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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
Loved this one. First book by Joyce and will definitely be reading his others.
First off, my rating is not a knock to the author at all; it's just a reflection of my own personal reading tastes.
I liked the writing and thought the author quite talented, however I was left with such an overwhelming sense of disappointment at the ending of this book, that I actually felt cheated. The story was excellent and far too intriguing to have ended so unsatisfactorily.
I'm not referring to an unsatisfactory ending that leaves you at a cliffhanger, and I'm not referring to an ending that is incredibly sad or depressing; that's not the kind of ending I'm referring to. That's not the kind of ending this book has. The ending of this book felt extraordinarily unfinished and was a huge letdown for me. I also thought there were loose ends all over the place (unless I was just not clever enough to connect all the dots - which is very possible).
I wish the author had taken this story in another direction. Not everyone will feel this way though. I can see how some people would give this book 5 stars. It's bursting at the seams with symbolism which many people will love. If you are into that kind of thing, you will have a lot of fun deconstructing this story.
But for me personally, I just wanted this truly interesting story to led to a more satisfactory place than what it did.
I liked the writing and thought the author quite talented, however I was left with such an overwhelming sense of disappointment at the ending of this book, that I actually felt cheated. The story was excellent and far too intriguing to have ended so unsatisfactorily.
I'm not referring to an unsatisfactory ending that leaves you at a cliffhanger, and I'm not referring to an ending that is incredibly sad or depressing; that's not the kind of ending I'm referring to. That's not the kind of ending this book has. The ending of this book felt extraordinarily unfinished and was a huge letdown for me. I also thought there were loose ends all over the place (unless I was just not clever enough to connect all the dots - which is very possible).
I wish the author had taken this story in another direction. Not everyone will feel this way though. I can see how some people would give this book 5 stars. It's bursting at the seams with symbolism which many people will love. If you are into that kind of thing, you will have a lot of fun deconstructing this story.
But for me personally, I just wanted this truly interesting story to led to a more satisfactory place than what it did.
slow-paced
Reminded me of an adult-ish Tuck Everlasting, though not an exact parallel. An interesting premise, but ultimately unsatisfying. It's not a good sign when a secondary 13-yr-old boy who accidentally shoots a neighbor's cat has a more interesting character arc than the woman who reappears after a 20-year-unexplained absence not having aged a day. Also, the sexual content was inflated and poorly handled.
audiobook note: On the plus side, I was reminded what a skillful narrator John Lee is. It's been too long since I've listened to him.
audiobook note: On the plus side, I was reminded what a skillful narrator John Lee is. It's been too long since I've listened to him.
I absolutely enjoyed this book a lot. Very quick read and I just seemed to not want to put the book down wanting to find out what happens in the next chapter. Graham Joyce has a way of setting dialogue between the characters in the book that I really liked and looked forward to their exchanges. Joyce just captures the emotion and tension in such few lines of dialogue and you still get an idea of how each character's relationship is to the other. The story itself was well done and there was not one moment where I was bored. The way the narration was done also shows how it bounces from once character's thought process to another so we, the readers, can get an idea of what's going on in their heads and how they go about perceiving what they are experiencing as well. I definitely plan on reading more of this author's novels in the near future.
Graham Joyce returns with an unsettling novel about a teenager who shows up on her parents’ doorstep twenty years after she disappeared without a trace. Tara Martin claims she was abducted to an enchanted fairyland and, eerily, appears no older than when she vanished. For her, she insists, only six months have passed. Of course, Tara's family is convinced her story merely covers up some traumatic experience from the time of her disappearance. Opinions from medical professionals and subplots involving impostors shake things up for the reader, creating a nagging doubt about Tara's identity. Who is this girl, and, if she is Tara Martin, what really happened to her? Although there are some great fantasy sequences and I loved the haunting tone and atmosphere, the true charm of this book is rooted in Joyce's well-drawn, likable characters. Five stars.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The best part of this book is trying to figure out who the narrator is
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book had me head engaged. After 20 years of being missing, Tara returns to her parents still looking like a teenager.
Her reason why sounds like a fairy tale.
The book follows the journey of her return as her family and friends try to decipher what the truth of the last 20 years were.
4/5 stars. Loved it, but had a few slow spots. Engaging mysteries sometimes have un-fulfilling endings, but Joyce did a great job in the end.
Her reason why sounds like a fairy tale.
The book follows the journey of her return as her family and friends try to decipher what the truth of the last 20 years were.
4/5 stars. Loved it, but had a few slow spots. Engaging mysteries sometimes have un-fulfilling endings, but Joyce did a great job in the end.
Could not put this book down, even though I'm not sure it was successful. Glad I read all the way to the end.