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jenbsbooks's Reviews (2.41k)
I think, maybe I wasn't in the mood for YA right now? I just DNFed another YA and was SO close to calling this one a DNF also (at about halfway). I glanced over the rave reviews, some that said the second half really pulled it all together ... so I decided to finish. Unfortunately, still "ehh" for me.
I went with the audio - I see there are two. I went with the one narrated by the author. He is good, but the music, oh please, please STOP THE MUSIC between chapters. It was literally painful. I'd have to stop and take the earbud out. The music interludes were loooooong, and then overlapped as the narration started up again.
Ironically as there was the awful music added ... when there was music in the story, one of the characters singing, the songs were "patter speak" and I hated that. I understand the issues ... the narrator may not have a good singing voice, or as in this case, the narrator is a man and the character singing is a woman (as hard as voices are in general, it's even more difficult to transfer that voice to song). I don't know if the "songs" here were even real ones (or if a melody would have had to be created). I understand the issues, but still, I wanted the little song portions sung, the patter speak felt so unnatural.
While I went with audio , I had the Kindle and physical book as well. I like to have the text to turn to, for reference, for reading, for making notes and highlights. Here - there were a lot of pictures/illustrations. The illustrations actually made the book feel even MORE YA/MiddleGrade though, which might be good if that's the audience (although reading the reviews, so many adults seem to love this one as well). Despite the young feel, it starts off with the murder of a father/mother/daughter and attempted murder of the baby boy. I drew back a little at the start - yikes!
The first half just seemed an odd collection of events ... I guess most things did come together in the end. 3rd person/Past tense throughout - mostly from the POV of Bod (his name reminded me of some show, where they called someone "Bud" and while I can't remember, it distracted me the whole time). We do get a omniscient overview at times, as well as a peek into the mind of some other characters.
I wonder if I would have liked the full-cast audio better ... or reading it myself better. Would I have liked it more in my younger years? Would I come to appreciate it more in a bookclub/school setting where meanings and layers are uncovered more? I did find some publisher's discussion questions online ...
Discussion Questions
1. From the opening lines, Gaiman hooks readers with a distinct narrative voice and a vivid setting. Discuss how both of these elements serve the story.
2. There is a rich tradition of orphans in children’s literature as well as a tradition of child-of-destiny themes in fantasy literature. Discuss how Bod fits squarely into both categories.
3. The graveyard is populated with characters we typically think of as evil. How does Gaiman play with this idea, particularly in the characters of Silas, Miss Lupescu, and Eliza Hempstock? What do these characterizations suggest about human nature?
4. Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean are frequent collaborators. How do the illustrations contribute to your reading of The Graveyard Book?
5. If you are familiar with Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, discuss how The Graveyard Book is reminiscent of Kipling’s classic tale. How does a familiarity with The Jungle Book enhance the reading of The Graveyard Book?
6. At the close of the novel, Mrs. Owens sings about embracing the human experience: “Face your life / Its pain, its pleasure, / Leave no path untaken” (p. 306). How does this theme resonate throughout the novel?
7. “A graveyard is not normally a democracy, and yet death is the great democracy” (p. 29). How is death the great democracy? How does Gaiman explore the relationship between the dead and the living?
8. It is often said that it takes a village to raise a child. How does this graveyard come together to raise this particular child? Describe the special mentoring relationships that Bod has with Silas and Miss Lupescu.
9. Boundaries—between the living and the dead, between the graveyard and the world—are an important part of the novel. How does Bod test these boundaries? What are the consequences of Bod’s actions?
10. Bod’s human interactions are limited to a short-lived friendship with Scarlett and a brief stint at school. Discuss how these experiences change Bod. How do our friendships and associations with others affect us?
11. What do you think of the advice that Bod receives from Nehemiah Trot, the dead poet: “Do not take revenge in the heat of the moment. Instead, wait until the hour is propitious” (p. 233)?
12. How does The Graveyard Book compare to Gaiman’s first novel for young readers, Coraline? Much of Coraline’s success can be attributed to its strong and diverse following. What are some of the characteristics of Gaiman’s writing that make it appealing to young and old alike?
13. Like much of Gaiman’s work, The Graveyard Book manages to fuse elements of humor, horror, fantasy, and mystery into a single story. Identify examples of these elements and discuss how they work together. How might the story read differently if one or more of these elements were removed?
I went with the audio - I see there are two. I went with the one narrated by the author. He is good, but the music, oh please, please STOP THE MUSIC between chapters. It was literally painful. I'd have to stop and take the earbud out. The music interludes were loooooong, and then overlapped as the narration started up again.
