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3.42 AVERAGE
3.42 AVERAGE
[Adult reader, juvenile fiction.]
VERDICT: Passing grade (for young readers only), but no actual stars assigned. Kid-me would probably have given it a B grade.
As an adult reader, I found much of what happens after the kids leave the island See some 1 to 2 star reviews from other GR readers for details.
But as a pure juvenile fictional adventure with some serious aspects, I suppose it suffices. Sky is not an unsympathetic character, and her story is memorable--even if I found any suspension of disbelief impossible here.
BONUS POINTS: It's one of those less-common juvenile endings, where not everything is sunshine & kittens.
VERDICT: Passing grade (for young readers only), but no actual stars assigned. Kid-me would probably have given it a B grade.
As an adult reader, I found much of what happens after the kids leave the island
Spoiler
to be ridiculously unrealistic or absurd (as in: that's not how actual humans would behave/respond/counsel/teach or otherwise respond in such situations--much less trained professionals or the authorities.).But as a pure juvenile fictional adventure with some serious aspects, I suppose it suffices. Sky is not an unsympathetic character, and her story is memorable--even if I found any suspension of disbelief impossible here.
BONUS POINTS: It's one of those less-common juvenile endings, where not everything is sunshine & kittens.
No, No, No, No, NO!!!!! A captivating, lovely, page turner which broke my heart. I cannot express how devastated I was once the truth played out. I so want to recommend this book to my students, yet the way it all comes together at the end ripped me to shreds. Do I really want them to feel this way? Sorry for the vagueness, but I hate spoilers. Suffice it to say, it didn't have to end the way it did. It really didn't...
So.Many.Feels.
This book deserves more than 5 stars. It deserved to be read, re-read, and then recommended to all your friends and family members. It deserves to be cherished.
The story is brilliant, powerful, unique and completely heart breaking. The characters are so real and convincing, you'll be bawling your eyes out. Most of all, this is an important book that carries many messages that will stay with you.
I'll be writing a full-length review soon, but for now - go buy it and read it ASAP. You seriously won't regret.
This book deserves more than 5 stars. It deserved to be read, re-read, and then recommended to all your friends and family members. It deserves to be cherished.
The story is brilliant, powerful, unique and completely heart breaking. The characters are so real and convincing, you'll be bawling your eyes out. Most of all, this is an important book that carries many messages that will stay with you.
I'll be writing a full-length review soon, but for now - go buy it and read it ASAP. You seriously won't regret.
At sixteen, the only life that Sky can remember is the simple one she has lived on Island, with her friend River, and—until they died mysteriously—her mother and River’s father, Helmut. But when she and River are rescued, everything she thought she knew about the world is turned upside down. Separated from River, to live with a grandmother she never knew existed, Sky is thrust unwillingly into a modern world with jeans, indoor plumbing, and the all-knowing Google. The plot, that at times challenges the suspension of belief, is rescued by Cantor’s complex, nuanced characters. Using a first person narrative, Cantor helps readers connect with Sky’s mounting confusion and longing for the peaceful, idyllic realm she was so abruptly removed from, while suggesting that Island was not the perfect world she remembers. The mystery of how they ended up on the island, Helmut’s role in the accident that left them shipwrecked, and her separation from River after their rescue, create a mounting suspense that is only resolved in the heartbreaking climax. Though Sky’s experience is unique, her search for identity and meaning in a complicated world will be familiar to teen readers, and the touch of romance adds to the appeal.
Book received from The Children's Literature Database for review.
Book received from The Children's Literature Database for review.
I enjoyed reading this book because it showed me how hard it really is to understand this world with its violence and ways of life. However, I quickly became bored with the fact that Sky is constantly thinking of River and wanting to go back to Island with him. I wanted her to at least try to adopt the ways of the world instead of always saying "Where's the bathroom tree?" whenever she had to go pee. I also did not like the way the book ended. I would've liked an ending where River is accepted by the society because what his father did is not his fault. Lastly, I agree with some of the other readers. The book should have been called "Searching for River" because he did not reenter the story until near the end of the book.
What was this book? It was definitely an original storyline but like that ending? Dang.
Sadly I was not that impressed. I had a lot if things in this book that just didn't sit well with me.
On Island, I never questioned my place in the world, where I belonged, where I'm supposed to be. Now I am a girl without a place. It's worse than hunger--it's the saddest, most lonely thing i've ever felt.
I read a huge amount of books, and there are times when I can feel like I'm just reading the same scenarios from one book to the next with a few differences here and there. When I read the synopsis for Searching for Sky, I was intrigued, but not so much that I thought I would race to buy it immediately on release. Then I got sent a copy for review. And even then, I didn't jump right into it. What a mistake that was!! Searching for Sky is such a moving and heartfelt story. It's originality was a complete standout and the delivery was fantastic.
Sky and River have lived on Island for the past fourteen years. They have only each other to rely on and they do everything together. But one day River spots a boat in the distance. A boat that will come to their rescue and take them from Island, across ocean, to California and a life that is so incredibly foreign to them.
That's all I want, just to hear the whisper of the ocean, to feel the water against my toes, dancing there, a memory of what once was. There is still so much I don't know, I don't understand. But what I do know is this: the ocean heals and it soothes. The water is home.
