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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
You damn near have to learn a new language to read this, but it's worth the trouble. One of the most interesting post apocalyptic novels I've picked up in this lifetime. Drags on a bit at the end though.
A children's war in a dark post-apocalyptic East Coast America (from Lowell to DC) - no one lives beyond 20, languages have morphed quickly and Ice Cream Star has a few too many love interests and a war to wage to wrest the cure to the posies from the Roos.
I could not make the dialect work for me. I also loathe A Clockwork Orange, so this is likely more a me-probelm than a book problem.
Despite the excellent reviews, initially I didn't know how I would feel about this book because of the very distinct dialect (pigeon English) spoken by most of the characters. I shouldn't have worried... This book is extremely well written. The language is very different, yes, but beautiful and poetic at times—so much so that it almost felt Shakespearean to me at times. This is not your run-of-the-mill dystopian novel, far from it. I'll be thinking about Ice Cream Star for some time to come!
I can't remember a less enjoyable, more frustrating, less rewarding read. Based on reviews from people and publications I trust: I kept wanting to like it, wanting to give it a chance, and it kept letting me down until the very last moment.
Spoiler ahead...
this book was fantastic until she meets Carmen and becomes the queen. I just gave up. Too ridiculous.
this book was fantastic until she meets Carmen and becomes the queen. I just gave up. Too ridiculous.
This book took me two tries to finish (I am one of those people who rarely won't finish a book the first time I read it). It is to long with little plot actually going on. I think the idea behind it was good and the writing being in a created dialect was interesting but it could have been seriously condensed and edited to be more concise (to be fair I was reading the prepublication copy so maybe the official one for stores was better) If you like the idea of reading in a interesting new dialectic form of writing I recommend it, otherwise I would not recommend this book.
Loved the dialects, loved the characters, but I'm done with well-written post-apocalyptic dystopian fiction. No matter how creative, it's still an exercise in the despairing belief that individuals can be more good than bad in their complexity, but human society as a whole cannot.
I think I would really like this book if I could get past the narration. I read at night, after the kids go to bed, and honestly just too tired to make this effort. This book will require so much brain power. Someone should read it because it sounds really good!
I recommend the audio so that you can cope with the future dystopian dialect that might occur in 80-90 years with no adults around...what a wild possibility!!