Ironically as there was the awful music added ... when there was music in the story, one of the characters singing, the songs were "patter speak" and I hated that. I understand the issues ... the narrator may not have a good singing voice, or as in this case, the narrator is a man and the character singing is a woman (as hard as voices are in general, it's even more difficult to transfer that voice to song). I don't know if the "songs" here were even real ones (or if a melody would have had to be created). I understand the issues, but still, I wanted the little song portions sung, the patter speak felt so unnatural.
While I went with audio , I had the Kindle and physical book as well. I like to have the text to turn to, for reference, for reading, for making notes and highlights. Here - there were a lot of pictures/illustrations. The illustrations actually made the book feel even MORE YA/MiddleGrade though, which might be good if that's the audience (although reading the reviews, so many adults seem to love this one as well). Despite the young feel, it starts off with the murder of a father/mother/daughter and attempted murder of the baby boy. I drew back a little at the start - yikes!
The first half just seemed an odd collection of events ... I guess most things did come together in the end. 3rd person/Past tense throughout - mostly from the POV of Bod (his name reminded me of some show, where they called someone "Bud" and while I can't remember, it distracted me the whole time). We do get a omniscient overview at times, as well as a peek into the mind of some other characters.
I wonder if I would have liked the full-cast audio better ... or reading it myself better. Would I have liked it more in my younger years? Would I come to appreciate it more in a bookclub/school setting where meanings and layers are uncovered more? I did find some publisher's discussion questions online ...
Discussion Questions
1. From the opening lines, Gaiman hooks readers with a distinct narrative voice and a vivid setting. Discuss how both of these elements serve the story.
2. There is a rich tradition of orphans in children’s literature as well as a tradition of child-of-destiny themes in fantasy literature. Discuss how Bod fits squarely into both categories.
3. The graveyard is populated with characters we typically think of as evil. How does Gaiman play with this idea, particularly in the characters of Silas, Miss Lupescu, and Eliza Hempstock? What do these characterizations suggest about human nature?
4. Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean are frequent collaborators. How do the illustrations contribute to your reading of The Graveyard Book?
5. If you are familiar with Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, discuss how The Graveyard Book is reminiscent of Kipling’s classic tale. How does a familiarity with The Jungle Book enhance the reading of The Graveyard Book?
6. At the close of the novel, Mrs. Owens sings about embracing the human experience: “Face your life / Its pain, its pleasure, / Leave no path untaken” (p. 306). How does this theme resonate throughout the novel?
7. “A graveyard is not normally a democracy, and yet death is the great democracy” (p. 29). How is death the great democracy? How does Gaiman explore the relationship between the dead and the living?
8. It is often said that it takes a village to raise a child. How does this graveyard come together to raise this particular child? Describe the special mentoring relationships that Bod has with Silas and Miss Lupescu.
9. Boundaries—between the living and the dead, between the graveyard and the world—are an important part of the novel. How does Bod test these boundaries? What are the consequences of Bod’s actions?
10. Bod’s human interactions are limited to a short-lived friendship with Scarlett and a brief stint at school. Discuss how these experiences change Bod. How do our friendships and associations with others affect us?
11. What do you think of the advice that Bod receives from Nehemiah Trot, the dead poet: “Do not take revenge in the heat of the moment. Instead, wait until the hour is propitious” (p. 233)?
12. How does The Graveyard Book compare to Gaiman’s first novel for young readers, Coraline? Much of Coraline’s success can be attributed to its strong and diverse following. What are some of the characteristics of Gaiman’s writing that make it appealing to young and old alike?
13. Like much of Gaiman’s work, The Graveyard Book manages to fuse elements of humor, horror, fantasy, and mystery into a single story. Identify examples of these elements and discuss how they work together. How might the story read differently if one or more of these elements were removed?
So ... at another time (especially when I was younger) I'm sure I would have enjoyed this book. Right now? I'm not feeling it. I'm not the target audience, but I read a lot of YA, this felt even younger, perhaps the whole "fairy tale" theme. I got half way through. Seriously, no complaints about the story or the writing, and even though I feel like it's mostly a timing issue for me, I don't think I'll be coming back to this one.
I picked this up from a LittleFreeLibrary. It looked cute. I can't say the cover/title didn't shout out exactly what it was (like some of those cute cartoon covers that then end up more spicy that a Harlequin with the half-naked couple embracing). I was also able to grab a Kindle copy from the library, but it doesn't look like this is available in audio anywhere. Any book I have to read with my limited "eye" time ... I have to really want to read. This one started to feel like a chore. For me. At this time.
Even with my limited reading and DNF, I'd give this a thumbs up for any kids who expressed an interest in a fun fairytale twist.
