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3.42 AVERAGE
3.42 AVERAGE
4.5 stars
This was a really nice story. It was very sad at the end though!
This was a really nice story. It was very sad at the end though!
Sky and River have always lived on Island. It's the only thing that they know until River spots a boat that spirits them away across Ocean. Back to the strange land named California that Sky's mother had told her about before she died. Where people are skeletons. Sky is separated from River and forced to live with a woman she's told is her grandmother. Nothing makes sense in California. Everything is different and the one person she knows and trusts is gone. Sky yearns for the world that she knew. She has to find River and together they can return to Island where things make sense and where newspaper clippings don't show her images of a past full of secrets that threaten to change her forever.
This is a unique gem in the dystopian sea. Sky and River are used to living without modern day gadgets and think that they're the only ones left in the world. After they are "rescue" and brought back to modern day California they realize that this is far from the case. I found the premise wholly fascinating. Seeing our world through Sky's eyes as she tries to learn new rules and about modern technology was amusing and heartbreaking. This book will be for those that enjoy a good slower paced story that focuses heavily on human emotions more than any "big" fast paced events.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Publication Date: May 13, 2014
This is a unique gem in the dystopian sea. Sky and River are used to living without modern day gadgets and think that they're the only ones left in the world. After they are "rescue" and brought back to modern day California they realize that this is far from the case. I found the premise wholly fascinating. Seeing our world through Sky's eyes as she tries to learn new rules and about modern technology was amusing and heartbreaking. This book will be for those that enjoy a good slower paced story that focuses heavily on human emotions more than any "big" fast paced events.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Publication Date: May 13, 2014
Sky remembers nothing before Island. She’s been happy there with just her mom, her friend River, and his father, living off the land. But soon after they die from eating strange mushrooms, River sees a boat. The two are “rescued” from their tropical utopia and taken to a strange land known as California, with tragic results. They’re completely unprepared for this new world, lacking the skills or even the vocabulary needed to survive. How can they fathom a monetary system when they’ve always gathered their own food? How can they grasp vast distances and traffic when their whole world was reachable by foot? And how can they possibly understand when they’re told their parents were members of a cult?
An entertaining book that had me zipping through it. The main characters are likeable and realistic, their responses and misunderstandings spot-on, and their choices true to their personalities. It’s fascinating to watch the characters evolve as their new environment changes them, no matter how much they may resist.
Disclaimer: received free ARC from NetGalley
An entertaining book that had me zipping through it. The main characters are likeable and realistic, their responses and misunderstandings spot-on, and their choices true to their personalities. It’s fascinating to watch the characters evolve as their new environment changes them, no matter how much they may resist.
Disclaimer: received free ARC from NetGalley
3.5 stars. This one really surprised me in the best way a book can.
As reviewed on Pretty Little Memoirs. With thanks to Bloomsbury Childrens for the ARC.
*Contains minor references to the plot*
Sky and River have lived on Island for as long as they can remember, and it's the only place that each of them can call home. They call it "Island", where they have adapted to their limited resources not knowing any different, like "Bathroom Tree", "Falls" and "Ocean", everything had a certain name for them. They live there alone after Sky's Mother and River's Father were found dead, and had to survive by themselves, only counting on each other.
River sees a boat one day when he's catching fish for him and Sky, but they aren't certain what a boat even is. They soon find that the people on the boat arrive at the Island to take them home - even though Sky has no idea where that place even is - to a place called California. There, things are very different. Sky is separated from River and meets her grandmother who immediately tries to connect her to a new way of living by getting a team of experts to teach her everything someone of her teenage-age should know and do.
Being set in Sky's POV, nothing was limited at all by not being able to get inside her head and emotions. I instantly connected with her, through sympathy and compassion for her confusion and brand new eyes at California, a place she didn't even know existed. Things in the real world are painstakingly difficult to grasp and day after day, Sky - who's been told that her name isn't even her own - feels lost by association in her new life. All she knows is Island, and even though she tries and learns new things every day, she just wants to be reunited with River.
It was tragic what happened in Sky's life, and as she learns the startling new information about where she came from, who her Mother and River's Father; Helmut, really were, Sky can't help but try and grip the good memories tighter. All she knew was that with the help of her grandmother's neighbour; Ben, she needed to find River. She had to go back to Island.
Searching For Sky really made me feel for the characters, in a way that I could picture Sky vividly in this world that felt so dystopian to her. I felt so bad for River, and although selfish at times, I felt remorse for Sky's grandmother who so desperately just wanted for her to feel at home. After all, she had lost two people she loved and never thought she would see again.
