**spoiler alert** 2.5 stars- but I seem to be in the minority on this novel, the majority seem to love it. I will say: I listened to this on audio and**spoiler alert** 2.5 stars- but I seem to be in the minority on this novel, the majority seem to love it. I will say: I listened to this on audio and the narrator was absolutely fantastic. I don’t believe I would have imagined the accents had I read it myself, so it really brought the characters alive for me. Especially Raymond.
My issues are mostly with Eleanor’s character. She experienced multiple traumas throughout her life, including a physically and emotionally abusive mother until the age of 10. However, her narrative voice just felt... disjointed. Was she childlike? Was she fractured? Was she schizophrenic? Was she all three? If she was schizophrenic- how does she just decide not to be after, I assume, 20 years of conversations with her ‘mummy’.
The final reveal of her traumatic story was emotional and I did cry- so I’m not suggesting this was a novel without heart. It just didn’t quite hit the mark with me. ...more
I won't do it. I won't compare it to Ready Player One! I refuse, sir! I will review it real soon though.
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I found giving this a rating trI won't do it. I won't compare it to Ready Player One! I refuse, sir! I will review it real soon though.
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I found giving this a rating tricky! I'm still umming and ahhing between 3.5 and 4. And that 0.5 of a star is important!
I don't think it needs to be mentioned how much I loved Ready Player One. I buy people copies of that book left, right and centre. What I'm not going to do though is compare this novel to that one. They are two stand alone worlds that have no link to one another. There are enough reviews already that highlight to comparison between the nerdiness of the two, so I don't need to go there.
No, I want to talk about this novel for what it is. And why that all important .5 of a star is still bothering me!
This is, for all intents and purposes, a cheesy, 80's sci-fi flick. I believe that is what it is supposed to be, don't get me wrong. It does what it's supposed to do really well, but my issue? My issue is I don't really enjoy... space. I know! I know! 'But you love Mass Effect' I hear you say. 'You love firefly with a passion!' Sure. Sure. But... I just don't enjoy reading about space. I don't know why! I never have. So here is a list of the reasons I would give this 4 stars, followed by a list of reasons I would give this 3.5. All under a spoiler cut because I need to discuss details, people.
* I enjoyed it. It was an action packed read, that got better and better as it went on. * I thought there actually was some sensitive character development in terms of Zach. He moved from angry, directionless teenager, to a character that was able to describe his father's killer as a 'good man' by the end of the novel. * It dealt with some really dark, quite tragic themes. This novel pulled on the heartstrings at times, and I don't think I've read a single review that actually acknowledges this. It was sad. You have a family that were completely altered. You have a group of people essentially imprisoned within an organisation that refused to allow them contact with their families. There was death in this novel. There was hard stuff here! And for the most part I think Cline handled it well. * It was nerdy, and I think fans of Cline got what they wanted out of it. * There is an actual playlist included at the end of this novel, THANK YOU. Do you know how long I spent going through Ready Player One and writing down all the songs that are mentioned in that narrative?
However, 3.5 stars because:
*WTF? A character was essentially KILLED by another, yet they killer was referred to as a 'good man' at the end. There's character development, and then there's justice. I was not pleased with the conclusion of Vance's character! * I know this is supposed to be a cheesy pastiche of 80s sci-fi. But there were literally ageing (if nearing 40s is ageing) gamers banished to the moon and forced to live alone. But don't worry. They've formed a band and play D&D every night! It's okay! There was a level of silliness here that I just couldn't get over. * We are never really given good explanations for things. WHY were 3 men living on their own on the moon? WHY did the government think it was a good idea to send 5 other people up there with them with a pretty shitty escape plan? They were their best 'fighters' yet they sent them up there to be picked off first? It was dumb tactics. * I'll say nothing more than: Lex. Underwhelming female character, which is a shame because Cline did gender discussions SO well in RPO. (hide spoiler)]
It's a read that gets better as it goes on. I'd say it's better for lovers of space and detailed retellings of gaming scenes, but you'll be able to keep up even if you don't like that stuff. I'm sure there are deeper messages about war, and humanity, and violence that can be pulled from it, but I found the overall conclusions kind of unsatisfying which is why it can't be full marks from me....more
Not sure how any of the Carnegie short list books are supposed to top this. As far as I am concerned this is a work of genius.
