVED this book. See my full review at How I Feel About Books.
Not bad, but predictable. I wanted more from the characters, and the ending felt rushed. I would have preferred a book with more central teen characters win the Printz; many of the main characters in this book are adults.
Beautiful and surprising and totally deserving of the Printz award. Now I will have to read some more Marcus Sedgwick
3.5 Stars
Very interesting, and in agreement with what other reviewers said, very Cloud Atlas-esque. I really enjoyed some of the stories, while others didn't hold me as firmly, I was still looking for Eric and Merle. Good read for a rainy October Day.
Very interesting, and in agreement with what other reviewers said, very Cloud Atlas-esque. I really enjoyed some of the stories, while others didn't hold me as firmly, I was still looking for Eric and Merle. Good read for a rainy October Day.
Quirky and odd and thought provoking. So many threads. I really loved this one.