If you've never been tempted to steal a book from a library;
If you've never dreamed of being given a book with all the answers in it, and awake... read full description
reviews
Mar 02, 2009
Randy
rated it: 
I'm now coming into the Finder stories I haven't already read, and I'm liking the book more and more as it goes on. McNeil's writing style is still a bit more meandering than my general taste prefers, but this one is a more focused meditation on books and love of stories, filtered through characters we know from the first two books.
Ironically, while I found the first three Finder books plot-light and character-strong, this one flips that, with a very strong plot through-line and some More...
Ironically, while I found the first three Finder books plot-light and character-strong, this one flips that, with a very strong plot through-line and some More...
Aug 11, 2009
Emily
rated it: 
Talisman is an intricate book which examines the contradictions inherent in living, how people must resign their urges for dreaming and reality, innocence and cynicism, and the belief in magic even though it's been proven quite brutally that it doesn't exist. McNeill uses a brilliant juxtaposition of detail and inference to illustrate the anguish of growing up while needing to hold tight to the stories of childhood. She creates a vivid world where tiny dinosaurs roam open air marketplaces and te
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 26, 2011
Peter
rated it: 
(This is an excerpt from a blog post I wrote, and it's a little long. But I feel it explains quite well why this is my favorite graphic novel of all time. I first came across this book at the Baltimore Comic Con--and I had the honor of buying it from the author herself. The following is an e-mail I wrote to her only hours after bringing it home...)
Dear Mrs. McNeil,
I know you may have already forgotten me–I was probably just one of hundreds of people who stopped by your More...
Dear Mrs. McNeil,
I know you may have already forgotten me–I was probably just one of hundreds of people who stopped by your More...
Jan 11, 2012
Rachel
rated it:
Carla Speed McNeil's Finder series may be set in a detailed alternate reality where humans are not the only sentient species, and a majority of people spend their entire lives within the confines of labyrinthine domed cities protecting them from the inhospitable "outside." But while the author's own description of the works as "aboriginal sci-fi" isn't inaccurate, the characters are so elegantly drawn, the artwork so precise and beautiful, that seeing them navigate the famili
More...
Aug 13, 2008
Megan
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Dec 05, 2010
Andy
rated it:
Talisman is easily my favorite trade paperback in the "Finder" series so far, despite the fact that the titular character barely appears. Instead, this volume follows one of the minor characters as she explores her love of books and come to terms with what being a writer means. And it is simply one of the best bits of fiction I've read in ages. Absolutely profound.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jul 10, 2011
Joy
rated it:
All about books and stories--the ones that you lose, the ones that aren't the same when you find them again, the ones you can't get out of your head and onto paper (or screen). It's sort of dreamlike storytelling, dipping in and out of the main characters' reading, but for those of us who were kids like Marcie, it resonates.
Apr 09, 2009
Tripmastermonkey
rated it: 
didn't realize this is part of a series.
what's not great about this book is that the notes aren't extra to the story, but in fact pretty necessary to get an understanding of the world the author is trying to present.
great theme, but not enough storytelling...
what's not great about this book is that the notes aren't extra to the story, but in fact pretty necessary to get an understanding of the world the author is trying to present.
great theme, but not enough storytelling...
Oct 25, 2009
Brian
rated it:
Brilliant well constructed speculative fiction of the future with amazing internal cohesiveness. Believable characters dealing with everyday issues not seen in real life or other fiction.
Apr 02, 2009
Alain
rated it:
This is a little gem about reading and books, set in a future where reading isn't that valued and books aren't that important. It's a very personal and touching tale.
May 12, 2011
Kimberley
rated it:
Writer may especially enjoy this book -- good descriptions of some of the more frustrating aspects of being a writer / bookworm!
Mar 19, 2010
K T
rated it:
Nothing at all happened in this volume, it was just a lot of rambling about how hard it is to be a writer.
Jan 19, 2012
Kevin
rated it:
Reread this again recently and upped it from 4 to 5 stars. I can't think of a book that depicts creative struggle better than this one. The heartache and frustration that comes from the heavy lifting of carrying the world inside your mind out into the open, idea by idea. Loving books and storytelling SO MUCH that you want to give back, by writing your own stories. Coming to terms with the truth and disappointment that nothing you write will ever be good enough. But not giving up.
Mar 05, 2008
Genevra
rated it:
A story about growing past being a 'survivor,' and into someone that doesn't need to be classified by what's happened to her and what she's had to do to survive. This is so true-to-life, despite being set ten thousand years from now, that it was a bit painful at points to read.
Jul 13, 2011
Rene
rated it:
This is a book about books for all book lovers. A really great way to enter the world of Finder.
May 08, 2007
Amanda
rated it:
An all-time favorite. In some ways I felt like this story was about me.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jan 07, 2012
Jan 04, 2012
Dec 31, 2011
Dec 22, 2011
Nov 24, 2011
Nov 24, 2011
Nov 18, 2011
