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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
I did read this for my bookclub. I'm not sure I liked it. I found it hard to get to the end but I can't really say what made it so. Overall I can say it's a decent book, but just not for me.
Completely different from what I expected but thoroughly enjoyed it and looked forward to continuing the series.
Weird, highly metaphorical story that's a bit hard to follow, but still enjoyable. The art is incredible!!!
Honestly, I think this book has very creative characters and concepts. Vivid imagery and well written. The artwork that goes along with it was beautiful and creepy at the same time.
Now, I'm not quite sure why I couldn't get into the story. Part of me thinks that if I was still a teenager reading this book instead of an adult, it would appeal to me more. I read other Clive Barker books when I was a teen/early 20's and thoroughly enjoyed the books. I would recommend this books to some of my young cousins, but not so much for my friends.
Now, I'm not quite sure why I couldn't get into the story. Part of me thinks that if I was still a teenager reading this book instead of an adult, it would appeal to me more. I read other Clive Barker books when I was a teen/early 20's and thoroughly enjoyed the books. I would recommend this books to some of my young cousins, but not so much for my friends.
Darker than the Harry Potter series, Abarat was written around a series of paintings done by Clive Barker, which also serve as the book's illustrations. Candy Quackenbush comes from a home deeply affected by alcoholism in a dead end small town in Minnesota. An outsider to both community and family, Candy does things her own way -- when she walks out of school after a nasty confrontation, she accidentally embroils herself in a chase between a thief and a bounty hunter, neither of whom are...local. Soon, she finds herself hurtling across a sea summoned from nowhere and trying to survive in the mysterious archipelago of the Abarat. Although hunted by the Lord of Midnight, Christopher Carrion, Candy discovers that she may have finally found a place she can call home amongst new friends who are ready to call her family...if only she can survive Carrion's wrath.
A really interesting novel reminiscent of Barker's first children's book The Thief of Always. The book definitely feels incomplete, with no definitive ending, but that's because it carries over into the second book.
Still, it would have been nice for some sort of conflict to be resolved considering the reader is introduced to so damn many different problems and mysteries. It's also a little too jam packed with characters. I hope this is all of them. I can't imagine trying to keep tabs on anymore.
The artwork is astounding, and I don't know if it's included in all editions, but definitely make sure you pick up the hardcover.
Overall, it's very fanciful, a little weird and morbid (to be expected from Mr. Barker), and it holds the attention of the reader as strong as any other successful young adult novel.
Still, it would have been nice for some sort of conflict to be resolved considering the reader is introduced to so damn many different problems and mysteries. It's also a little too jam packed with characters. I hope this is all of them. I can't imagine trying to keep tabs on anymore.
The artwork is astounding, and I don't know if it's included in all editions, but definitely make sure you pick up the hardcover.
Overall, it's very fanciful, a little weird and morbid (to be expected from Mr. Barker), and it holds the attention of the reader as strong as any other successful young adult novel.
An interesting trip into a new and fantastical fantasy world. The twists and turns of the story are enjoyable but never over the top and I can't wait to see what the next books hold. Unfortunately I read the paperback copy which does not include the illustrations which I heard so much about so I am going to have to find a copy of it.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Cute!
I didn't realize that this was the first of a series (apparently of four books). It's frustrating to expect a book to resolve, only to find that it ends pretty abruptly. I had a sneaking suspicion towards the end that there wasn't space to satisfactorily resolve all of the plot threads in the time left, but I was ambushed by the fact that there is a substantial Appendix.
That aside, I liked the book. Creative. Surprising. More depth and darkness than a lot of books for children. The paintings add a lot. I look forward to the rest of the series.
That aside, I liked the book. Creative. Surprising. More depth and darkness than a lot of books for children. The paintings add a lot. I look forward to the rest of the series.
It turns out this is the first of 5 books. Uggh. Anyway, it is by Clive Barker, the guy who made the Hellraiser movies, so you have to understand that this guy is dark and twisted. The book was written for teenagers so I wasn't as afraid as if it was a book for adults. It only had a couple of mild swear words but the psychadelic land that Candy Quackenbush ends up visiting is very weird and dark and creepy. There weren't blood and guts but there were threats of blood and guts and torture. Some of the characters were very reminiscent of the Hellraiser guy who is bald and has pins all over his head. I don't know if I'll read the other 4 books even though this first one really left me hanging. I like fantasy and everything but not so much the books that have the heroine travel through the land, meeting one weird creature after another. Give me some structure!