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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
This book was all kinds of fucked up in the beginning/middle. There was one point where I actually gagged and had to turn away, but once I got to the last half of the middle and the end, I forgot about that stuff. It was okay, nothing I'd reach for again and I'm not freaking out excited to read the sequel or anything.
This book was great from start to finish. I look forward to more books by this author!
I probably wouldn't have finished reading this book if I hadn't been reading it to my seventh graders! It was just a little too middle grades for me.
Read this one very fast, so it's possible that my plot quibbles are due to me missing some subtle hints throughout.
Very exciting/dark, and a premise with a lot of potential. Only mild language and no gore, so something I could imagine recommending to squeamish parents (except there is a lot of other disturbing stuff in there...shhh, don't tell them that). One I think teens would probably enjoy and blow through quickly, just as I did. However, there were some things about the plot that really annoyed the heck out of me.
This book was a bit thinner than it should have been, and I still don't quite understand the father's motivation for imprisoning his family underground. Human cloning research? "Family time"? Insanity? Protecting his children from the world? Just a controlling jerk? Clearly that last one is true at least. But all these possible motivations are introduced/discussed, and then the dude jets out of there at the end with his accountant or gets blown up, whichever ending you prefer. He does go back for his research, so maybe that was the whole point of it...in which case, why make his family come along? As human guinea pigs?
Anyway, it's just too much evil for one poorly fleshed-out bad guy. I wish the author had just picked ONE of these motivations and stuck with it.
I'm annoyed also about the sideplot with the babies who were supposedly going to be eaten if the food ran out (though I thought referring to them as "The Supplementals" was an awesome chilling touch). I understand the emotional reason for having littler kids around to help Eli open up...but logically, cannibalism?! First of all, if calories are an issue, how are you going to fatten up those young'uns? Did no one think to question that? Was mom somehow breastfeeding them all? No pregnant woman can pump enough to feed 3 toddler/preschoolers (plus older kids too? ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww). WT fiddly F, indeed.
(La Leche Leaguers, don't crucify me! I don't think it's especially gross personally, but it is weirdly made much of here and it feels like it's intended as a gross-out aside.)
Second of all, if you're going to eat them anyway, why raise them like normal kids? It becomes clear that they probably weren't going to be eaten anyway, but still...nobody wondered about that?
Not wholly unsuccessful, but could have been so very much better. Lots to argue about though; this would be a fun book to discuss in a group, I think. If the breast milk didn't scare everyone off first and if parents didn't freak out.
Very exciting/dark, and a premise with a lot of potential. Only mild language and no gore, so something I could imagine recommending to squeamish parents (except there is a lot of other disturbing stuff in there...shhh, don't tell them that). One I think teens would probably enjoy and blow through quickly, just as I did. However, there were some things about the plot that really annoyed the heck out of me.
This book was a bit thinner than it should have been, and I still don't quite understand the father's motivation for imprisoning his family underground. Human cloning research? "Family time"? Insanity? Protecting his children from the world? Just a controlling jerk? Clearly that last one is true at least. But all these possible motivations are introduced/discussed, and then the dude jets out of there at the end with his accountant or gets blown up, whichever ending you prefer. He does go back for his research, so maybe that was the whole point of it...in which case, why make his family come along? As human guinea pigs?
Anyway, it's just too much evil for one poorly fleshed-out bad guy. I wish the author had just picked ONE of these motivations and stuck with it.
I'm annoyed also about the sideplot with the babies who were supposedly going to be eaten if the food ran out (though I thought referring to them as "The Supplementals" was an awesome chilling touch). I understand the emotional reason for having littler kids around to help Eli open up...but logically, cannibalism?! First of all, if calories are an issue, how are you going to fatten up those young'uns? Did no one think to question that? Was mom somehow breastfeeding them all? No pregnant woman can pump enough to feed 3 toddler/preschoolers (plus older kids too? ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww). WT fiddly F, indeed.
(La Leche Leaguers, don't crucify me! I don't think it's especially gross personally, but it is weirdly made much of here and it feels like it's intended as a gross-out aside.)
Second of all, if you're going to eat them anyway, why raise them like normal kids? It becomes clear that they probably weren't going to be eaten anyway, but still...nobody wondered about that?
Not wholly unsuccessful, but could have been so very much better. Lots to argue about though; this would be a fun book to discuss in a group, I think. If the breast milk didn't scare everyone off first and if parents didn't freak out.
It was too predictable. I liked the idea a lot, but the main character was not likeable in the least. It gets 2 stars anyway because of some good elements(eek the yellow room) and a nice idea.
2.5 stars - This is the first book I officially picked up during summer vacation and finished it in a couple of days. It's a fast action-packed read that will go over well with any student who doesn't necessarily enjoy reading but wants something interesting. . . . .and maybe a little gross. ;-) I found the plot to be pretty predictable and the character's actions to be laughable at points, but I can understand how certain students would enjoy it.
It moved really quickly, but not in a good way. It also a libertarian spank bank of "don't trust authority!"
That said, it was a good premise and obviously inspired by A Modest Proposal.
That said, it was a good premise and obviously inspired by A Modest Proposal.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated