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May 02, 2011

Punk rated it:

YA. Andromeda Klein lives so deeply in her head that in the first couple of pages of this you only get a few glimpses of her. She's riding her bike. She's wearing a hoodie. But mostly she's thinking about tarot and the Egyptian god Thoth. She relates to the world through tarot and her thoughts are complicated and infinitely layered, but I have to believe Portman purposely made them as dense and inaccessible as possible -- maybe to show us how different Andromeda is, how alienated from her peers More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Dec 19, 2011

Jeph rated it:

In all honesty, I really can't recommend this book in good faith. However, for my part, I'm such an easy critic that it really grew on me. Even so, a book that takes until halfway through to really get moving and only really comes together at the last chapters has some problems in the workings.

Andromeda Klein tells the story of a misunderstood teenage girl who is obsessed with Tarot cards and the occult. Her life is falling apart at the seams. Her best friend died while she was on a More...

4 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 18, 2010

Debbie rated it:

Okay, let me start by saying that I truly enjoyed this book. It was engaging, interesting and kept my attention.[return][return]It follows the adventures of Andromeda Klein, a quirky, independent loner who is interested in ceremonial magic, knows how to properly pronounce Crowley's name and has a crush on A.E. Waite. She dabbles in Tarot on the side and is determined to save the occult book collection in her local library. She also has a hearing disorder which leads to hearing things such as " More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Apr 07, 2011

Maddie is currently reading it

I'm only on page thirty.....help. I was sucked in on the first paragraph while browsing borders (blast those convincing first paragraphs) and thought this book was perfect. Three pages in I realized I had no idea what was going on and had to start over. I started this book to help understand tarot, but I'm not learning much about the cards or symbolism, more about some creepy guy who died hundreds of years ago and his artist girlfriend. It's so bogged down with references, which as a hipster, I More...

3 comments like

Jun 18, 2010

Kat rated it:

I liked "King Dork", so this had been in the queue for a while. This is another coming-of-age story about an awkward teen at the very bottom of the social totem pole. In this case, it's Andromeda Klein, a teenage girl obsessed with magic, tarot, and the occult. Her best friend recently passed away, her older-guy crush won't text her, her parents are nutty, her hair is awful, her friends are more like "frenemies"...This may sound like your standard young adult fare, but throw More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 28, 2010

Alex rated it:

This book is really quite something. First of all a YA book that isn't typeset like a freshmen trying to make their paper longer. Second a YA book that doesn't dumb down the writing. While these are not unknown (octavian nothing springs to mind), I find them rare. In fact, this book elevates typical teen speak to good writing. About a young teen occultist, whose library is oddly stocked with esoterica (the dewey number 133 makes quite a few appearances). The pictures of early 20th century occult More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Mar 17, 2010

Susan rated it:

This book almost needs to be rated in sections. First third: 2 Stars Middle part: 3 stars End: 4 stars What do you do with that?

This book has one of the weakest opening chapters I've encountered in a YA book. You start with a straightforward enough line like "The universe is huge. The universe is complex" and by the end of the first chapter, the reader is drowning in arcane minutiae about tarot symbology, Aleister Crowley and the history of occultism. By the end of the book More...

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Nov 15, 2009

laaaaames rated it:

Oh man, I wanted to like this book. I love King Dork loads. I saw Portman at a signing, and he read a little chunk I adored. Who knew the scene where Rosalie drove a car backwards was not really like the rest of the book?

Did you ever have a friend who was way too into something? Like, you couldn't have a conversation with them without them bringing it into it in some manner? (See: me with musical theatre from ages 16 to 20, approximately.) Unless you find that charming, you should prob More...

3 comments like

Nov 12, 2009

Teen rated it:

An unusual story about a most unusual girl. Andromeda Klein is a hearing-impaired teenaged occultist who sees almost every coincindence as a "synch," or a message from the mystical unseen forces that steer the universe. Andromeda's never been particularly good at reading these signs and communing with the spirits. Her friend Daisy was a much more gifted medium. But now Daisy's dead and Andromeda thinks her spirit is trying to communicate something very urgent -- but what? Andromeda can More...

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Sep 03, 2009

Imogen rated it:

Would you judge me if I told you I don't like long books? You'd probably be right to judge me, but I don't. I mean, it's not a hardline absolute thing; I'm just always, like, three hundred pages? That will take a LONG GODDAM TIME to get through. And I DO NOT HAVE VERY MUCH TIME. And I WANT TO HAVE AN OPINION ABOUT EVERY BOOK. How will I have an opinion about every book if it takes me a week to read every book?

