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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
Weird and brilliant. Reminds me of Shirley Jackson and Octavia Butler.
I don't quite know what to make of this one, and I like that. It's very different and not fully explained, but is very well written and captivating. I'll be thinking of this one for years to come.
Interesting reading. I would say it's not really a YA book, but interesting that seven stories from different time periods all come together to the climax.
Some very good writing, but I just didn't quite like the way the stories fit together. The end was better
ARC reviewed by Jessica for Book Sake.
The idea behind this book was intriguing, seven short stories all somehow connected, but not necessarily the same exact characters and the stories took place over a very long span of time. Some of the stories were more compelling than others, but Sedgwick’s words were beautiful in all. He is able to create idyllic visuals in only a few words.
It’s always so hard to review and rate books that feature short stories or compilations, but due to the topic of this book and all of it’s connecting pieces it did feel more whole and complete than others. I found that there is still a lot of mystery in the stories and I think I would need to give it a few more reads, maybe in reverse order next time, in order to catch all of the traits that linked each story together.
Overall, the stories flew by when reading them and I wanted to know how the author would tie in the previous story to the upcoming one. That made for a charming and magical read, but something quite different than I am used to.
Book Received: For free from publisher in exchange for an honest review
The idea behind this book was intriguing, seven short stories all somehow connected, but not necessarily the same exact characters and the stories took place over a very long span of time. Some of the stories were more compelling than others, but Sedgwick’s words were beautiful in all. He is able to create idyllic visuals in only a few words.
It’s always so hard to review and rate books that feature short stories or compilations, but due to the topic of this book and all of it’s connecting pieces it did feel more whole and complete than others. I found that there is still a lot of mystery in the stories and I think I would need to give it a few more reads, maybe in reverse order next time, in order to catch all of the traits that linked each story together.
Overall, the stories flew by when reading them and I wanted to know how the author would tie in the previous story to the upcoming one. That made for a charming and magical read, but something quite different than I am used to.
Book Received: For free from publisher in exchange for an honest review
I ended up liking this book a lot more than I thought I would. At first I was just confused. I didn't like that the separate stories were told out of order, but I assumed that by the end it would make sense, and it did. I could easily booktalk this book to my students, and both those who like scary books and those who like paranormal books would be drawn to this story. It's very rare that I would want to go back to a story and reread it, but I almost wanted to do that with this one so I could see the connections that I missed the first time through.
Listened to the Audio. Narrator did an excellent job with all the voices and mood. I went into it without much knowledge. It was good and creepy. I particularly liked how really small details threaded the stories together. Reminded me a bit of the lite horror vibe in the collection of short stories [b:Vampires in the Lemon Grove|13531832|Vampires in the Lemon Grove|Karen Russell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1362466523s/13531832.jpg|19093507] (although I don't remember those connecting). I liked it, but I think I wanted the ending to have a little more punch. I didn't quite feel like everything was resolved or explained as much as I'd hoped for.
mysterious
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Interesting and pretty unique plot that has you asking what the hell is going on the whole time...issue is a lot of your questions remain unanswered. I appreciated the writing style as well as the confusion/suspense the author created. But overall, I found myself dissatisfied with the amount of time given to each story and also with the ending. Basically, there are seven different stories told throughout the book, but we don't really know how/why they connect. I felt like as soon as I would get invested into one of the stories, it would end and never get brought up again. A part of me would've preferred if it were seven BOOKS so that I could learn more about the characters, time periods, and the island itself--although I know none of this is really the point of the story. As it stands, it felt too rushed for me and like I wasn't able to form a connection with the characters.
(disclaimer, this book is for like middle school/high school age readers, so I'm probably being a little too critical of it!)
(disclaimer, this book is for like middle school/high school age readers, so I'm probably being a little too critical of it!)
Marcus Sedgwick's books excel at atmosphere - he builds suspense slowly, inexorably, and with a finely honed edge. This book is written in reverse order, with each story taking readers back through a previously lifetime, experiencing the connection between to souls destined to interact throughout time, finishing with the story that begins the whole cycle. Each short story has its own chapters, and all but the first and last pretty much stand alone, but are made better by the whole.