Overall, Searching For Sky is a book filled with the qualities in a book I love; an impeccable plot, an ending to make you tear up, characters I empathized and a story that won't leave my mind.
Searching for Sky definitely made my favourites list for this year - an exceptional and impressive five-star novel.
As reviewed on Pretty Little Memoirs. With thanks to Bloomsbury Childrens for the ARC.
*Contains minor references to the plot*
Sky and River have lived on Island for as long as they can remember, and it's the only place that each of them can call home. They call it "Island", where they have adapted to their limited resources not knowing any different, like "Bathroom Tree", "Falls" and "Ocean", everything had a certain name for them. They live there alone after Sky's Mother and River's Father were found dead, and had to survive by themselves, only counting on each other.
River sees a boat one day when he's catching fish for him and Sky, but they aren't certain what a boat even is. They soon find that the people on the boat arrive at the Island to take them home - even though Sky has no idea where that place even is - to a place called California. There, things are very different. Sky is separated from River and meets her grandmother who immediately tries to connect her to a new way of living by getting a team of experts to teach her everything someone of her teenage-age should know and do.
Being set in Sky's POV, nothing was limited at all by not being able to get inside her head and emotions. I instantly connected with her, through sympathy and compassion for her confusion and brand new eyes at California, a place she didn't even know existed. Things in the real world are painstakingly difficult to grasp and day after day, Sky - who's been told that her name isn't even her own - feels lost by association in her new life. All she knows is Island, and even though she tries and learns new things every day, she just wants to be reunited with River.
It was tragic what happened in Sky's life, and as she learns the startling new information about where she came from, who her Mother and River's Father; Helmut, really were, Sky can't help but try and grip the good memories tighter. All she knew was that with the help of her grandmother's neighbour; Ben, she needed to find River. She had to go back to Island.
Searching For Sky really made me feel for the characters, in a way that I could picture Sky vividly in this world that felt so dystopian to her. I felt so bad for River, and although selfish at times, I felt remorse for Sky's grandmother who so desperately just wanted for her to feel at home. After all, she had lost two people she loved and never thought she would see again.
Overall, Searching For Sky is a book filled with the qualities in a book I love; an impeccable plot, an ending to make you tear up, characters I empathized and a story that won't leave my mind.
Searching for Sky definitely made my favourites list for this year - an exceptional and impressive five-star novel.
As reviewed on Pretty Little Memoirs. With thanks to Bloomsbury Childrens for the ARC.
This was a beautifully written book with amazing insights. Sky's perspective on life was refreshing and even though it was simplistic, it was not simple. She may not have book smarts, but she certainly has wisdom.
The ending left me a little puzzled. Is there supposed to be a sequel? I wonder even though it felt like Sky's story had been told. I would be interested in reading more about Sky as she adjusts further to the modern world. Her innocence is refreshing and honest.
I wanted to shake Sky's grandmother several times. It was really annoying that everyone kept calling Sky, Megan. She had already been traumatized enough. You would think her therapist would have suggested that everyone call her Sky like she wanted. There were other things the grandmother did that was completely motivated by selfishness on her part. It was almost as if Sky needed to do all of the changing to fit it without any concessions on the grandmother's side. I would hope that a professional would have pointed out areas where the grandmother could have made the transition smoother.
I will definitely be looking for more books from this author. I would recommend this book to lovers of coming of age tales. Sky's story is beautifully told and will be enjoyed by people who like character driven fiction.
The ending left me a little puzzled. Is there supposed to be a sequel? I wonder even though it felt like Sky's story had been told. I would be interested in reading more about Sky as she adjusts further to the modern world. Her innocence is refreshing and honest.
I wanted to shake Sky's grandmother several times. It was really annoying that everyone kept calling Sky, Megan. She had already been traumatized enough. You would think her therapist would have suggested that everyone call her Sky like she wanted. There were other things the grandmother did that was completely motivated by selfishness on her part. It was almost as if Sky needed to do all of the changing to fit it without any concessions on the grandmother's side. I would hope that a professional would have pointed out areas where the grandmother could have made the transition smoother.
I will definitely be looking for more books from this author. I would recommend this book to lovers of coming of age tales. Sky's story is beautifully told and will be enjoyed by people who like character driven fiction.
A really quick read. Overall, it wasn't bad. The beginning had a lot of potential. The story really broke apart when they reached California, it seemed unreal- the amount of incompetence of all the adults. The plot was there, it just was too thin and rushed to hold any substance.
