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A review by rhysciar
Jack Frost, Volume 5: The End Becomes the Beginning by William Joyce
3.0
My memories of the previous parts are foggy, but I felt this was different than those. Like something was missing from it, maybe the essence of this tale? I'm not sure. Rise of the Guardians came out in 2012, and I loved that movie, it made me read these books, but eventually I feel like that movie is the reason this book is lacking. Reading the final part, all I could think about is how similar was the movie to it - and because of this, I felt like this book shouldn't have been written. It seems and feels like Joyce wrote this only because he had to finish it, but he didn't really have any idea as to how. He needed to introduce Jack Frost to the series, because he was the hero in the movie, but how to do it? Jack Frost was never mentioned before in the books, and he only had one book left, so what should he do? No wonder it took 4 years to figure it out before this book could have been published. It felt forced. Way too forced after the previous books.
I don't know. I'm a little confused about this. Ultimately this is a heartwarming story about friendship and love and perseverance, how to fight for your dreams, how to not give up - aimed for kids. And that is really important when it comes to writing down my opinions about this book.
A lot of stuff can happen in a few months, a year, not to mention in 7 years. I read the last part in 2014, and it took it's toll on me. I see the world differently now, and while I want to think that I still have some child-like fun and spirit in me, unfortunately I've had some hard years where I've had to adapt and change - and this change (though I appreciate and welcome it) made me harder in every aspect of life. That's why I can't really enjoy this story anymore, and while I see its positive properties, my critical self can not see past its negative aspects: how badly the story is written, how much Joyce pulled from the movie, making the whole series fall apart, how nothing makes sense at all. Mainly with Jack, and that's the absolute worst thing in this book. Feeling that nothing clicks with Jack Frost.
But these are only the ramblings of an adult. For children - whom this book is aimed -, the series is a really good introduction to fantasy, and I would recommend it wholeheartedly. This part is good too and loveable too, but after all, it can't fully satisfy that weird desire to end this series with the same feeling as the first book started - enchanting, mesmerizing and fun. This one felt forced to me, and though I appreciate that Joyce finished the series, I'm disappointed in it. Everything happened too easily, nothing was at stakes, and though I liked Frost's story, it was sadly empty. It lacked that magical atmosphere that Joyce created in the previus parts pulling from urban legends and myths and cultural legends. I missed those, and was really not a fan of reading about the Great Depression, Churchill, Kepling and World Wars. It made the book feel really different.
So all in all, at least I finished this series. It won't be nagging me anymore, but I wish I could have read this somehow differently. To enjoy it more. The series deserves this - this book, the final novel was a disappointment though. Still a good book, but it could have been far better.
I don't know. I'm a little confused about this. Ultimately this is a heartwarming story about friendship and love and perseverance, how to fight for your dreams, how to not give up - aimed for kids. And that is really important when it comes to writing down my opinions about this book.
A lot of stuff can happen in a few months, a year, not to mention in 7 years. I read the last part in 2014, and it took it's toll on me. I see the world differently now, and while I want to think that I still have some child-like fun and spirit in me, unfortunately I've had some hard years where I've had to adapt and change - and this change (though I appreciate and welcome it) made me harder in every aspect of life. That's why I can't really enjoy this story anymore, and while I see its positive properties, my critical self can not see past its negative aspects: how badly the story is written, how much Joyce pulled from the movie, making the whole series fall apart, how nothing makes sense at all. Mainly with Jack, and that's the absolute worst thing in this book. Feeling that nothing clicks with Jack Frost.
But these are only the ramblings of an adult. For children - whom this book is aimed -, the series is a really good introduction to fantasy, and I would recommend it wholeheartedly. This part is good too and loveable too, but after all, it can't fully satisfy that weird desire to end this series with the same feeling as the first book started - enchanting, mesmerizing and fun. This one felt forced to me, and though I appreciate that Joyce finished the series, I'm disappointed in it. Everything happened too easily, nothing was at stakes, and though I liked Frost's story, it was sadly empty. It lacked that magical atmosphere that Joyce created in the previus parts pulling from urban legends and myths and cultural legends. I missed those, and was really not a fan of reading about the Great Depression, Churchill, Kepling and World Wars. It made the book feel really different.
So all in all, at least I finished this series. It won't be nagging me anymore, but I wish I could have read this somehow differently. To enjoy it more. The series deserves this - this book, the final novel was a disappointment though. Still a good book, but it could have been far better.