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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
Amazing, fantastic, spectacular, beautiful, strange from start to finish. Everything I had hoped it would be.
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
challenging
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Overall this book was just eh. The last 100 pages were awesome, but 80% of the other 300 pages were just okay. They put too much emphasis on capturing the weirdness of Night Vale and not enough on story and writing, which felt... monotone. I really don't know what other word to use. The narration and dialogue were stilted and awkward. In the podcast this works because of Cecil Baldwin's amazing performance, but as a written story it just made it a tedious read. Speaking of Cecil, as a Night Vale fan I loved the radio interludes, but most of it could have been left out. It was important for introducing the flamingos, but that could have easily been done as a bit of Cecil's radio show being listened to while the characters were in the car or something similar. I felt like there was a much more organic way to include that than what was done. It was as if they tried to take the same approach to writing the book as they did writing the podcast, and it really did not work all that well.
With that being said, as a character study this book is wonderful, and I give it 4 stars for that alone. Each character is unique and felt real. They each had their own motivations and personalities and their own individual development. The character development was done in a way that seemed natural given the circumstances. The characters are what made me want to finish the book, as I actually was curious to see what they would do next. The mystery that carried the characters through their growth was interesting as well and definitely was part of the reason why I stuck around.
Fans of Night Vale will love this book. It pulls you into the surreal world of Night Vale and gives fans a treat, as well as answering the mystery of the Man in the Tan Jacket's origins. However, if you are not familiar with the podcast then this book is not for you.
With that being said, as a character study this book is wonderful, and I give it 4 stars for that alone. Each character is unique and felt real. They each had their own motivations and personalities and their own individual development. The character development was done in a way that seemed natural given the circumstances. The characters are what made me want to finish the book, as I actually was curious to see what they would do next. The mystery that carried the characters through their growth was interesting as well and definitely was part of the reason why I stuck around.
Fans of Night Vale will love this book. It pulls you into the surreal world of Night Vale and gives fans a treat, as well as answering the mystery of the Man in the Tan Jacket's origins. However, if you are not familiar with the podcast then this book is not for you.
I'm more inclined to give this book 3.5 stars but, alas, the ratings system.
I'd definitely say the end of the book (King City on) was the best part aside from Cecil's broadcasts and the library scene. It definitely felt like a WTNV episode, but sometimes it got caught up in its Night Vale-ness over storytelling. That said, I had a lot of feels about Diane and Jackie and Diane's thoughts regarding Josh were very poignant.
Even if it's not my fav book ever read, I still want the audiobook. :)
I'd definitely say the end of the book (King City on) was the best part aside from Cecil's broadcasts and the library scene. It definitely felt like a WTNV episode, but sometimes it got caught up in its Night Vale-ness over storytelling. That said, I had a lot of feels about Diane and Jackie and Diane's thoughts regarding Josh were very poignant.
Even if it's not my fav book ever read, I still want the audiobook. :)
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
As unpredictable and creative as the podcasts. Was really refreshing to read tales of Night Vale instead of listening to it; it worked really well in this different format.
I understand, I suppose, that Welcome to Night Vale is not for everyone, but it is definitely for me. This book is just wonderful-- all of the delight and surprise and heart and love and truth that we get in bits from the podcast all just poured out over 400 magical pages. The book gives me a deeper love than I already had for the podcast, but I also think it can stand on its own.
adventurous
funny
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
