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23rd out of 193 books
—
202 voters
The Journal of Curious Letters (The 13th Reality #1)
by
James Dashner (Goodreads Author)
What if every time you made a choice that had a significant consequence, a new, alternate reality was created the life that would've been? What if those new Realities were in danger? What if it fell to you to save all the realities?
Atticus Higginbottom, a.k.a. Tick, is a regular thirteen-year-old boy living a regular life until the day a strange letter arrives in his mai
...moreHardcover, 432 pages
Published
March 1st 2008
by Shadow Mountain
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Reviewed by Voracious Reader for TeensReadToo.com
Can you solve the mystery?
James Dashner's first story in his new THE 13TH REALITY series, THE JOURNAL OF CURIOUS LETTERS, revolves mainly around a young boy named Atticus (or "Tick" as he likes to be called).
Tick's adventure begins when he arrives home to find a cryptic letter giving him riddles on something that is supposedly going to save the lives of people around him. Intrigued, he begins his investigation, and, gaining a few friends along t...more
Can you solve the mystery?
James Dashner's first story in his new THE 13TH REALITY series, THE JOURNAL OF CURIOUS LETTERS, revolves mainly around a young boy named Atticus (or "Tick" as he likes to be called).
Tick's adventure begins when he arrives home to find a cryptic letter giving him riddles on something that is supposedly going to save the lives of people around him. Intrigued, he begins his investigation, and, gaining a few friends along t...more
My initial reaction to this book -- that some of the ideas were original but that the writing was decidedly sub-par -- was unfortunately accurate. Tick and the other characters never quite ring true as people; Tick is a stereotype of a geeky kid, and the other characters come off as flat. The dialog often struck me as stilted. This is particularly the case with Paul, whose "chill" manner of speaking and awkward slang seems to be Dashner's effort to remind the reader that Paul is from California....more
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Something I really liked about this book, beside the fact that it was very fun and adventurous, was that the main character (who was really smart, not perfect, and completely likable) told his dad about things that were going on when he started getting letters from "Master George." His dad was not handsome, overweight, in fact, and nothing remarkable except he really loved and trusted his young son. And his son really loved him too. And I just loved that! In the Harry Potter and other children's...more
Icip-icip Journal of Curious Letters
Tahukah kamu, terkadang setiap pilihan penting yang kita tentukan menciptakan Realitas (dunia lain yang isinya berbeda dengan dunia kita) baru. Bayangkan Realitas itu ada banyak. Bayangkan Realitas yang banyak itu sekarang dalam bahaya–dilenyapkan dari keberadaannya. Dan apa yang akan kamu lakukan seandainya kamu terpilih sebagai salah satu yang bertugas menyelamatkan Realitas yang banyak itu?
Atticus Higginbottom, atau yang lebih suka dipanggil Tick, tentu saj...more
Tahukah kamu, terkadang setiap pilihan penting yang kita tentukan menciptakan Realitas (dunia lain yang isinya berbeda dengan dunia kita) baru. Bayangkan Realitas itu ada banyak. Bayangkan Realitas yang banyak itu sekarang dalam bahaya–dilenyapkan dari keberadaannya. Dan apa yang akan kamu lakukan seandainya kamu terpilih sebagai salah satu yang bertugas menyelamatkan Realitas yang banyak itu?
Atticus Higginbottom, atau yang lebih suka dipanggil Tick, tentu saj...more
Atticus Higginbottom, age 13, has lived a relatively calm life in Deer Park, Washington--that is, until he receives a very odd letter all the way from Alaska, asking for his help with a very special task.
And so Tick's bravery, endurance, trust and logic skills are put to the ultimate test, as he tries to solve 12 clues that the writer of the first letter, M.G, has sent to him in a variety of ways, and by a variety of people.
Will Tick solve the 12 clues in time? Can he even survive, as numerous s...more
And so Tick's bravery, endurance, trust and logic skills are put to the ultimate test, as he tries to solve 12 clues that the writer of the first letter, M.G, has sent to him in a variety of ways, and by a variety of people.
