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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
A lot of people have been waiting for Clive Barker to unveil his newest creation since Coldheart Canyon earlier this year. We all knew it was going to be for kids, but we also knew it was going to be classic Clive Barker, and would be a great first book in the series. Having read this first installment, I concur with every fan’s automatic assumption.
Abarat is the first book in the series about a young girl, Candy Quakenbush, who lives in Chickentown, USA. She has never felt she truly belongs in the dead end town which prides itself on maintaining the industry of its name. And so one day she heads out into the fields, where he finds what looks like the ruin of an old lighthouse and an old pier. Soon she meets a couple of characters, one good and one bad, and she has just seconds to start up this old lighthouse using a magic she never knew she possessed. Suddenly the sea comes rushing in from nowhere and she is whisked away to the Abarat, a vast archipelago where every island is a specific hour of the day. And so Candy is taken on many different adventures, both good and bad, where each time she comes close to losing everything, she somehow manages to break free.
With a vast cast of crazy and unusual characters, any reader would be struggling to deal with what they all look like and how to separate all these places. Fortunately, Barker hasn’t only been busy writing, but he has also been busy painting for this series. Abarat features over one hundred original designs and paintings by Barker which he has spent the last four years creating, all to do with the current book at hand. The result is a visual opening into an impossible world that could only exist within the mind of one man.
The book ends with Candy alive and well on towards another adventure, as Barker ends with a familiar phrase: “So Ends the First Book of the Abarat.” With three more to come in the series, one can only wonder what Candy is going to get up to next.
Originally published on December 9th, 2002.
For over 500 book reviews, and over 40 exclusive author interviews (both audio and written), visit BookBanter.
Abarat is the first book in the series about a young girl, Candy Quakenbush, who lives in Chickentown, USA. She has never felt she truly belongs in the dead end town which prides itself on maintaining the industry of its name. And so one day she heads out into the fields, where he finds what looks like the ruin of an old lighthouse and an old pier. Soon she meets a couple of characters, one good and one bad, and she has just seconds to start up this old lighthouse using a magic she never knew she possessed. Suddenly the sea comes rushing in from nowhere and she is whisked away to the Abarat, a vast archipelago where every island is a specific hour of the day. And so Candy is taken on many different adventures, both good and bad, where each time she comes close to losing everything, she somehow manages to break free.
With a vast cast of crazy and unusual characters, any reader would be struggling to deal with what they all look like and how to separate all these places. Fortunately, Barker hasn’t only been busy writing, but he has also been busy painting for this series. Abarat features over one hundred original designs and paintings by Barker which he has spent the last four years creating, all to do with the current book at hand. The result is a visual opening into an impossible world that could only exist within the mind of one man.
The book ends with Candy alive and well on towards another adventure, as Barker ends with a familiar phrase: “So Ends the First Book of the Abarat.” With three more to come in the series, one can only wonder what Candy is going to get up to next.
Originally published on December 9th, 2002.
For over 500 book reviews, and over 40 exclusive author interviews (both audio and written), visit BookBanter.
I read this book back in like fourth grade and its lived in my mind ever since
tök jól indult a regény, aztán amikor már a háromnegyedénél tartottam, kezdett gyanús lenni, hogy ennek itten aztán nem lesz vége. Egyre több új ismerős, helyszín, eseménysor tűnt fel és semmi se mutatott arra, hogy itt hamarosan csúcspont lesz. S utánaolvastam, hogy valóban ez biza egy sorozat első része, amit Barker 5 részesre tervezett, de még angolul is csak 3 jelent meg. Úgyhogy csalódtam, mert azt hittem olvasok egy jó kis "stand alone" ifjúsági fantasyt, de a sorozat már nem érdekel.
Részletesen: http://olvasonaplo.net/olvasonaplo/2009/05/15/clive_barker_abarat/
Részletesen: http://olvasonaplo.net/olvasonaplo/2009/05/15/clive_barker_abarat/
I read Abarat years ago (I think maybe in middle school) and I totally fell in love with it. I’ve got the next two books in the series (and sadly the last two have yet to be published) but I haven’t actually read them yet which is a travesty. So, I re-read Abarat and am going to be reading the next two books soon here.
Abarat is such a wonderful book. It was one of my favorites when I was younger and having read it again, I can say that it remains solidly on my favorite books list. It’s a wonderfully imaginative story and it just completely sucks you in. Candy is a great character, she’s very easy to connect with and she’s a very strong character in that she takes things in stride and fights not only for herself but for others. I just have so much love for Candy, I don’t have the words to describe it. John Mischief and his brothers are equally fabulous characters, and of course there’s Malingo (who I just want to hug and never let go). Christopher Carrion is a deliciously evil character.