Originally posted here
This book first came on my radar when I heard Jillian talk last year at my local bookstore. Jillian is a local author, well as local as one can be from Phoenix to Tucson, and along with becoming friends at that event, I heard her talk about her upcoming YA novel: Searching For Sky. To say I was hooked was an understatement. Then, my friend Erica, told me about it. Told me it was reverse dystopian, which made no true sense to me, but I was still intrigued. When I started the book, I got it. I got the reverse dystopian.
Sky has lived on Island her whole life. There is the Ocean and Toilet Tree and her friend and fellow member of Island, River. They are living a happy life on Island, partly because it is all Sky knows. One day of course that all changes, they are found and rescued. The important thing is though, that Sky doesn’t want to be rescued, she enjoys her life for what it is. She quickly discovers that being rescued really is the worst. She is taken to a place called California and finds out that she has a grandmother, River isn’t what he seems, and her life on the island really isn’t what it seems.
Sky struggles, a lot, throughout the whole book. While biologically she is a teenager, mentally she is not even close. Her grandmother brings in people to assist her, from psychologists, teachers, a teenage boy to be a friend, and it takes awhile but slowly Sky starts to adapt. Very slowly, Cantor never forces Sky into situations which wouldn’t fit the character. There are painful moments where you want to hug Sky, because while toilets, pencils and cars are completely normal to us, Sky is out of her element and it’s painful for her. She wants to go home. To her real home. The island.
Sky isn’t allowed to talk to River and Sky slowly finds out things about her mother and Helmut, the other two that were on the island (they died before the novel began) that hurt Sky. Sky is convinced if River and her could just go back to the Island everything will be okay. We, as the reader, know that life is not that easy. No matter how easy Sky believes it is.
Cantor made me a believer of not only Sky, and Southern California, but also “Reverse Dystopian.” I am here for it. All of it.
This book first came on my radar when I heard Jillian talk last year at my local bookstore. Jillian is a local author, well as local as one can be from Phoenix to Tucson, and along with becoming friends at that event, I heard her talk about her upcoming YA novel: Searching For Sky. To say I was hooked was an understatement. Then, my friend Erica, told me about it. Told me it was reverse dystopian, which made no true sense to me, but I was still intrigued. When I started the book, I got it. I got the reverse dystopian.
Sky has lived on Island her whole life. There is the Ocean and Toilet Tree and her friend and fellow member of Island, River. They are living a happy life on Island, partly because it is all Sky knows. One day of course that all changes, they are found and rescued. The important thing is though, that Sky doesn’t want to be rescued, she enjoys her life for what it is. She quickly discovers that being rescued really is the worst. She is taken to a place called California and finds out that she has a grandmother, River isn’t what he seems, and her life on the island really isn’t what it seems.
Sky struggles, a lot, throughout the whole book. While biologically she is a teenager, mentally she is not even close. Her grandmother brings in people to assist her, from psychologists, teachers, a teenage boy to be a friend, and it takes awhile but slowly Sky starts to adapt. Very slowly, Cantor never forces Sky into situations which wouldn’t fit the character. There are painful moments where you want to hug Sky, because while toilets, pencils and cars are completely normal to us, Sky is out of her element and it’s painful for her. She wants to go home. To her real home. The island.
Sky isn’t allowed to talk to River and Sky slowly finds out things about her mother and Helmut, the other two that were on the island (they died before the novel began) that hurt Sky. Sky is convinced if River and her could just go back to the Island everything will be okay. We, as the reader, know that life is not that easy. No matter how easy Sky believes it is.
Cantor made me a believer of not only Sky, and Southern California, but also “Reverse Dystopian.” I am here for it. All of it.
3.5 stars! I ended up really enjoying this book! It only got its rating because I thought it was lacking in something, perhaps wow factor. It's just didn't wow me. It was enjoyable, and fascinating to read, and I really do recommend it!
Wow, this book was good. A girl grows up on a deserted island with only three other people, after being shipwrecked when she was a baby. The only things she knows are basic things like catching & cooking fish, building fires, etc. Then she gets "rescued" and has to acclimate to life in California, somewhat unwillingly. Can you imagine? Being 16 and having no idea how to use a toilet, or not knowing what a car is, or how to use a fork, or trying to learn the concept of crime, of money. As she gets acquainted with her new life, she's starting to unravel the secrets to her family's past and what took them so far away in the first place.
Great, intriguing read. Strong characters. Very thought-provoking.
Great, intriguing read. Strong characters. Very thought-provoking.