Thomas Quicksilver, known to his classmates as "Pucker," has always been an outsider. His crazy mother, the secret of his family's strange origins,...
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May 11, 2008
Jennifer
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Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com
PUCKER is, without a doubt, one of the best books I've ever read. And since I've read and reviewed over 250 books since August 2005 alone, I have a lot to compare it to!
The book is probably best described as a contemporary fantasy, but it's so much more than that. The story centers around Thomas Quicksilver, who at seventeen has spent most of his life with only his mother and a few close friends as acquaintances. Burned on the face as a More...
PUCKER is, without a doubt, one of the best books I've ever read. And since I've read and reviewed over 250 books since August 2005 alone, I have a lot to compare it to!
The book is probably best described as a contemporary fantasy, but it's so much more than that. The story centers around Thomas Quicksilver, who at seventeen has spent most of his life with only his mother and a few close friends as acquaintances. Burned on the face as a More...
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Aug 03, 2011
Kimberly
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Let me say this right up front: this is not a story about kissing, or wrinkles, or things that are sour. It's a story about redemption.
Thomas Quicksilver was born in Isaura, a world that exists parallel to our modern Earth. In Isaura, everything is pre-ordained. Family dinners are dictated weeks in advance, not because anyone wants it to be so, but because a group of fortune tellers called The Seers have predicted what they will be. Each day, the citizens of Isaura visit the Seer More...
Thomas Quicksilver was born in Isaura, a world that exists parallel to our modern Earth. In Isaura, everything is pre-ordained. Family dinners are dictated weeks in advance, not because anyone wants it to be so, but because a group of fortune tellers called The Seers have predicted what they will be. Each day, the citizens of Isaura visit the Seer More...
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Sep 28, 2007
Ozimandias
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The book leaves you with a positive resolution which is nice, but I think it gets there in ways where it doesn't really address any of the issues it puts on the table. The protagonist is from another world and he comes to America with his mother, etc.... There are parts that are nicely written, but I think she glosses over what she is trying to get at. It isn't an unpleasant read though. I never felt like I was wasting my time as I was reading it. I guess its collective impact afterward is a lit
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Aug 04, 2011
Winslow
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After reading the first 50 pages of Pucker I was actually considering not finishing it. It was very well written and certainly not a bad book but, it was just so... dismal. Thomas's childhood was just so depressing and as I was reading, all I felt was pity. But, I stuck with it a little while longer (I hate abandoning books part of the way through) and we were back into Thomas's teenage years and, I became completely interested again. I'm glad I didn't put it down.
There are never any moment More...
There are never any moment More...
Jun 23, 2010
Phoebe
rated it: 
My mother loves many things, but two more than most: books and thrift shopping. Sometimes she combines the two, grabbing unusual hardcovers for a dollar or so from her favorite thrift store.
Because she's awesome, she sometimes mails them to me. Often wonderful, these are rarely the books I would choose for myself--most of the time, they're books I haven't even heard of.
That was the case with Pucker, a 2007 YA novel by Melanie Gideon that I'm quite sure I never would have More...
Because she's awesome, she sometimes mails them to me. Often wonderful, these are rarely the books I would choose for myself--most of the time, they're books I haven't even heard of.
That was the case with Pucker, a 2007 YA novel by Melanie Gideon that I'm quite sure I never would have More...
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May 24, 2009
Jina
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I enjoyed this book. It is written from the perspective of a 17 year old boy. I love that the author starts out by saying what this book is not about (kissing, sour things, and wrinkles). The characters name is Thomas but his schoolmates have dubbed him "Pucker" due to the burn scars on his face. This alone makes the character very interesting. Next it is revealed that he and his mother were exiled from Isaura and his mother wants him to go back to find her seerskin. This is reve
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Dec 02, 2008
Kelsie
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Pucker tells the story of a boy, Tom, who is living outside of his birth world. Though born in Isaura, a parallel world to Earth, Tom had to escape at a young age because his parents became enemies of the Isaurian government. In the process of his escape, Tom was badly burned all over his body, including his face, and by the age of 16 his facial scars have lead others to give him the nickname 'Pucker.' Pucker resents his scars and the negative attention it brings him. When his mother falls t
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Jul 31, 2011
Sareh
rated it: 
I thought that the writing was jerky and it didn't seem to flow at all for me. I thought that Pucker would say random stuff at times when it wasn't needed or things weren't clear enough. For example, he spent two pages talking about some girl's white pants, only for that the end of the chapter to say that she was going to have her period. Well why didn't you say that in the first place? There were some other examples too and it made me almost stop reading into the first hundred pages.
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Jun 24, 2011
Rachel
rated it:
Unlike anything I have read recently or ever for that matter. The plot and idea is there, but I wasn't impressed with the characters. I felt like they were rushed and so was the plot. I also though it was odd that a very minor character in the book that we only talked to twice, saved the day. I'm not saying that it is a bad thing, just an odd thing.
A very fast read. I just really wished there was more to the story. Some stories are meant to be lengthy and this was one of them.
A very fast read. I just really wished there was more to the story. Some stories are meant to be lengthy and this was one of them.
