Scan barcode
itsme703's reviews
42 reviews
Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
5.0
i first read this book when i was younger, around Abilene's (the main character) age. for a book with a younger target audience, it has definitely aged very well for me. many years after my first time reading it, i've made it a tradition to reread it every year after that... this book is that good.
i don't want this review to contain spoilers, so i'm going to try to keep it simple and talk about some of my favorite aspects of this story-
i love the way everything in this book connects. the story of Manifest's past (1917-1918, i think) and Manifest's present (1936) intertwine perfectly. nothing is randomly "just there", you know? and i love the way you start to realize all these connections slowly as you keep reading.
the characters are developed very well. both the cast of 1917-1918 and 1936 are very fleshed out and feel very real. you feel genuine emotions for these characters.
also, writing style is absolutely amazing.
anyway, i give this book 5 stars. even if you aren't a 12-year-old anymore, it's a decent read. this review may be a bit biased though, since this book is one of my comfort books, haha
i don't want this review to contain spoilers, so i'm going to try to keep it simple and talk about some of my favorite aspects of this story-
i love the way everything in this book connects. the story of Manifest's past (1917-1918, i think) and Manifest's present (1936) intertwine perfectly. nothing is randomly "just there", you know? and i love the way you start to realize all these connections slowly as you keep reading.
the characters are developed very well. both the cast of 1917-1918 and 1936 are very fleshed out and feel very real. you feel genuine emotions for these characters.
also, writing style is absolutely amazing.
anyway, i give this book 5 stars. even if you aren't a 12-year-old anymore, it's a decent read. this review may be a bit biased though, since this book is one of my comfort books, haha
Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar
2.0
honestly, this book isn't good. even for its target audience... i think this is better suited for 12-year-olds.
characters:
the most annoying part about this book was the main character, Scott Hudson. there is literally nothing interesting about this guy. he's your typical white male main character living in the suburbs. he does nothing to make the already dull and cliche plot seem interesting.
i mean, maybe there's one thing that stands out about Scott- treating people like crap for no reason.
every female character is objectified by Scott. unless they have a different fashion sense, then they are seen as undesirable until they get the inevitable glow-up near the end of the story.
and then there's Scott's unexplained hatred towards his unborn sibling??? i get how he feels conflicted about the new addition to the family, but jesus christ.
throughout the book, i just ended up feeling bad for the few redeemable characters. the majority of the characters are cliche and undeveloped. maybe they've been developed more in the sequel, but i can't bother to read it after stumbling through this trainwreck.
plot:
most of the book's plot is slow and tedious. the pacing is terrible, too. throughout the story, Scott dramatizes the most mundane tasks.
the ending isn't a masterpiece, either. it's highly unrealistic. i know it's fiction, but with the character's standings and all it just made no sense.
i have to say though, the pacing did get better and the plot briefly became interesting near the end. is it worth suffering through the majority of the book? no. but it is a nice reward.
conclusion:
if you're a soon-to-be highschooler, looking for a book that might allow you to gain insight on your future, this isn't it. this book is highly unrealistic and cliche, with an unlikable protagonist and terrible pacing. there are many scenes throughout the book that make absolutely no sense when looking through the events that transpired beforehand. maybe a 12-year-old would enjoy this type of writing style, but certainly not a 14-year-old.
characters:
the most annoying part about this book was the main character, Scott Hudson. there is literally nothing interesting about this guy. he's your typical white male main character living in the suburbs. he does nothing to make the already dull and cliche plot seem interesting.
i mean, maybe there's one thing that stands out about Scott- treating people like crap for no reason.
every female character is objectified by Scott. unless they have a different fashion sense, then they are seen as undesirable until they get the inevitable glow-up near the end of the story.
and then there's Scott's unexplained hatred towards his unborn sibling??? i get how he feels conflicted about the new addition to the family, but jesus christ.
throughout the book, i just ended up feeling bad for the few redeemable characters. the majority of the characters are cliche and undeveloped. maybe they've been developed more in the sequel, but i can't bother to read it after stumbling through this trainwreck.
plot:
most of the book's plot is slow and tedious. the pacing is terrible, too. throughout the story, Scott dramatizes the most mundane tasks.
the ending isn't a masterpiece, either. it's highly unrealistic. i know it's fiction, but with the character's standings and all it just made no sense.
i have to say though, the pacing did get better and the plot briefly became interesting near the end. is it worth suffering through the majority of the book? no. but it is a nice reward.
conclusion:
if you're a soon-to-be highschooler, looking for a book that might allow you to gain insight on your future, this isn't it. this book is highly unrealistic and cliche, with an unlikable protagonist and terrible pacing. there are many scenes throughout the book that make absolutely no sense when looking through the events that transpired beforehand. maybe a 12-year-old would enjoy this type of writing style, but certainly not a 14-year-old.