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pam2375's review against another edition
5.0
Emily is telling her story in only a way that a seventeen year old girl can tell. It is, at times, a bit random and very Double Bind (ish). The title of the book, too, seems a bit random and confusing until it is revealed. And, boy oh boy, when it was revealed, it took my breath away. A quote from the book (w/o giving anything away), "It seems to me that if you didn't know the context of those words, they were kind of pretty."
I had the opportunity to meet Chris this past summer at a book reading for The Sandcastle Girls at the St. Louis County Library Headquarters. I was in such a state of excitement that I found myself as giddy as any teenage schoolgirl with a crush. Thank you for that, Chris!
I highly recommend this book and many thanks to Doubleday and Edelweiss for giving me the opportunity to read this. Expected publication for this bad boy is July, 2014 and I will be buying this for my bookshelf.
I had the opportunity to meet Chris this past summer at a book reading for The Sandcastle Girls at the St. Louis County Library Headquarters. I was in such a state of excitement that I found myself as giddy as any teenage schoolgirl with a crush. Thank you for that, Chris!
I highly recommend this book and many thanks to Doubleday and Edelweiss for giving me the opportunity to read this. Expected publication for this bad boy is July, 2014 and I will be buying this for my bookshelf.
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Book on CD narrated by Grace Blewer.
3.5***
Emily Shepard is a troubled teen. Totally understandable, given that she’s been orphaned by a nuclear plant disaster where both her parents worked, she’s homeless, and she’s one of the most reviled people in Vermont, if not all of America. This is her story.
The novel is told as a series of journal entries, or writings encouraged by a therapist to help the writer (Emily) understand how she came to this point in her life. Opening line: I built an igloo against the cold out of black plastic trash bags filled with wet leaves.. This gave me the sense that this was going to be a post-apocalyptic novel. But it isn’t post-apocalyptic, or not for everyone; the world doesn’t change for everyone, though it definitely changes for Emily. The disastrous melt-down at the nuclear plant where both her parents worked has resulted in thousands of people being displaced and serious questions asked about how this could have happened. One name keeps coming up – Emily’s father, who was known to have a drinking problem and is rumored to have been drunk on the job. So rather than stay with her classmates in their evacuation center, Emily sets out on her own.
The story moves back and forth in time, as she recollects and records the events and decisions that led her to where she is when she’s writing it down. Like many teens – especially teens using drugs or alcohol, or with poor impulse control, or serious self-doubt – Emily’s recollections are not linear. She bounces from subject to subject, introducing characters and then saying, “but I’ll explain later.” She also has issues with trusting authority figures and may not be telling the entire truth all the time, in an effort to shield herself, her parents or her companions. To say she’s an unreliable narrator is putting it mildly.
Often, I was irritated with her, but I grew to like her and root for her. She was intelligent, resilient, tried to be responsible, and very vulnerable. By the end I was so worried about her I cried out when it was over … I wanted to know what is next for her and I was afraid to know.
Grace Blewer does a fine job narrating the audio version. Blewer is Bohjalian’s daughter, and she helped him with the slang and cadence of speech so that he could write in a more-believably-teen-aged voice. The audio has a bonus interview with author/father and narrator/daughter which was very informative.
3.5***
Emily Shepard is a troubled teen. Totally understandable, given that she’s been orphaned by a nuclear plant disaster where both her parents worked, she’s homeless, and she’s one of the most reviled people in Vermont, if not all of America. This is her story.
The novel is told as a series of journal entries, or writings encouraged by a therapist to help the writer (Emily) understand how she came to this point in her life. Opening line: I built an igloo against the cold out of black plastic trash bags filled with wet leaves.. This gave me the sense that this was going to be a post-apocalyptic novel. But it isn’t post-apocalyptic, or not for everyone; the world doesn’t change for everyone, though it definitely changes for Emily. The disastrous melt-down at the nuclear plant where both her parents worked has resulted in thousands of people being displaced and serious questions asked about how this could have happened. One name keeps coming up – Emily’s father, who was known to have a drinking problem and is rumored to have been drunk on the job. So rather than stay with her classmates in their evacuation center, Emily sets out on her own.
The story moves back and forth in time, as she recollects and records the events and decisions that led her to where she is when she’s writing it down. Like many teens – especially teens using drugs or alcohol, or with poor impulse control, or serious self-doubt – Emily’s recollections are not linear. She bounces from subject to subject, introducing characters and then saying, “but I’ll explain later.” She also has issues with trusting authority figures and may not be telling the entire truth all the time, in an effort to shield herself, her parents or her companions. To say she’s an unreliable narrator is putting it mildly.
Often, I was irritated with her, but I grew to like her and root for her. She was intelligent, resilient, tried to be responsible, and very vulnerable. By the end I was so worried about her I cried out when it was over … I wanted to know what is next for her and I was afraid to know.
Grace Blewer does a fine job narrating the audio version. Blewer is Bohjalian’s daughter, and she helped him with the slang and cadence of speech so that he could write in a more-believably-teen-aged voice. The audio has a bonus interview with author/father and narrator/daughter which was very informative.
shadowsmoon's review against another edition
4.0
I was totally absorbed. It made me grateful for everything I have. Wonderful characters & composition.
mschrock8's review against another edition
3.0
A sad and scary story.
Listening length eight hr 15 min
Listening length eight hr 15 min
select52's review against another edition
5.0
Wonderful story and terrifying look at juvenile homelessness, especially so close to my home. My first audiobook, took a bit to get used to but Grace was excellent And once I got used to hearing the “voice” of the character, it was odd to hear her being interviewed after the story was done. I was unaware of many of the thing Emily spoke about in the book, need to find an Emily Dickinson collection soon.
rmarcin's review against another edition
3.0
Story of a young girl who is left to fend for herself after a nuclear reactor meltdown in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. Written as a journal recounting her memories, with interspersed Emily Dickinson verses.
jenniferstringer's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 - 4/ I always wanted to know what happened next, but didn't really connect to the character. Interesting fact gleaned from this book: Most of Emily Dickinson's poetry can be sung to the tune of Gilligan's Island.
hayleyccc4's review against another edition
5.0
I loved it! There was so much meaning behind the story. The characters were compassionate and amazing, and the plot was perfect. I felt like crying while reading about half the book, but somehow I managed not to shed a single tear! This is the first book I've read by Chris Bohjalian, but I wouldn't be surprised if I end up reading many more of them...