My favorite writers are Dennis Cooper and Kathy Acker; I namecheck them in More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Oct 18, 2009

Sharon rated it:

Frank Portman wrote another YA book, and it's almost as good as "King Dork." I really feel like he has an uncanny knack for the teen voice, and from page one the reader is sucked into Andromeda's world, including her terms for the various things that make up her day to day life, like the International House of Bookcakes and Afternoon Tea. At times, this, as well as the incredibly detailed descriptions of Tarot cards and magical rituals, threaten to overwhelm the narrative, but they do More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 15, 2010

Allison rated it:

GUPTG at page 79, which begins, "Most magical writing is deliberately obscure, designed to hide crucial matters from the uninitiated yet reveal them to those who know how to read the texts properly."

Well, count me out, Jack. And count you out, too, unless "Horus", "Crowley", and "Isis" are household names in yours. I knew that King Dork (which I absolutely loved) would be a tough act to follow, but this just limps behind. I was intrigued by the More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 16, 2009

Christina rated it:

Very funny and very weird--if you like tarot cards or anything "weejy" (that is, relating to ouija boards and the occult), then this is the book for you. It's a lighthearted book, though, it's not really about 'dark magic', just a lot about the tarot and the history of tarot. Andromeda is in high school, a bit of an outsider, has no real friends except Daisy--who's dead. But Andromeda thinks Daisy may be trying to contact her from the afterlife. Andromeda has a funny way of looking at More...

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Sep 16, 2009

gina rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

5 comments like

Oct 14, 2009

Amy rated it:

The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is because I was confused at the beginning with all the magic talk and it took me a while to get into the story. And because I'm mad that Andromeda and Bethany didn't end up getting together.

That being said, Frank Portman is a God. Seriously. He perfectly captures the ridiculousness of being a teenager, with heart, insight and general coolness, with none of the sentimentality that plagues much of YA. He's able to portray life as an out More...

1 comment like

Mar 30, 2010

Brendan rated it:

Okay. This isn't King Dork 2. But it is an incredibly ambitious, dense, somehat frustrating, and incredibly courageous book. Frank Portman dares to give us an imperfect heroine who might or might not be mentally ill. He dares not to resolve every problem the book raises. (have you resolved your relationship with your parents?) and he dares to write a book about a character obsessed with the occult when the very mention of such things is enough to keep your YA novel off the shelves of many librar More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 05, 2009

Caroline rated it:

Andromeda often talks about her favorite author, who, to protect the contents of his book from outsiders, tries to confuse the reader with his writing. I believe that this is a subtle reference to Frank P's intentions when he wrote this book. This isn't a YA book for someone looking for a romance or a thrill- this is a story for young adults who want a challenging book that is geared toward their age group. "Andromeda Klein" uses occultism to confuse the reader at first, but once I More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 07, 2009

Tessa rated it:

It was very difficult to get into this story. You may not care about tarot readings or know what sigils are or have time for complex systems of nicknames and misheard words being turned into offhand vocabulary. And Portman isn't going to make it easy to understand right off the bat.

If you are having trouble getting into the book as well, I exhort you to keep going. The story got so good (and the references got easier to follow) that it became something I just had to finish. An More...

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Dec 02, 2009

Renee rated it:

Over and over again, Andromeda Klein asks, "Wait, what?" I don't share Andromeda's hearing deficiency, yet I found myself asking the same question throughout the first 100+ pages of this book. Andromeda Klein is a quirky character who is obsessed with tarot and magical history, and has her own lexicon (derived from her obsession, her hearing disability, and sometimes a combination of the two). All of this makes for a somewhat confusing start to what I eventually found to be an enjoy More...

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Sep 21, 2009

Jamil rated it:

Most of my way through this book I felt overloaded, with the density of the text's narrative information, the detailed occult references, the intensity of being trapped in Andromeda Klein's mind. I like to read fast, and this YA book took me 20 days to push through. Was it worth it? I'm not sure. It was interesting and different, but sometimes felt like a slog. When it focused less on the intricacies of AK's solitary magical thinking, and more on the awkward disconnects of her social intera More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Aug 03, 2011

Jenna (the book element) rated it:

Wow.

This is probably one of the more unique books I have ever read. At first, I just didn't quite know what to make of it but in the end, I simply couldn't put it down. The back cover reads, "Andromeda Klein is dark, funny, smart, and entirely unforgettable." Honestly, that description is spot on!