I picked this up from a LittleFreeLibrary. It looked cute. I can't say the cover/title didn't shout out exactly what it was (like some of those cute cartoon covers that then end up more spicy that a Harlequin with the half-naked couple embracing). I was also able to grab a Kindle copy from the library, but it doesn't look like this is available in audio anywhere. Any book I have to read with my limited "eye" time ... I have to really want to read. This one started to feel like a chore. For me. At this time.
Even with my limited reading and DNF, I'd give this a thumbs up for any kids who expressed an interest in a fun fairytale twist.
A friend recommended this, and I saw it mentioned in my FB groups. I had a bit of a wait but was happy the hold came in during "spooky" season/October. While this kept my interest while I was immersed in the book, as it ended and I reflect on it ... there just seemed to be so many things that were unexplained. Red herrings. Little tidbits just 'there' without coming back to tie-in to the story in any way.
SPOILERS We know why Betty haunts the hotel, but why the little boy (he was hurt there, but didn't die there, and it was an accident) and the manager (he died there, but still ... he doesn't serve any purpose, that I remember). Why the whole back story for Nick - was it important that his father heard voiced (not related to the girls hearing voices, you think there might be a connection, but no). Why all the descriptions of Heather in her big coats, the cold air around her ... I know I wasn't the only one who thought she might be a ghost, but no, just the author playing with the reader. Why couldn't Viv have just claimed self-defense? She had been attacked (even if it wasn't by Simon Hess) ... honestly, when that attack was happening, I was going to be pretty frustrated if he whole time Viv had been killed by some random guy not connected to all the other stuff. There were just so many conveniences and coincidences that if one stops to think about it, the suspension of disbelief is too much, even for a ghost story. Viv just happens to be a perfect mimic to recreate voices and impersonate people as needed, the "teen girl figures out everything the police can't" trope, that she just happens to get dropped a ton of money when she needs to take off, that she happens to know a guy who knows people who can set her up with a new identity. That she can come back to a tiny little town and have no one recognize her.
Two timelines -- no numerical chapters, just the POV of Viv (3rd person/past tense, in 1982) and Carly (1st person/past tense, in 2017). This "chapter" setup makes it really hard to find one's spot between formats. I had this out in both audio and kindle. I went primarily with the audio and I was glad I didn't need to find my spot in the text (but I referred to the Kindle copy a lot afterward, reviewing, checking). I was really glad for the two different narrators, distinctive voices for the two timeline/characters.
ProFanity (x20). I also noticed the word "rifled" used several (6) times. It's just a word I note, and did the author mean rifled or riffled, and did the narrator get the pronunciation correct? Here, I do think rifled was the correct term, but to have someone be "rifling" through things six times in the book seemed like a lot of rifling.
So, for me, it was fine, kept my interest, but not one I'd rave about.
SPOILERS
Two timelines -- no numerical chapters, just the POV of Viv (3rd person/past tense, in 1982) and Carly (1st person/past tense, in 2017). This "chapter" setup makes it really hard to find one's spot between formats. I had this out in both audio and kindle. I went primarily with the audio and I was glad I didn't need to find my spot in the text (but I referred to the Kindle copy a lot afterward, reviewing, checking). I was really glad for the two different narrators, distinctive voices for the two timeline/characters.
ProFanity (x20). I also noticed the word "rifled" used several (6) times. It's just a word I note, and did the author mean rifled or riffled, and did the narrator get the pronunciation correct? Here, I do think rifled was the correct term, but to have someone be "rifling" through things six times in the book seemed like a lot of rifling.
So, for me, it was fine, kept my interest, but not one I'd rave about.
Well that was different! This was mentioned in one of my book groups on FB - Zombie apocalypse from the POV of the animals. That sounded interesting. I was able to snag a copy (audio and kindle) from the library, and figured it fit into the "spooky" mood for October.
I go into a lot of books "blind" ... not really reading the blurb. I think I would have been quite confused if I hadn't been clued in that our narrator here was an animal (a domesticated crow as the main character), and that there was a Zombie apocalypse going on. Even knowing that, I got a bit confused when Big Jim's eyeball fell out (this is at the start of the first chapter)...
The thought process of ST was fun to follow - he's got a foul mouth (profanity x53 ... and "mofo" 430 times) and an extensive vocabulary. Maybe not in his actual speech (although he's quite talented with that), but his thoughts, which we are synced in to. This had quite a few words I notice; cacophony, cerulean, murmuration, intermittently, kudzu, pellucid ...