Will Tick solve the 12 clues in time? Can he even survive, as numerous s...more
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Oct 04, 2008
Heather
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Adults, Children 8+
Shelves:
middle-grade,
series
Everything is boring to my 11 year old daughter. "Why don't you read a book?" I say to her. "Reading is boring." So when I picked up The 13th Reality, I was hoping she'd like it. Well, I found myself reading it with her, just as anxious to find out what happened next in the book. The characters are vibrant and endearing. Names like Atticus Higgenbottom, Norbert, Mistress Jane, Mr. Chu, still stand out in my mind. Strange letters, complex riddles, and the new reality were all captivating.
Author...more
Author...more
My sister bought this on a whim and then asked if I wanted to borrow it because she knows I have nothing better to do than stay up late at night reading books. Well, I'm so glad she did. I loved this book.
Most of all I appreciated that Tick comes from a normal, functioning family. So many books portray families as messed up or as single parents. When Tick has a problem he actually TALKS to his dad. Hallelujah!!! I loved the relationship with his family and his father. It was very refreshing.
Tick...more
Most of all I appreciated that Tick comes from a normal, functioning family. So many books portray families as messed up or as single parents. When Tick has a problem he actually TALKS to his dad. Hallelujah!!! I loved the relationship with his family and his father. It was very refreshing.
Tick...more
Upfront, I have to say that fantasy is not my genre of choice. However, overall, I quite enjoyed this book. The storyline kept my interest and I thought the characters were quite memorable. I especially loved Mothball. As I read, I kept thinking this could be made into an exciting movie. Even though, as a parent, I appreciated Tick's relationship with his dad, I'm not sure it is all that true to life for most 12-13 year old boys. I'm thinking that maybe a lot of middle-schoolers might not identi...more
I finished it last night (after all of my family beat me to it and I started before all of them...) and it was a great book! I feel like it got the best towards the last few chapters, and I can't wait for the next one to come out!
I love the fact that they're short chapters (usually 5-6 pages long) and it makes it seem like I'm reading a whole lot quicker than I actually am. Along with that, I love all of the twists and turns that the book brings in each chapter. Each character is original in its...more
I love the fact that they're short chapters (usually 5-6 pages long) and it makes it seem like I'm reading a whole lot quicker than I actually am. Along with that, I love all of the twists and turns that the book brings in each chapter. Each character is original in its...more
This book was fun! I don't really understand how Quantum Physics works, but the author seemed to do a good job of explaining it and integrating a challenging scientific topic into the basis of the story. This book introduces the main character, "Tick" Atticus Higginbottom, and his journey to become a "Realitant" who travels to different realities. I was pleasantly surprised by Tick's close relationship with his father. In many other children's novels, I am frustrated when the main characters do...more
This is one of the best books for young people I've read in a very long time. I love how Tick is proactive, and gets done what he needs to get done. He's not a perfect kid, but he does his best, and that's what makes him so endearing. And another thing, I absolutely adore that he gets along with his dad. So many young adult books portray grown ups, and especially parents as incompetent foolish nincompoops who would sooner grate their fingers off with a cheese grater than help their children thro...more
A fun read with clue finding. I liked that Tick involved his Dad when it got too hard to do on his own. It explores friendships as well. Can't wait for the sequel!
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Jul 29, 2010
Scott
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
ages 11 and up
Recommended to Scott by:
Tamara
Shelves:
fantasy-sci-fi,
young-adults
This was a fun read suggested by my niece Desiree' (Tamara's daughter). The author is LDS and the book is squeaky clean. It is uplifting and has a happy ending (I hope that isn't too much of a spoiler). The writting is witty and charmingly fun, and the main character is likeable and a good role model (all except the part of him not telling his mother about some important things, and his father colluding with him in the secrecy--I wished they would have included her in it). I'm looking forward to...more
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Very disappointing read. It had some good ideas and a lot of potential, but the writing style was distractingly juvenile. I was reminded of my writing style from middle school! I would not have finished this book if a friend hadn't loaned it to me--I felt obligated to finish it, and finally did today, but it felt like a chore! I rarely dislike books this much and maybe it's just because I have recently finished some excellently written books (I just discovered Ursula K. Le Guin!). This book real...more
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I just finished reading an advance reader's copy. I thoroughly enjoyed it and plan to give copies to my grandchildren when the book comes out.