Oct 19, 2010
Kerri
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A seventeen year old boy with terrible burn scars on his face, trys to save his dying mother by journeying back to his birthplace, an alternate world called Isaura. In Isaura his scars will be magically healed, he will fall in love and he will have to make an impossible choice.
This is a fast paced intense story beautifully told which will captivate you from the first paragraph.
This is a fast paced intense story beautifully told which will captivate you from the first paragraph.
Feb 16, 2009
Amy
rated it:
This story is about Pucker, who has been burned horribly in a fire, and his journey to go back to his world and find something to save his mom, living on Earth. While the story line is original, some of the content may not be appropriate for young children. A few swear words and some brief romantic scenes caused a little worry for this middle school librarian.
Feb 06, 2012
Carolina
rated it:
Thomas was the epitome of a douche, especially when he regained his "model-like face" which, too be frank, was kind of Gary Stu-ish. I found the side characters likeable enough that they made up for his lack of sympathizability.
(I guess I'm making that a word.)
The plot itself was alright, but kind of cliche.
(I guess I'm making that a word.)
The plot itself was alright, but kind of cliche.
Jun 21, 2010
Vivian
rated it:
This book surprised me. It wasn't what I expected, but I still enjoyed how it turned out. It was well-written, and despite starting slowly, and having a rather rushed conclusion, it evolved into a beautiful book about how we cope with loss, how gaining things back changes us, and ultimately how we become who we want to be.
May 01, 2010
Emily
rated it:
WOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the most amazing book I have ever read!!!!!! EVER!!! it was apsolutly amazing! I would sugust it to everyone! Its awsome! I really love it!!! :DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
Jan 02, 2011
Caitlinleah
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i needed to look a description to remember what happened... but once i did i remembered i really liked it. and the best part? it's not a series! you get the whole story, right here.
Nov 03, 2009
Ivy
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Probly one of the dumbest books I have ever read. While the plot was wondeful and the meanings deep, the main character drove me so far up the wall that I couldn't see past that fact.
Oct 14, 2011
Savita
rated it:
Meh. It was okay. Slightest bit predictable. But...I dunno. It just wasn't as good as I was expecting.
Jun 13, 2011
Jordyn
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Pucker by Melanie Gideon was a great book! I loved everything about it! I finished it in about a day.
Jan 02, 2010
Valerie
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If I hadn't had to read this for school I would never have gone past chapter one.
May 01, 2009
Angela
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loved It! This boook really makes you realize that life isn't so bad. And what a plot!
Sep 01, 2008
elissa
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I'm not quite sure what to make of this. I tried to start reading it a couple of months ago, and put it down after 50 or so pages, without wanting to pick it back up. This weekend I did pick it back up and found it to be much more compelling the 2nd time around. The parallel world to Earth is an interesting idea, but I didn't find much to raise this above "good". Sort of felt like a Giver wanna-be with a couple of slightly unbelievable plot contrivances contributing to the happy en
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Feb 11, 2009
Alejandra
rated it:
This is a very goof book about choices and nothing about kissing! This book was a quick read and the context was not hard to understand. I really like the characters and their self control.
Jul 07, 2010
Sarah
rated it:
It's about a boy, burned and disfigured as a young child, who must travel back to his home alternate-world in order to save his dying mother's life. When he returns to this home he is healed and becomes very popular with the ladies.
This was OK. It was entertaining, but the MC is pretty unlikeable/shallow and I found some of his actions/thoughts to be unbelievable. I love the idea of a seer skin though, and how it worked differently in the different worlds.
This was OK. It was entertaining, but the MC is pretty unlikeable/shallow and I found some of his actions/thoughts to be unbelievable. I love the idea of a seer skin though, and how it worked differently in the different worlds.
Dec 16, 2007
Nerd Goddess
rated it:
This book had potential. The plot was intriguing, the idea of split worlds and people stepping out of their skins... but the execution was disastrous. The use of present-tense was incredibly distracting throughout the entire book, and took away from what could have been good. Also, just because your main character is a troubled teenager does not mean he has an excuse to use the F-word multiple times, and have sex with whoever he likes.
Jun 14, 2008
Andréa
rated it:
Okay...wow. I love fantasy, and tho I thought this was pretty weird at first, I absolutely LOVED it! I had a really hard time putting it down. I was sad when it was over because I'd gotten so attached. But don't think that means the ending was awful, 'cause it was EXCELLENT! Read this book!!
May 01, 2010
Melissa
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I wasn't able to close this book from the start it was Amazing, and most endings are bad but this ending was actually pretty good. If this book was the first book of a series i would definitely read the other books :)
Apr 12, 2008
Betsy
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I loved this book. It is about a boy who has to decide whether to have the life he's always wanted or to save his family. And it deals with the core issues of teenage life. It got a little scandalous, I wouldn't recommend it to unmarried guys.
Oct 15, 2008
April
rated it:
Interesting Premise: A seventeen-year-old disfigured boy travels to an alternate world to save his mother's life. I actually wish this book was longer and the characters more fleshed out.