Whilst ST is the narrator for most of the chapters, we get a peek at the mind of several other animals as well. Winnie the Poodle, Genghis Cat, some other birds, a polar bear, an armadillo, a cow, a whale, there's even some meditations by a spruce tree (which reminded me of one of the chapters in North Woods). We do NOT really know what Dennis the Dog is thinking, and while so many of the animals seem to be anthropomorphized to the extreme ... Dennis ... is a dog. A dumb dog, but still a dog we love.
I didn't have a physical copy of this book. I went primarily with audio - single narrator, even with the different POVs, but it was fine as he really changed up the voices) but liked having the kindle copy on hand for reference and review. I assume the physical copy, like almost all today, doesn't deign to provide a Table of Contents. The TOC in the Kindle/Audio was bare bones, just the chronological chapters. I would have really appreciated also having the POV (and location) listed (headers at the beginning of each chapter). It's super helpful when reviewing, if knowing I wanted to re-read a "Winnie-the-Poodle" chapter to be able to check the TOC and know exactly where to go, instead of having to flip through the entire book and hope to find it again.
Lots of "the one who ...." opens doors, spits, etc ...
HOLLOWS ... the word was used 60 times. While ST calls humans "MoFos" ... most of the rest of the animal kingdom is calling the Zombifed humans Hollows because of their disassociated state. Because it's used in the title, I tended to notice it every time it was used (not only as the zombies).
It was interesting to see the copyright symbol © a few times - with La-Z-Boy and the all important Cheetos ... but not Doritos, SpongeBobSquarePants, Glad bags, SeaHawks (95% of this takes place in Seattle). I couldn't figure out why some products got the copyright symbol but others didn't. I don't think the audio added it (which I could see happening if the copyright was part of the story).
The Kindle copy had discussion questions - I always appreciate these. It's like a mini-book club, making me delve a little deeper and think of things I might not have otherwise.
There is a sequel ... as much as liked this, I'm not sure I'll continue ...
I go into a lot of books "blind" ... not really reading the blurb. I think I would have been quite confused if I hadn't been clued in that our narrator here was an animal (a domesticated crow as the main character), and that there was a Zombie apocalypse going on. Even knowing that, I got a bit confused when Big Jim's eyeball fell out (this is at the start of the first chapter)...
The thought process of ST was fun to follow - he's got a foul mouth (profanity x53 ... and "mofo" 430 times) and an extensive vocabulary. Maybe not in his actual speech (although he's quite talented with that), but his thoughts, which we are synced in to. This had quite a few words I notice; cacophony, cerulean, murmuration, intermittently, kudzu, pellucid ...
Whilst ST is the narrator for most of the chapters, we get a peek at the mind of several other animals as well. Winnie the Poodle, Genghis Cat, some other birds, a polar bear, an armadillo, a cow, a whale, there's even some meditations by a spruce tree (which reminded me of one of the chapters in North Woods). We do NOT really know what Dennis the Dog is thinking, and while so many of the animals seem to be anthropomorphized to the extreme ... Dennis ... is a dog. A dumb dog, but still a dog we love.
I didn't have a physical copy of this book. I went primarily with audio - single narrator, even with the different POVs, but it was fine as he really changed up the voices) but liked having the kindle copy on hand for reference and review. I assume the physical copy, like almost all today, doesn't deign to provide a Table of Contents. The TOC in the Kindle/Audio was bare bones, just the chronological chapters. I would have really appreciated also having the POV (and location) listed (headers at the beginning of each chapter). It's super helpful when reviewing, if knowing I wanted to re-read a "Winnie-the-Poodle" chapter to be able to check the TOC and know exactly where to go, instead of having to flip through the entire book and hope to find it again.
Lots of "the one who ...." opens doors, spits, etc ...
HOLLOWS ... the word was used 60 times. While ST calls humans "MoFos" ... most of the rest of the animal kingdom is calling the Zombifed humans Hollows because of their disassociated state. Because it's used in the title, I tended to notice it every time it was used (not only as the zombies).
It was interesting to see the copyright symbol © a few times - with La-Z-Boy and the all important Cheetos ... but not Doritos, SpongeBobSquarePants, Glad bags, SeaHawks (95% of this takes place in Seattle). I couldn't figure out why some products got the copyright symbol but others didn't. I don't think the audio added it (which I could see happening if the copyright was part of the story).
The Kindle copy had discussion questions - I always appreciate these. It's like a mini-book club, making me delve a little deeper and think of things I might not have otherwise.
There is a sequel ... as much as liked this, I'm not sure I'll continue ...
I don't know that I thought "oh, 5* rating" as I finished this book, but reflecting on it, and seeing that I gave [book:All the Glimmering Stars|123252117] a 5* rating, I felt this needed the same. Both books are similar, set in Africa. Stars in Uganda, Baobab in Nigeria. Both feature radical groups (LRA, Boko Haram) kidnapping children. Forcing the boys to fight, using the girls ("marrying" them off in many cases). Both while fictionalized, feature some real stories, were researched, with interviews etc. In Baobab, the MC, we don't know her exact age (or name) is a teen girl, the only daughter in her family. One whose father allows her to go to school (not common for girls). Through her eyes, we see the world they live in, home life, school life, challenges (rats, when the girls get their period), news from the outside world via 'The Voice on Papa's Radio' ... and then of course, there is the abduction and the life after.
The presentation here was unique, little vignettes. Similar to some of the books in verse that I've read (Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai) with a title/header, then some text. Here, not as much white space as the "poetry" set up, but still a similar feel. Some chapters were short. One (Almost One Month. News of our exam results will likely come soon) was one sentence. In a way, it feels a little like a journal, but no dates given, more a like a prompt/topic and then a little writing about it. These are the "chapters" but there are no chronological chapters listed. Without manually counting them up, I'm not sure how many there were. LOTS! I'm a multi-format gal ... getting my books in audio/Kindle and physical. This type of organization makes it difficult to find the same spot across formats.
These little vignettes are short. After the initial "um, what IS this?" it's easy to see how each one moves the story along (the presentation is more obvious in text, in audio it rolls together more, you don't realize how much white space there is on the printed page). The "voice" feels very authentic, like we are hearing this directly from a young Nigerian girl. The life in the first half of the book is hard enough, in a country without all the advantages we have here, then the horrors of the extremist group. Nothing is over-the-top in its description, which perhaps makes the impact all the more powerful. There is rape, forced marriage, murder.
Placed a few places between the vignette chapters, are lines from Robert Browning's poem "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" ... it would be a little confusing in audio, because there would be no transition or header to set it apart, but it definitely is a different writing feel (but the credit wouldn't come until the end. In audio ... put the credit at the beginning for the listener!). In print, it's easily distinguishable, set apart in italics.
The book is 330 pages, after the main story concludes, there is an Afterword: The Chosen Generation (starting on page 293) and here, it switches to a non-fiction presentation from Viviana Mazza with some facts on the time, the Chibok girls, how she and the author got together and researched/interviewed. Lots of facts. I really appreciated this set-up. The fictionalized account, then a portion of non-fiction telling us the background and what was real.
I really like the cover image, the baobab tree, with the face looking up. The baobab tree did run throughout the book.
Is the main character's name Ya Ta? Or is that just "my daughter" and we don't actually know her name? It's interesting because names are important. Pastor Moses says that a child's name must be chosen carefully, that it plays a large role in what a child will become. Thus he named his son Success. Another child is named Divine. The name issue comes up again, when they are forced to change and adopt good Muslim names. Is a forced conversion to a religion not an irony?? This is not Islam.
This is YA, but this would be a great book club selection. It would provide lots to talk about (although no discussion questions were included with the book - I love when there are!) This is a book that I am likely to recommend, and would love to talk about with others who have read it. Coming across this book was random, I picked it up at a library sale for my Little Free Library. I saw it had high reviews, so I figured I'd read it first. But now ... I think I want to keep it for my personal shelf, even though I also want to share it!
The presentation here was unique, little vignettes. Similar to some of the books in verse that I've read (Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai) with a title/header, then some text. Here, not as much white space as the "poetry" set up, but still a similar feel. Some chapters were short. One (Almost One Month. News of our exam results will likely come soon) was one sentence. In a way, it feels a little like a journal, but no dates given, more a like a prompt/topic and then a little writing about it. These are the "chapters" but there are no chronological chapters listed. Without manually counting them up, I'm not sure how many there were. LOTS! I'm a multi-format gal ... getting my books in audio/Kindle and physical. This type of organization makes it difficult to find the same spot across formats.
These little vignettes are short. After the initial "um, what IS this?" it's easy to see how each one moves the story along (the presentation is more obvious in text, in audio it rolls together more, you don't realize how much white space there is on the printed page). The "voice" feels very authentic, like we are hearing this directly from a young Nigerian girl. The life in the first half of the book is hard enough, in a country without all the advantages we have here, then the horrors of the extremist group. Nothing is over-the-top in its description, which perhaps makes the impact all the more powerful. There is rape, forced marriage, murder.
Placed a few places between the vignette chapters, are lines from Robert Browning's poem "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" ... it would be a little confusing in audio, because there would be no transition or header to set it apart, but it definitely is a different writing feel (but the credit wouldn't come until the end. In audio ... put the credit at the beginning for the listener!). In print, it's easily distinguishable, set apart in italics.