I did, however, go through the first hundred pages in complete bafflement. Living in Andromeda's head takes some getting used to and her lingo is not easy to catch More...

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Nov 10, 2009

Abby rated it:

I'm not sure what to make of this book. I read it for work, and I don't really think it's a book that will appeal to most teenagers (unless they happen to be obsessed with rare books of magic and unknown occult figures). It's very slow-moving and chock-full of references to obscure 19th-century magicians and arcane rituals that most readers will probably find annoying. The main character, Andromeda Klein, is a hearing-impaired teenaged occultist living in her own particular, strangely regimented More...

2 comments like

May 03, 2011

Sesana rated it:

I didn't really like King Dork when I read it, so I'm not sure now what exactly got me interested in reading Andromeda Klein. Probably it was the concept of a modern teenager doing ceremonial magic in a very Crowley sort of way. And maybe if you liked King Dork, and you're deeply interested in ceremonial magic, it'll be a great read for you. But I didn't like King Dork, and I have only a passing interest in ceremonial magic, so this was doomed from the start.

The ceremonial magic is v More...

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Oct 18, 2009

Matt rated it:

I attended a panel at the Book Expo in NYC earlier this year and the editor for the publisher did a great job of hyping this book to librarians.

Pretty much he pitched it as Andromeda Klein, a lowly library page, and part-time occultist versus an evil "Friends of the Library" organization with sinister intensions.

Librarians can have a lot of animosity towards Friends groups that are supposed to help libraries, but somehow very often wind up being an additional More...

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Nov 18, 2009

Kendra rated it:

I'm biased because I'm a huge fan of Frank Portman, but I think this is a good read. It's not like King Dork. It's dense - thick and tangled - like a teenager's mind. People complain that it's too esoteric and perhaps arcane with the level of detail about magick and the tarot, but it seemed really authentic to me. I identified with Andromeda and her obsession. (Mine was Lookout Records bands and British politics... we all have our quirks.) Once you let yourself become part of Andromeda's world, More...

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May 11, 2011

Laura rated it:

Well, again, I have to confess that I <3 Frank Portman forever thanks to the Mr. T Experience. I wanted to love this book with all of my heart, but, just like King Dork, it left me unsatisfied and disappointed--although I enjoyed my time while reading it.

Compared to King Dork, I'd say that I liked them about the same. King Dork started out better and then got worse... Andromeda Klein started out terribly, but got better. Both end in a way that has me looking for more pages. And, More...

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Sep 14, 2009

Claire rated it:

I love Frank Portman's first book, "King Dork." Whereas "KD" is Portrait of the Rock Star as a Young Man, "Andromeda Klein" is Portrait of the Librarian as a Young Woman. I was looking forward to Portman riffing on pop culture and novels, however, Andromeda is obsessed with the occult. The magic stuff is interesting, but not as immediately relatable or funny as Tom/Chi-mo's musings on "Roesmary's Baby" and Jim Morrison. I liked Portman's portrait of ner More...

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Dec 20, 2011

Joanna rated it:

9th-12th grade. The protagonist, Andromeda Klein, in her junior year of high school, uses the occult as an approach to dealing with all of the troubles life throws at her, from abusive friends, to a sad home life, to boys. Despite having sad and serious themes, this story is told gently and often with great humor. This book rewards the reader for sticking with it with good character and plot development. As the chapters go by, the reader begins to realize that the stereotypical elements of many More...

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Dec 07, 2011

Arianna rated it:

Bah. Pretty disappointed in Dr. Frank, I have to say. The book frustrated me much of the time. I barely got past the first 10 pages, which were densely packed with information that *might* have been interesting to those who practice the Tarot, but probably not. (I had been planning on passing this on to my friends who are interested in that sort of stuff, but I'm going to spare them.) I didn't continue picking up the book because I was interested, I kept picking it up because I couldn't wai More...

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Aug 19, 2010

Barbara rated it:

The title of the book gives nothing about the plot away, nor does the book jacket. In fact, nothing in the book indicates what the book is about until about midway through and that is a long time to wait for young adult readers. On page 2 this paragraph can be found: “One dream, one card, an otherworldly instant message, and dozens of synchs involving swords, boxes, and the vexing case of Twice Holy Soror Daisy Wasserstrom: it had been an unusually weedgie week.” Huh? The reader does not figure More...

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