Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by cschinke
Meanwhile by Jason Shiga
4.0
My feelings about this book are complicated, and that's in part what it gets a star higher than I want to give it. Since finishing the book - which is a tough thing to say when it comes to this book - I've been mulling it over repeatedly. It's a frustrating book. And it's something that won't get out of my head.
What makes the book great is that it's a choose your own adventure style story (yes, it's a style because choose your own adventure is trademarked and thus can be litigated) in graphic novel format. Comics panels are connected by "tubes" taking you in all directions around the page, which is engaging in and if itself. Maybe a bit much for people who require linearity, but this works in favor of the story. "Tubes" branch out at points offering choices that let you explore the story. Your first time through, you're not going to get to an enjoyable ending. As you play around, though, you learn how to keep the story going and pick up on clues that advance things further.
In this way, the book is like a game. You take what you've learned on your last play to improve your performance. (Note: I've been playing the game Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter recently. It's an RPG in which failure is required to advance. You start all over with knowledge of what is to come to better prepare your adventurers...but you also keep your equipment, too. In this book, you have knowledge and keep the codes.) If you're into the story enough, which is essentially trying to save the world from your own mistakes, you'll be driven to try over and over again to do it right next time.
So what's wrong with this book? This is a semi-spoiler, but all of your effort is meaningless. When you realize that, it's disappointing. You're reading a time travel story about choices with things ultimately being fairly deterministic. Its possible that in other circumstances I'd find this brilliant. However, I stumbled across this book as a suggestion for 8 year olds. After multiple failures, my kid hated it. I was determined to find a good ending to point her toward. I think that shaded my view of this piece of work.
Then there are the pages you find while flipping back and forth. A clearly different ending. A different code. A squid! After some investigation, you realize that these are unreachable without cheating. You can't fully read the book without cheating. It's by design. It's an interesting choice.
In all my frustration with it, though, I keep thinking about the book as a piece of art, as a game, and as a story. The fact it has taken up space for so many hours is a good thing. Art you don't quickly discard after completion is worthwhile--even if it leaves you soured. So kudos to Jason Shiga for this accomplishment.
By the way, getting stuck in loops is frustrating and fun. Try using the SQUID device on yourself after finding the code that let's you scan back further than a few minutes.
What makes the book great is that it's a choose your own adventure style story (yes, it's a style because choose your own adventure is trademarked and thus can be litigated) in graphic novel format. Comics panels are connected by "tubes" taking you in all directions around the page, which is engaging in and if itself. Maybe a bit much for people who require linearity, but this works in favor of the story. "Tubes" branch out at points offering choices that let you explore the story. Your first time through, you're not going to get to an enjoyable ending. As you play around, though, you learn how to keep the story going and pick up on clues that advance things further.
In this way, the book is like a game. You take what you've learned on your last play to improve your performance. (Note: I've been playing the game Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter recently. It's an RPG in which failure is required to advance. You start all over with knowledge of what is to come to better prepare your adventurers...but you also keep your equipment, too. In this book, you have knowledge and keep the codes.) If you're into the story enough, which is essentially trying to save the world from your own mistakes, you'll be driven to try over and over again to do it right next time.
So what's wrong with this book? This is a semi-spoiler, but all of your effort is meaningless. When you realize that, it's disappointing. You're reading a time travel story about choices with things ultimately being fairly deterministic. Its possible that in other circumstances I'd find this brilliant. However, I stumbled across this book as a suggestion for 8 year olds. After multiple failures, my kid hated it. I was determined to find a good ending to point her toward. I think that shaded my view of this piece of work.
Then there are the pages you find while flipping back and forth. A clearly different ending. A different code. A squid! After some investigation, you realize that these are unreachable without cheating. You can't fully read the book without cheating. It's by design. It's an interesting choice.
In all my frustration with it, though, I keep thinking about the book as a piece of art, as a game, and as a story. The fact it has taken up space for so many hours is a good thing. Art you don't quickly discard after completion is worthwhile--even if it leaves you soured. So kudos to Jason Shiga for this accomplishment.
By the way, getting stuck in loops is frustrating and fun. Try using the SQUID device on yourself after finding the code that let's you scan back further than a few minutes.