The book is 330 pages, after the main story concludes, there is an Afterword: The Chosen Generation (starting on page 293) and here, it switches to a non-fiction presentation from Viviana Mazza with some facts on the time, the Chibok girls, how she and the author got together and researched/interviewed. Lots of facts. I really appreciated this set-up. The fictionalized account, then a portion of non-fiction telling us the background and what was real.
I really like the cover image, the baobab tree, with the face looking up. The baobab tree did run throughout the book.
Is the main character's name Ya Ta? Or is that just "my daughter" and we don't actually know her name? It's interesting because names are important. Pastor Moses says that a child's name must be chosen carefully, that it plays a large role in what a child will become. Thus he named his son Success. Another child is named Divine. The name issue comes up again, when they are forced to change and adopt good Muslim names. Is a forced conversion to a religion not an irony?? This is not Islam.
This is YA, but this would be a great book club selection. It would provide lots to talk about (although no discussion questions were included with the book - I love when there are!) This is a book that I am likely to recommend, and would love to talk about with others who have read it. Coming across this book was random, I picked it up at a library sale for my Little Free Library. I saw it had high reviews, so I figured I'd read it first. But now ... I think I want to keep it for my personal shelf, even though I also want to share it!
I liked this a lot. I'd just come off another book that wasn't working (so DNF) and I wondered if maybe I was in a mood, but this grabbed me right off the bat.
The most difficult thing here was keeping track of ALL the different characters. There were a lot. I felt like I needed a cheat sheet. I ended up highlighting the start of chapters 3-8 where it listed the names of the "contestants" and their meta-child. But that's six couples + baby, so 18 names right off the bat I needed to learn, and try to remember the background of each, as they are all hiding something.
This whole universe is super interesting. Kudos to authors and their imagination! Touched on, is the DNA match from The One, which I had read. There was also the background info about the Marriage Act, and I haven't read that book yet. It wasn't essential to the understanding here, but I do still think I might have preferred having read it already. Are any of his other books in this futuristic setting? Here, the whole "meta-child" idea was compelling. Loved the presentation, the "advertisement" and the script for the tv presentation. I had both the audio and the Kindle copy. The audio was very well done, with a bunch of different narrators (it was all 3rd person/past tense, COULD have been a single narrator, but was so much more effective with the variety. Definitely helped keep the stories separate and distinct).
In the end, it was a little "convenient" how everything happened to wrap up, how secrets were discovered and manipulated.
Some of the words I noticed: brusquely, rifled, route (pronounced root), tenterhooks, "wind him" ... is that burping a baby? I thought I was pretty familiar with most British-isms. ProFanity (x23)
Thumbs up! Lots to think about!
The most difficult thing here was keeping track of ALL the different characters. There were a lot. I felt like I needed a cheat sheet. I ended up highlighting the start of chapters 3-8 where it listed the names of the "contestants" and their meta-child. But that's six couples + baby, so 18 names right off the bat I needed to learn, and try to remember the background of each, as they are all hiding something.
This whole universe is super interesting. Kudos to authors and their imagination! Touched on, is the DNA match from The One, which I had read. There was also the background info about the Marriage Act, and I haven't read that book yet. It wasn't essential to the understanding here, but I do still think I might have preferred having read it already. Are any of his other books in this futuristic setting? Here, the whole "meta-child" idea was compelling. Loved the presentation, the "advertisement" and the script for the tv presentation. I had both the audio and the Kindle copy. The audio was very well done, with a bunch of different narrators (it was all 3rd person/past tense, COULD have been a single narrator, but was so much more effective with the variety. Definitely helped keep the stories separate and distinct).
In the end, it was a little "convenient" how everything happened to wrap up, how secrets were discovered and manipulated.
Some of the words I noticed: brusquely, rifled, route (pronounced root), tenterhooks, "wind him" ... is that burping a baby? I thought I was pretty familiar with most British-isms. ProFanity (x23)
Thumbs up! Lots to think about!
Setting up a Little Free Library and gathering books for it, has introduced me to so many books I might not have read otherwise. That is the case here. I found a few "She Persisted" books at a local library sale. As they are a quick read (and I was able to snag audio from the library) I figured I'd familiarize myself with this book, and the series, before offering it up in my LFL.
So I guess there originally this little series started out a picture book, and that Nellie Bly was actually featured in that first book. While I have been nudged to check out some picture books, I haven't done that (yet?) with the original picture book and it's follow-ups. Apparently then, the series was expanded into small chapter books from other authors.
