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smoores's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
emmabussolotta's review against another edition
5.0
In some ways, it reminded me of my beloved Name of the Wind mixed with A Little Life, but I think most of that comes from the incredibly unlikeable narrator, Zebulon. Possibly also from the melodramatic writing-style. Regardless, I loved both Zebulon as a character and the writing itself.
There were definitely points in the book where I made this face: :0. There were also many points where I had to pause because, jeez. This book has every trigger warning and it definitely made me uncomfortable. To me, that's when you know a book is good.
Even through all the insanity, it does show that Kraus has detailed knowledge of the late 19th- and early 20th-centuries. He really used this to apply issues of the past and make them modern, and really binds modernity with history. He also taps into a variety of social issues that our insufferable narrator chooses to ignore because he has the emotional awareness of a rock. (I still love you Zeb!!)
Anyway. I get why people wouldn't like this book. But I love it!
catherinewyatt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
2.5
not_a_violin's review against another edition
5.0
Before I say anything else, I need to say that this is a book I had never even heard of until I picked it up off the shelf at Barnes and Noble the other day. I read the inside cover and decided it was worth a shot, so I bout it and started reading it a couple hours later. I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't what I got.... In fact, I think what I got was much better than that.
That being said, it also was different than a lot of the books I'm used to. For one thing, I still can't believe how well this book is written. Holy cow! Being written as if it's the work of the protagonist, it adds to his character as well as the overall quality of the book. It gave Zebulon Finch a personality that genuinely sticks out from all the other characters I've read about recently.
Speaking of character, Zebulon Finch was also very original in that aspect. He's selfish, arrogant, and really not someone I would see myself getting along very well with if I met him, but that's just how he is. Reading from his point of view is actually interesting. He sees himself as a monster, but does not insist on whining about it throughout the whole book.
As time progresses, so does Finch. When he was alive, he was not a good person in any sense of the word. Then he died. He had to relearn to speak and to move again, making friends with an ill boy at the same time. He ends up working with a doctor, who later goes insane, so he leaves yet again. During the WWI, he makes another friend, who has an important role later in the book. Everything flows together nicely and has a reason to do so.
When I got about a hundred pages into this book, I was wondering if it is really a YA book or not. It turns out that it is. I get that Zebulon Finch is going to be seventeen as long as he walks the earth, but a lot of things that were happening didn't seem all that YA to me. I wouldn't recommend this book to twelve or thirteen year olds - that's for sure. This book seemed for fifteen or sixteen and up to me. Did that take away from my enjoyment of the book? Nope. I'm just mentioning something I thought while reading.
Ok. This was far from 'eternally young and pretty', which is waaaaay overdone. Finch is dead! He's not just pale or cold: he's actually dead, and he's decaying. It's very slow, but he does decay, just like a normal corpse does. When he gets injured (shot, stabbed, etc.), he does not heal. That hole is left there. He does not have some magical healing power that makes no sense whatsoever. Yay)!
There is only one thing I do wonder, and I hope that it is explained in the next book. How the heck did he come back from the dead? Why? I'm not going to take a star away for this, because I understand that it can be explained later, but I really want to know.
Overall: 4.75 stars
meganmreads's review against another edition
3.0
The best way to describe the story is to compare it to Forrest Gump. Instead of a not-so-smart guy going through major historical events and succeeding despite all odds, Zebulon is a smart (but increasingly arrogant and short-sighted) dead guy decomposing at a pretty slow rate, going through major historical events, and failing miserably despite his enormous ego.
The only reason the book isn’t rated higher is because his narration began to grate on my nerves and I wished the story was a bit shorter in order for it to get the point. At the same time, I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it because I think Zebulon’s narration illustrates his character and I think the longwinded prose is sort of the point. It’s really quite clever, but a bit difficult to get through at times.
I recommend the story so far and I will definitely pick up the sequel and already own it. This is a great nightstand book, one that you can read a little from each day rather than a book to digest in longer sittings. I enjoyed the book a lot more when I sat it down and read some other ones in between.
juicelina's review against another edition
This actually put me in a bit of a reading slump. I was really excited to read this book, but once I started it I immediately was not a fan of the writing. I pushed through hoping I could get into it despite the writing, but it just never happened. I was confused and bored throughout all I've read. I don't think I could manage to push through another 500+ pages. So sad :/ This one just wasn't for me.
angryspice_666's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
lifeofpie's review against another edition
3.0