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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
I wish I could give this a 3.5 or a 3.75. I really liked this book, but it just falls shy of a solid four stars.
A wise friend mentioned in her review that if you focus on the accuracy/plausibility of the science, it will drive you crazy and take away from enjoying the story. That advice was spot-on and extremely helpful - heed it! (Thanks, Francine!)
Julia is eleven years old when it is discovered that the earth's rotation is slowing. What scientists don't know is what is causing it, how to predict the rate of slowing, or how to stop or reverse it. As a result, the world as we know it is drastically changing - most of society still follows traditional twenty-four hour "clock time" while fringe groups follow "natural time," longer days and nights mean that crops must grow via artificial light, the changing effects of gravity cause birds to die off, soccer balls are harder to kick and don't fly as far or as high.
Walker is a gifted wordsmith; the writing is beautiful. I don't know if this was intentional (or if my explanation makes any sense whatsoever) but as the book progresses, Julia (our narrator) seems to gradually gain temporal distance from the story, as if the first few chapters were written shortly afterward while each subsequent chapter was written at progressively longer intervals following the events, mirroring the gradual slowing of the earth's rotation.
The ending left me wanting - it felt like Julia lacked sufficient life experience to give her conclusion any heft. I would love to read an addendum written thirty or forty years later, when Julia is in her fifties or sixties (if the earth survives that long).
A wise friend mentioned in her review that if you focus on the accuracy/plausibility of the science, it will drive you crazy and take away from enjoying the story. That advice was spot-on and extremely helpful - heed it! (Thanks, Francine!)
Julia is eleven years old when it is discovered that the earth's rotation is slowing. What scientists don't know is what is causing it, how to predict the rate of slowing, or how to stop or reverse it. As a result, the world as we know it is drastically changing - most of society still follows traditional twenty-four hour "clock time" while fringe groups follow "natural time," longer days and nights mean that crops must grow via artificial light, the changing effects of gravity cause birds to die off, soccer balls are harder to kick and don't fly as far or as high.
Walker is a gifted wordsmith; the writing is beautiful. I don't know if this was intentional (or if my explanation makes any sense whatsoever) but as the book progresses, Julia (our narrator) seems to gradually gain temporal distance from the story, as if the first few chapters were written shortly afterward while each subsequent chapter was written at progressively longer intervals following the events, mirroring the gradual slowing of the earth's rotation.
The ending left me wanting - it felt like Julia lacked sufficient life experience to give her conclusion any heft. I would love to read an addendum written thirty or forty years later, when Julia is in her fifties or sixties (if the earth survives that long).
I look out my window now with a new appreciation for sunsets and trees and birds. I kept asking myself where this novel was headed and wasn't disappointed with the twists (and was in fact extremely grateful that the story wasn't tied up with a bow at the end). It is a story about the twilight years of childhood layered over the uncontrolable world around us. It is poignant and thoughtful and real.
This was very different from most things I've read. I feel like 4 stars might be a little high, but something about this story dug deep to my core. It really shook me up.
I really enjoyed this book. Growing up in Southern California allowed me to really relate to the scenes and overall setting of the book. The slowing and end of the world is more of a side story to this coming of age story. But I think that is very fitting for a teen/pre-teen girl to see the great slowing and end of the world only in the way it affects her life/family/friends. It doesn't get too deep into the science of the Earth's slowing and I think that works well for this book too.
Again, I enjoyed this book and recommend it as a good coming of age read.
Again, I enjoyed this book and recommend it as a good coming of age read.
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
An excerpt: “…and yet, the unknown still outweighed the known.”
A terrific concept!
A day of 25h37min, 26h07min, 32h and getting longer.
The story is set in an uncertain world.
What happens if the planet slow down its rotation?
What if there is a change in gravity?
What do we really know about the universe?
The author did a really good job of drawing parallels to the planet slowing down.
The story is bleak and very sad.
The uncertainty of the future of the universe was quite worrisome.
Dead birds everywhere; whales dying on the beach…
A snowy California…
Even a simple eclipse was ominous enough to cause general panic.
The loneliness felt by the main character was heartbreaking, if not crushing.
The development of the story is very slow and does not really give explanations. Its conclusion left a lot to be desired.
But I cannot deny that the writing and the storytelling were excellent.
This book was wonderfully written and the story felt very realistic, hence my ratings.
This was my third book by this author, within two weeks.
Hardcover (Random House - first edition - year 2012): 272 pages
E-book (Kobo): 287 pages (default), 74k words
I had trouble putting this down even though it made me as anxious as heck. I cared so much about the characters and how their "regular" lives & worries entertwined with the chaos and terror happening around them. Excellent.
*But now he'd grown eager to hand off his things, as if the weight of his possessions kept him tethered to this earth and, by giving them away, he could snip those strings.*
*How much sweeter life would be if it all happened in reverse, if, after decades of disappointments, you finally arrived at an age when you had conceded nothing, when everything was possible.*
*But now he'd grown eager to hand off his things, as if the weight of his possessions kept him tethered to this earth and, by giving them away, he could snip those strings.*
*How much sweeter life would be if it all happened in reverse, if, after decades of disappointments, you finally arrived at an age when you had conceded nothing, when everything was possible.*
I thought this book was well written however, a little too much of a downer for me.
It is a very well written and haunting book. The story is told through the eyes of a 12 year old girl and how life changes when something happens to earth's magnetic field and the days and nights start getting longer and longer. It was very well thought out and realistic but for some reason I kept waiting for something to happen that never did.