Well I have to give a thumbs up to the whole thing - just like the Magic Treehouse introduces kids to historical times, and the I Survived series showcases scary moments, this series does quick biographies of women who have made a name for themselves.
In truth - the name Nellie Bly didn't feel familiar to me. As I went through her life via the book, I had heard of some of the situations, but I think THIS book will stick with me more than wherever I heard tidbits of Bly's life before. While this isn't profound literature, it's written in an easy to read way. I appreciated the list of references at the end.
One of my pet peeves is the lack of a Table of Contents in physical books ... KUDOS here, it has a table of contents! The OCD in me just likes to be able to see at a glance how many chapters there are, if there are chapter headings (and here there are) especially if those headings actually help indicate what is covered in each chapter. Again, here they do. (1) Pink (2) The Girl Puzzle (3) Newspaper Dreams (4) Going Undercover (5) Around the World (6) More Surprises ... and How You Can Persist.
That last chapter seems to be in each book, but pointed toward similar things as the woman showcased (so here, joining your school newspaper, keep a journal, start a scrapbook, etc).
This also is good at featuring the other books in the series, and the other contributors.
I was glad to have stumbled upon this series, familiarized myself more with Nellie Bly, and definitely would recommend this, especially to young girls.
So I guess there originally this little series started out a picture book, and that Nellie Bly was actually featured in that first book. While I have been nudged to check out some picture books, I haven't done that (yet?) with the original picture book and it's follow-ups. Apparently then, the series was expanded into small chapter books from other authors.
Well I have to give a thumbs up to the whole thing - just like the Magic Treehouse introduces kids to historical times, and the I Survived series showcases scary moments, this series does quick biographies of women who have made a name for themselves.
In truth - the name Nellie Bly didn't feel familiar to me. As I went through her life via the book, I had heard of some of the situations, but I think THIS book will stick with me more than wherever I heard tidbits of Bly's life before. While this isn't profound literature, it's written in an easy to read way. I appreciated the list of references at the end.
One of my pet peeves is the lack of a Table of Contents in physical books ... KUDOS here, it has a table of contents! The OCD in me just likes to be able to see at a glance how many chapters there are, if there are chapter headings (and here there are) especially if those headings actually help indicate what is covered in each chapter. Again, here they do. (1) Pink (2) The Girl Puzzle (3) Newspaper Dreams (4) Going Undercover (5) Around the World (6) More Surprises ... and How You Can Persist.
That last chapter seems to be in each book, but pointed toward similar things as the woman showcased (so here, joining your school newspaper, keep a journal, start a scrapbook, etc).
This also is good at featuring the other books in the series, and the other contributors.
I was glad to have stumbled upon this series, familiarized myself more with Nellie Bly, and definitely would recommend this, especially to young girls.
So I'm a little hit and miss with Mr.Scalzi. Love some of his work (totally memorable favorites) and others ... meh. While I liked (didn't LOVE) the first book in this series, I wasn't compelled to continue. I'd put this book 2 on hold at the library, and when it came in, I figured I'd give it a go. But, methinks I'll DNF. Another place, another time, I would have absolutely gone forward. But NOW, with hundreds of books waiting for me, I just can't stay with something that I'm not really enjoying.
SO MANY "saids" .... he said, she said, he said, she said, he said, he said, he said. Kindle search ... 2040 in the 346 pages. That's too many. Especially in audio, it's just jarring. In Chapter four "unpack" ...Kindle search has it used 34 times, and I think 30 of them are in that one chapter. I don't do well with repetition.
... little "Book of Mormon" reference in Chapter 4 (regarding the name Jared, leader of the Jaredites). The book was left "unpacked" ... (see above).
This started off a little "who are the characters and what is happening?" and finally a familiar character (Jane) came on the scene. Lots of science early on. I came here to glance at the reviews, and it looks like the MC from book 1 isn't even in this book. I'd pretty much already decided to DNF, but the other reviews just reinforced my decision. 2 hours in (about 66 of 346, 19%) ... wasn't feeling spending 8+ more hours at this time, but I don't think I'll be coming back to it in the future either.
SO MANY "saids" .... he said, she said, he said, she said, he said, he said, he said. Kindle search ... 2040 in the 346 pages. That's too many. Especially in audio, it's just jarring. In Chapter four "unpack" ...Kindle search has it used 34 times, and I think 30 of them are in that one chapter. I don't do well with repetition.
... little "Book of Mormon" reference in Chapter 4 (regarding the name Jared, leader of the Jaredites). The book was left "unpacked" ... (see above).