The writing is great and so vivid and descriptive that you feel as though Abarat is a real place. It plunges you into this strange and fascinating new world right alongside Candy. Not to mention the beautiful artwork that’s included throughout the pages of the book. It really adds to the whole atmosphere and you can really imagine all of the happenings and people involved in Abarat even better thanks to the art. (Not to mention they’re just so wonderful to look at!)
The book sets up a great adventure for Candy and there are a lot of questions that are left unanswered at the end (which makes me want to read the second book immediately). There are really great scenes that had me both laughing and gasping and sitting on the edge of my seat with anticipation. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Candy and the rest of her friends in the Abarat.
Abarat is such a wonderful book. It was one of my favorites when I was younger and having read it again, I can say that it remains solidly on my favorite books list. It’s a wonderfully imaginative story and it just completely sucks you in. Candy is a great character, she’s very easy to connect with and she’s a very strong character in that she takes things in stride and fights not only for herself but for others. I just have so much love for Candy, I don’t have the words to describe it. John Mischief and his brothers are equally fabulous characters, and of course there’s Malingo (who I just want to hug and never let go). Christopher Carrion is a deliciously evil character.
The writing is great and so vivid and descriptive that you feel as though Abarat is a real place. It plunges you into this strange and fascinating new world right alongside Candy. Not to mention the beautiful artwork that’s included throughout the pages of the book. It really adds to the whole atmosphere and you can really imagine all of the happenings and people involved in Abarat even better thanks to the art. (Not to mention they’re just so wonderful to look at!)
The book sets up a great adventure for Candy and there are a lot of questions that are left unanswered at the end (which makes me want to read the second book immediately). There are really great scenes that had me both laughing and gasping and sitting on the edge of my seat with anticipation. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Candy and the rest of her friends in the Abarat.
This wonderful, magical book just secured itself a spot in my favourite fantasy books EVER. With this book Barker shows that he can do young adult fantasy just as well as he does horror and it’s just absolutely PHENOMENAL. He blends together such a spectacular mix of dark fantasy with just a dash of horror and the result is just mind blowing. The world Barker has created in this book is just so unique, I’ve never read anything like it and I doubt I ever will again! Not only is the setting unlike anything I’ve ever read before but the characters are a huge part of why I loved this book as well. You have heroes and villains and magical beings and everything else in between and it makes for such a magical experience when added to the amazing world Barker has created! I completely lost myself in the magical world of Abarat and I cannot wait to discover more of what it has to offer in the next books.
Hmm...membaca byk review positif & bertabur 4-5 bintang tertarik koleksi seri abarat ini. Namun ternyata ak gk klik sm seri ini. Buku pertama sj udh membuat ak ngantuk saaat membacanya, gk penasaran sama jln ceritanya.
Kuakui sbnrnya world buildingnya bagus, dgn pulau2 sebanyak 25 buah dimana tiap pulau mewakili setiap jam plus pulau ke-25 yg mewaliki waktu sebelum waktu atau apapun lah. Namun ya sayang sekali ak gk cocok saja dgn buku ini.
Karena udh terlanjur beli 3 buku & harganya gk murah pula ya sdh lanjut buku 2.
Kuakui sbnrnya world buildingnya bagus, dgn pulau2 sebanyak 25 buah dimana tiap pulau mewakili setiap jam plus pulau ke-25 yg mewaliki waktu sebelum waktu atau apapun lah. Namun ya sayang sekali ak gk cocok saja dgn buku ini.
Karena udh terlanjur beli 3 buku & harganya gk murah pula ya sdh lanjut buku 2.
This book is so bizarre and charming and not-quite-like anything else I've ever read before.
I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and the fantastical elements of the Abarat. (I don't think there's a more delightful place name than Yebba Dim Day. ^_^) I probably would have liked it even better when I was younger. The prose presented the events and creatures in a beautiful and engaging way. However, there's not much dimension to the characters or plot beyond the interesting world, so I won't be continuing the series.
Confusing. I feel like this was 4 books put together in one. By the time you would get use to one character they would leave and another strange character would take its place.
Very original, easy-to-read, and great illustrations. Lots of fun. I didn't like that the book didn't really conclude, but I understand e wants you to read the next one.