It's hard. And brutal. ANot sure how any of the Carnegie short list books are supposed to top this. As far as I am concerned this is a work of genius.
It's hard. And brutal. And difficult to get through, but boy oh boy has a book ever been more necessary to read?
We don't get taught much, if anything, about the Indian Wars in America at school. We get told a bunch about the abolishment of slavery, but I doubt it involves any of the information presented in this piece of historical fiction.
The main protagonist in this novel is so real, so alive, that I dare anyone not to love her from the first pages. Charley O'hara is grit and guts and a surviver. Her voice is both naive and wise, and Landman crafts her beautifully from the get-go.
I can't recommend it enough. This is as much an adult novel as it is YA. Never has there been a more perfect example of why YA is groundbreaking and challenging and full of thoughtful, smart readers....more
"Tell her it’s okay (it’s okay, it’s okay) Tell her it’s all right (it’s all right, it’s all right) And our time is now, we can do anything we really be"Tell her it’s okay (it’s okay, it’s okay) Tell her it’s all right (it’s all right, it’s all right) And our time is now, we can do anything we really believe in. Our time is now — here in the morning of our lives."
Is the song Park plays Eleanor in his bedroom, sat the the floor, mix tapes stacked up between them.
"I don't think it's a tragedy... they think they want each other...They don't even know each other."
Is what Eleanor told us, and her English teacher, at the beginning of the novel when discussing Romeo and Juliette. The signs were there.
I'll be honest. I'm struggling to star this, as much as I'm struggling to review it. Eleanor and Park have absolutely and completely infiltrated my mind. I'm walking around thinking about them. I'm listening to playlists of songs talked about by them.
I'm writing this review in the hope I will get them out of my system. Because I don't want this... this pain with me. I was in love all the way through, every moment. The stacks of comics. The sneaking out in the freezing cold. The inscrutable awkwardness of saying the wrong thing. The laying on your back in your bed and not being able to think about anything other than one person. The stark contrast between love and loathing in two very different homes. The feeling of belonging and being safe with someone. The not wanting to give yourself over. The not really knowing anything about someone but knowing them entirely. The big boned, red headed female. The skinny looking, smart, sensitive male. I loved it all. Every moment. Until the end. Because the end broke my heart into pieces that can't be fixed. Because this was a tragedy. This was always going to be a tragedy.
Park is the believer. Eleanor is the skeptic. He jumped in two feet first. She fell slowly and steadily. He wanted to do nothing but protect her till the end. She could only figure out how to best protect herself. End of the book spoilers under here. (view spoiler)[She left him. She ceased all communication for a whole year, and I still can't figure out why, and I still can't work my way around to liking that ending. But that was always going to be the inevitable ending. Every time she had to creep back home she feared she would never see him again. There was always going to come the time she would never see him again, but WHY. I'm trying to console myself with the postcard she sent him at the very end with three little words. i love you? i miss you? i am sorry?
What were the words?! For my sanity I'm going with I love you. (hide spoiler)]
I will say I think this novel should come with a trigger warning. There is child abuse/neglect, domestic violence, sexually threatening behaviour. There were some heavy topics in here, and as someone with friends who still battle with the consequences of these things, I know they wouldn't want to pick a book up and be hit with them.
I loved them both. I loved the portrayal of a 15/16 year old girl who thinks she is far fatter than she most likely is. I loved the honest portrayal of a 16 year old boy who struggles to view himself as anything other than Other. I loved that they fell in love slowly and quietly with books and music.
I just loved it. And I'm so upset by the end. And now I need to go and listen to 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' over and over and over and over and over and over.
2012: Pretty much spent the best part of my summer re-reading Harry. As per usual. So that's 6 books towards my terrible book count for this year, rig2012: Pretty much spent the best part of my summer re-reading Harry. As per usual. So that's 6 books towards my terrible book count for this year, right? RIGHT?!...more
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