This started off a little "who are the characters and what is happening?" and finally a familiar character (Jane) came on the scene. Lots of science early on. I came here to glance at the reviews, and it looks like the MC from book 1 isn't even in this book. I'd pretty much already decided to DNF, but the other reviews just reinforced my decision. 2 hours in (about 66 of 346, 19%) ... wasn't feeling spending 8+ more hours at this time, but I don't think I'll be coming back to it in the future either.
Sentimental 5* for me ♥ I'm a sucker for these parallel lives, "what if" possibilities. This was a total random find for me, one I hadn't heard of, but came across in a Little Free Library. It was someone's nice hardcover BOTM pick, and the cover illustration, title, blurb all called to me. I was glad to see it had a decent rating on GR (as that can dissuade me). I was able to get the audio/kindle copy from the library easily.
Just a random thing I noted here ~ the book starts May 2018, it ends January 2020 ... before Covid was mainstream. I wonder if author's will stay in this timeframe more than they might have otherwise (just not wanting to deal with including Covid in storylines/or pretending it didn't happen. Recent read [book:Sandwich|200028726] went ahead and covered Covid. It wasn't integral to the story at all, but had to be addressed if the timeframe extends over 2020/2021 and some forward. I remember [book:Horse|59109077] went ahead and mentioned it at the end, again, nothing to do with the story).
While I had the physical book, I went primarily with audio. I know if I'd been reading myself in the Kindle edition there would have been statements and sections I would have highlighted. Little moments, when Lydia realizes that life in her other "fairy tale" world isn't all perfect. That living in the world where Freddy died, and letting him go, he actually WILL (would have) stayed more perfect in her eyes/memory.
The "asleep" when she finds herself at the gym totally made me laugh! Her thoughts of "if I was dreaming this up on my own I would NEVER put myself here!" ... she mentioned 'miles' for measurement, which I had thought was more American (this is VERY British) but I found out that miles are indeed used in England. I honestly thought they were kilometers only there.
The Kindle and Audio had a good Table of Contents - no chronological chapters, but the year, followed by the day and Awake or Asleep. I can't help but think the physical copy is not as complete without a TOC. Much harder to find your place, required a lot of page flipping.
The Kindle copy had Book Club discussion questions - a trend which I very much appreciate! I love that little nudge after reading to ponder things, perhaps delving deeper into something I hadn't considered on my own. The Audio had an interview with the author, which was fun to listen to.
I really, really liked this! ProFanity x10, slight sex/closed door.
Just a random thing I noted here ~ the book starts May 2018, it ends January 2020 ... before Covid was mainstream. I wonder if author's will stay in this timeframe more than they might have otherwise (just not wanting to deal with including Covid in storylines/or pretending it didn't happen. Recent read [book:Sandwich|200028726] went ahead and covered Covid. It wasn't integral to the story at all, but had to be addressed if the timeframe extends over 2020/2021 and some forward. I remember [book:Horse|59109077] went ahead and mentioned it at the end, again, nothing to do with the story).
While I had the physical book, I went primarily with audio. I know if I'd been reading myself in the Kindle edition there would have been statements and sections I would have highlighted. Little moments, when Lydia realizes that life in her other "fairy tale" world isn't all perfect. That living in the world where Freddy died, and letting him go, he actually WILL (would have) stayed more perfect in her eyes/memory.
The "asleep" when she finds herself at the gym totally made me laugh! Her thoughts of "if I was dreaming this up on my own I would NEVER put myself here!" ... she mentioned 'miles' for measurement, which I had thought was more American (this is VERY British) but I found out that miles are indeed used in England. I honestly thought they were kilometers only there.
The Kindle and Audio had a good Table of Contents - no chronological chapters, but the year, followed by the day and Awake or Asleep. I can't help but think the physical copy is not as complete without a TOC. Much harder to find your place, required a lot of page flipping.
The Kindle copy had Book Club discussion questions - a trend which I very much appreciate! I love that little nudge after reading to ponder things, perhaps delving deeper into something I hadn't considered on my own. The Audio had an interview with the author, which was fun to listen to.
I really, really liked this! ProFanity x10, slight sex/closed door.
I don't normally review "children's books" here on this account (I have another family GR account, BlackhamBooks for that) but this was one I got out of the library for ME. It's really middle-grade. There was a lot of text (even though it looks like a picture book). Very informative; lots of information and pictures. Last month I'd picked up a stack of "I Survived" books and decided to give one of them a read, just to have a better idea of what they are. I went with the Mt. St. Helens eruption one, and one of the references, recommendations for further reading, was this one.
I felt like I learned quite a bit.
I felt like I learned quite a bit.