I like the fact that the book's protagonist, Tick, is not at all popular, but doesn't get depressed because he has a healthy sense of his own self-worth. He copes at school with an ugly birthmark and bullies. Most kids should relate to such challenges. I hope the book encourages children who are reading it for sheer enjoyment.
I look forward to reading the...more
I like the fact that the book's protagonist, Tick, is not at all popular, but doesn't get depressed because he has a healthy sense of his own self-worth. He copes at school with an ugly birthmark and bullies. Most kids should relate to such challenges. I hope the book encourages children who are reading it for sheer enjoyment.
I look forward to reading the...more
I picked this up the other day and read it in just a day or two. I thought it was pretty fun, and there were a couple of things I did really like about it. Specifically, I liked it that the kid having this exciting secret adventure decided that he needed to talk to his dad about it. I think too often kids' books portray parents as dull people who squelch fun. So I was happy as the kid's secret adventure turned into the kid's adventure with his dad. That said, the author used too many silly simil...more
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Wow. Reading this is like throwing Sci-Fi, nonsense, a school story, and imagination all into one thick book! I found the style of writing quite…ridiculous. The author has a great sense of humour, which comes out on page 1 until the very end. Everything borders insanity and ridiculousness, but somehow escapes them both with solid facts about quantum physics, mysterious but clever clues and some down to earth reality (like having slow internet).
The author doesn’t mess around with cliché similes....more
The author doesn’t mess around with cliché similes....more
Author: James Dashner
pages: 417
Year 2008
The 13th reality: The journal of the curious letters
The main characters are Misstress jane, Tick, Sophia, Tick's family, M.G., Rutger, and Mothball
Atticus Higginbottom, otherwise known as Tick, is a scrawny little thirteen year old kid who has been bullied his whole life. One more thing on Tick, he is basically a genius. One day Tick receives a letter from a person in Alaska by the name of M.G. The letter tell Tick that he can either risk his life to save...more
pages: 417
Year 2008
The 13th reality: The journal of the curious letters
The main characters are Misstress jane, Tick, Sophia, Tick's family, M.G., Rutger, and Mothball
Atticus Higginbottom, otherwise known as Tick, is a scrawny little thirteen year old kid who has been bullied his whole life. One more thing on Tick, he is basically a genius. One day Tick receives a letter from a person in Alaska by the name of M.G. The letter tell Tick that he can either risk his life to save...more
Ini seri kedua dari James Dashner yang saya baca setelah Trilogi The Maze Runner trilogi yang sungguh tegaaaa...). Not really expecting too much sih. Dan salah satu alasan saya beli buku ini adalah... sampulnya lucu. Mehehehehe....
Anyway, the book tells a story about Tic. Diawali dengan sepucuk surat aneh yang diterima Tic, yang membuat Tic penasaran. Sebagai seorang pemuda yang agak nerd, Tic merasa tertantang dengan teka-teki yang ditawarkan surat itu,. And so, surat itu terus berdatangan, me...more
Anyway, the book tells a story about Tic. Diawali dengan sepucuk surat aneh yang diterima Tic, yang membuat Tic penasaran. Sebagai seorang pemuda yang agak nerd, Tic merasa tertantang dengan teka-teki yang ditawarkan surat itu,. And so, surat itu terus berdatangan, me...more
Since meeting Mr. Dashner at the IRA convention in Chicago and reading his Maze Runner trilogy, I decided I needed to read more of his prior works to get a better understanding of his overall style. The Maze Runner trilogy was very fast-moving, action-packed, and exciting to say the least. I'm not sure what I expected, but the 13th reality series comes off as subpar in the writing, in my opinion. I love that the story focused on Tick, a school nerd and overall good guy, who is non-combative and...more
The 13TH Reality is the best book I've read in my whole life (and trust me I have read some pretty marvelous books in the past). I give this book so many stars that there wouldn't be any left. It has action, thriller, suspense, adventure, and most of all sorrow. You will feel sad, relieved, happy, excited, and more.
I suppose you couldn't and wouldn't read it without a summary, so here it is:
Atticus Higginbottom (a.k.a Tick) is a thirteen year old boy who one day receives the strangest letter...more
I suppose you couldn't and wouldn't read it without a summary, so here it is:
Atticus Higginbottom (a.k.a Tick) is a thirteen year old boy who one day receives the strangest letter...more
This gripped me from the beginning. I read most books a chapter at a time in bed at night, and it's pretty rare for a book to make me carve out a few hours of daytime and forget doing anything else but read. I found that James Dashner's The Maze Runner series did exactly that, and that's why I bought the 13th Reality series. Book 1, The Journal of Curious Letters gripped me in the same way.
