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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
Luscious illustrations and a fully-developed parallel universe make this a good solid read. The world of Abarat is obviously somewhere Clive Barker loves to inhabit, and the characters and settings profit from the many years he has spent bringing this world to life. Candy is naive and trusting, but smart enough in the end to realise that this is not Wonderland. Lots of fun, if not a 5-star classic.
Given that it only took me 3 days to complete this reading, I have to admit that I was a bit shocked to be reading a fantasy story directed at adolescent girls by the man who gave me my very own teen nightmares of Pinhead and his crew. While it could be more fleshed out, the adventure was well-paced and not at all derivative of Baum.
Heading back when I find that pier in MN!
Heading back when I find that pier in MN!
Ok I think I said this on my last 5 reviews, but I'm not sure how to rate this.
I loved the illustrations. With out them this would have been 3 stars.
It was a bit light on the plot. I'm not even sure how to summarize it. Candy goes to Abarat but this guy wants to kidnap her. She goes around to places where people are inexplicably nice to her. The end. I'm not even sure what the climax would be.
There were maybe too many characters. I am in favour of having the bare minimum of characters so the reader doesn't get confused when you start talking about some one who was last mentioned 100 pages ago.
I loved the illustrations. With out them this would have been 3 stars.
It was a bit light on the plot. I'm not even sure how to summarize it. Candy goes to Abarat but this guy wants to kidnap her. She goes around to places where people are inexplicably nice to her. The end. I'm not even sure what the climax would be.
There were maybe too many characters. I am in favour of having the bare minimum of characters so the reader doesn't get confused when you start talking about some one who was last mentioned 100 pages ago.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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:
No
Another wonderful series I have feel in love with.
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
fast-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:
No
Abarat made me wish I had a time machine to read it back when I was a child. It surely would have been my favorite. Even as an adult, I find the book charming and I had no problem being carried away in Barker's wild imagination. Abarat's worldbuiding is rich and uncompromisingly weird, brought to life by the beautiful illustrations that make the book (and its archipelago) so alive and vivid.
I could argue about the thinness of the plot but to quote Clive Barker : " Sometimes you need to let things strike your heart and not your head. "
I could argue about the thinness of the plot but to quote Clive Barker : " Sometimes you need to let things strike your heart and not your head. "
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Insanely beautiful illustrations, Abarat is a weird and wonderful world!
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It is a fantasy book which feels like Alice in wonderland, also with great pictures and creatures and another world. Definitely meant for a younger audience. I'm not a fantasy person or child focused reading person, but it was still quite enjoyable and well written
I normally don’t like young adult novels—they seem to hold things (descriptions, violence, disturbing scenes) back, which makes them less enjoyable for me. However, ABARAT exceeded my expectations in every way.
A truly magical book (even if it lacks a specific storyline), Clive Barker creates a world that you don’t get to see enough of in the book’s 400+ pages. ABARAT has themes that most young adult books don’t dare contain, but it also has a tone of wonder to it despite the evils of both the human (Candy’s father) and magical (too many to count) worlds.
ABARAT is my second Clive Barker book (after CABAL), and I can’t wait to read another one. It’s a shame that his books are so hard to get in Australia.
A truly magical book (even if it lacks a specific storyline), Clive Barker creates a world that you don’t get to see enough of in the book’s 400+ pages. ABARAT has themes that most young adult books don’t dare contain, but it also has a tone of wonder to it despite the evils of both the human (Candy’s father) and magical (too many to count) worlds.
ABARAT is my second Clive Barker book (after CABAL), and I can’t wait to read another one. It’s a shame that his books are so hard to get in Australia.