Imagine being thrust into a world that is so completely alien to you. A world where you understand nothing of the modern comforts and day to day existence. Imagine how confusing this world would be. Phones, televisions, cars, shoes, clothes, food... All of these things are strange and new.
My heart broke for these two characters. I cried tears for their frustrations. When Sky and River are separated, Sky goes to live with a Grandmother that she has no recollection of. Not only dealing with trying to work her way through this modern world, she also has to learn how to accept the love and affections of a woman who is a stranger to her. And along the way she learns a whole host of things that will have her questioning this new life of hers as well as everything she knows of her past. Since this story is told from Sky's point of view, we really get to experience her struggles first hand. And while I was completely taken in with Sky and her story, but when River re-enters her life, and we learn how he has been spending his time, my heartbreak was taken to a whole new level, along with the pacing and escalation of the story.
But now, I see it exactly the way he understood it then, River and me, our edges overlapping, connecting, entwined. That's the way we're supposed to be. Without him, I am lost, empty. just a circle, a deep, empty hole.
The unbreakable bond between Sky and River was so beautiful. The love and affection that they have for each other, even when it's put to the test. I can't even imagine how hard it would be to be separated from the person who makes sense of everything for you. The portrayal of Sky's emotions was done so well.
Ben sees me I think. He actually sees me.
I have to make mention of Ben. He is the neighbour of Sky's Grandma, and he is beyond special. He understands Sky when everyone else seems not to. He accepts her difficulty to adjust and her reluctance to lose who she has been for the last fourteen years. He was caring and protective, and I adored him!!
For the most part, this is not a book that is fast paced and full of action. If that's what you need in a book, then you will be sorely disappointed with this one. What it is, is a story of deep and beautifully portrayed emotion and heartbreak. Searching for Sky gave me so much more than I expected. I can guarantee that I will be recommending this book to everyone. I will without doubt be rereading it again and again and I will also be picking up anything and everything that Jillian Cantor has written in the past and everything that she writes from this day forward.
5/5 Emotional and Heartbreaking Stars
Paperback very kindly provided by Bloomsbury Australia for review.
I read a huge amount of books, and there are times when I can feel like I'm just reading the same scenarios from one book to the next with a few differences here and there. When I read the synopsis for Searching for Sky, I was intrigued, but not so much that I thought I would race to buy it immediately on release. Then I got sent a copy for review. And even then, I didn't jump right into it. What a mistake that was!! Searching for Sky is such a moving and heartfelt story. It's originality was a complete standout and the delivery was fantastic.
Sky and River have lived on Island for the past fourteen years. They have only each other to rely on and they do everything together. But one day River spots a boat in the distance. A boat that will come to their rescue and take them from Island, across ocean, to California and a life that is so incredibly foreign to them.
That's all I want, just to hear the whisper of the ocean, to feel the water against my toes, dancing there, a memory of what once was. There is still so much I don't know, I don't understand. But what I do know is this: the ocean heals and it soothes. The water is home.
Imagine being thrust into a world that is so completely alien to you. A world where you understand nothing of the modern comforts and day to day existence. Imagine how confusing this world would be. Phones, televisions, cars, shoes, clothes, food... All of these things are strange and new.
My heart broke for these two characters. I cried tears for their frustrations. When Sky and River are separated, Sky goes to live with a Grandmother that she has no recollection of. Not only dealing with trying to work her way through this modern world, she also has to learn how to accept the love and affections of a woman who is a stranger to her. And along the way she learns a whole host of things that will have her questioning this new life of hers as well as everything she knows of her past. Since this story is told from Sky's point of view, we really get to experience her struggles first hand. And while I was completely taken in with Sky and her story, but when River re-enters her life, and we learn how he has been spending his time, my heartbreak was taken to a whole new level, along with the pacing and escalation of the story.
But now, I see it exactly the way he understood it then, River and me, our edges overlapping, connecting, entwined. That's the way we're supposed to be. Without him, I am lost, empty. just a circle, a deep, empty hole.
The unbreakable bond between Sky and River was so beautiful. The love and affection that they have for each other, even when it's put to the test. I can't even imagine how hard it would be to be separated from the person who makes sense of everything for you. The portrayal of Sky's emotions was done so well.
Ben sees me I think. He actually sees me.
I have to make mention of Ben. He is the neighbour of Sky's Grandma, and he is beyond special. He understands Sky when everyone else seems not to. He accepts her difficulty to adjust and her reluctance to lose who she has been for the last fourteen years. He was caring and protective, and I adored him!!
For the most part, this is not a book that is fast paced and full of action. If that's what you need in a book, then you will be sorely disappointed with this one. What it is, is a story of deep and beautifully portrayed emotion and heartbreak. Searching for Sky gave me so much more than I expected. I can guarantee that I will be recommending this book to everyone. I will without doubt be rereading it again and again and I will also be picking up anything and everything that Jillian Cantor has written in the past and everything that she writes from this day forward.
5/5 Emotional and Heartbreaking Stars
Paperback very kindly provided by Bloomsbury Australia for review.
I did not enjoy this book. Sky wasn't likable in any way. She was just annoying. Afraid of everything. then there were the characters trying to help her. They are supposed to be professionals but it is like they have no idea how to talk to people. It would have been laughable if it wasn't so frustrating and annoying. I understand what the author was trying to do but it failed to do anything for me.