To be quite honest, once the riddles were solved I found that my "craving" waned and I went back to reading...more
To be quite honest, once the riddles were solved I found that my "craving" waned and I went back to reading...more
The Journal Of Curious Letters is a very interesting story of a young boy named Atticus (Tick) who goes on an adventure, traveling between Realities, to save the universe. It begins when he starts receiving letters from a mysterious man who calls himself M.G. Tick slowly figures out the clues to the puzzle, with some help from two friends, and realizes that the problem is much worse than he thought. A woman named Mistress Jane is plotting to destroy the Realities and rebuild them in her own twis...more
Atticus 'Tick' Higginbottom is a 13 year-old boy who is athletic and extremely smart, and unfortunately the focus of the school bullies. He gets by though and his life seems fairly normal until he receives a letter from a mysterious stranger known as Master George.
M.G. tells him that the lives of many people are at risk and that he might be able to save them, but first he will have to come to grip with the danger that this will involve... AND he will have to solve a series of riddles to prove th...more
M.G. tells him that the lives of many people are at risk and that he might be able to save them, but first he will have to come to grip with the danger that this will involve... AND he will have to solve a series of riddles to prove th...more
It's hard not to compare every YA book with Harry Potter esp. since a lot of YA books read a lot like Harry Potter. This, too, is about a boy (Atticus, aka Tick) who is awkward and nerdy who finds he is chosen (along with a smart aleck girl and devil-may-care boy) to help save lives by mysterious means. There are flying motorcycles, and a wise English elder (Master George), a giant, an annoying dwarf, and Tingle Wraiths. I suspect that even his birthmark that he covers up with a striped scarf, m...more
This book had potential that I felt it never met. Tick Higgenbottom is an interesting character as is Sofia Pacini. The idea of alternate realities made by our individual choices is also a fun concept. However, I felt like the story took way too long to get going and the clues didn't hold enough mystery to keep my interest.
I may recommend this to 8-10 year old readers, but not the tween crowd I think it was written for. This series may improve with the later books. I think the pressure authors...more
I may recommend this to 8-10 year old readers, but not the tween crowd I think it was written for. This series may improve with the later books. I think the pressure authors...more
Setelah menentukan pilihan, apakah kita pernah bertanya-tanya bagaimana jadinya hidup kita bila kita mengambil pilihan lain pada waktu itu? Bagi teman-teman yang suka membaca komik, mungkin ada yang ingat salah satu alat Doraemon berbentuk kotak telepon yang bisa mengantar kita kepada dunia alternatif: dengan memesan “aku ingin ada sihir di dunia ini”, kita akan melangkah keluar kotak telepon dan mendapati bahwa sihir telah menjadi bagian tak terpisahkan dari dunia kita yang biasa.
Gagasan inilah...more
Atticus Higginbottom, aka Tick, receives a strange letter in the mail, which begins a series of riddle-like clues which help Tick be at a certain spot at a certain time to do a certain thing which will take him to a certain place. No plot spoilers here baby. You have to read the book yourself if you want to know.
The characters are an interesting mix of the stereotypical (the male lead is a nerdy kid with confidence issues; the female support is brainy and arrogant) and the original (the lead "ba...more
The characters are an interesting mix of the stereotypical (the male lead is a nerdy kid with confidence issues; the female support is brainy and arrogant) and the original (the lead "ba...more
THis was really good. I really enjoyed it. It started out kinda like Harry Potter, but ended really, really good. :)
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James is the author of THE MAZE RUNNER trilogy and THE 13TH REALITY series. He also published a series (beginning with A DOOR IN THE WOODS) with a small publisher several years ago. He lives and writes in the Rocky Mountains.
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“I'm either really, really brave or really, really stupid.”
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46 people liked it
“He didn't have a single clue what was going on with these two strangers, but every instinct told him Master George equaled good, Mistress Jane equaled bald- he blinked-uh, bad. ”
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36 people liked it
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