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Andromeda Klein
by
Frank Portman (Goodreads Author)
Andromeda Klein has a few problems.
Her hair is kind of horrible.
Her partner-in-occultism, Daisy, is dead.
Her secret, estranged, much older and forbidden boyfriend-in-theory, has gone AWOL.
And her mother has learned how to text.
In short, things couldn't get much worse. Until they do. Daisy seems to be attempting to make contact from beyond, books are starting to disappear f...more
Her hair is kind of horrible.
Her partner-in-occultism, Daisy, is dead.
Her secret, estranged, much older and forbidden boyfriend-in-theory, has gone AWOL.
And her mother has learned how to text.
In short, things couldn't get much worse. Until they do. Daisy seems to be attempting to make contact from beyond, books are starting to disappear f...more
ebook, 432 pages
Published
August 25th 2009
by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
(first published January 1st 2009)
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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
[Edit: I originally gave this book 4 stars (I mention why in the original review below, which is unchanged), but given that I haven't been able to stop thinking about it or its fascinating main character since I read it, and keep recommending it to friends, it definitely warrants 5. This is a great read (though not for everyone, see review below) and if it doesn't deserve 5 stars, I don't know what does, it just leaves you a little pensive and wistful at the end (at least that's how it left me)...more
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 family trip,...more
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 family trip,...more
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 "so...more
Jun 02, 2012
Leone
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorite,
laughed-out-loud
I've noticed that this book has a lot of negative reviews because of the dense, obscure way of writing. I never really thought that. Honestly, I have a notoriously short attention span. I couldn't get past the introduction of the Fellowship of the Ring, and still can't read that book. But Andromeda Klein was, for some reason, not like that for me.
If you like the occult, or even if you're mildly interested, you'd like this book. I thought it was hilarious. Like I actually laughed out loud a few...more
If you like the occult, or even if you're mildly interested, you'd like this book. I thought it was hilarious. Like I actually laughed out loud a few...more
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 in lots of randomly-...more
May 28, 2010
Alex Watkins
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
teen occultists
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
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--if there's anyone le...more
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--if there's anyone le...more
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 probably steer...more
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 probably steer...more
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't quite s...more
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 every other...more
My favorite writers are Dennis Cooper and Kathy Acker; I namecheck them in every other...more
Oct 18, 2009
Sharon
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
ya,
realistic-fiction
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 help the r...more
Shub-Niggaruth - the song!
Shub-Niggaruth - the song!
The Goat with a Thousand Young!
C'mon, you know that's catchy.
And Byron's song for Andromeda has got to be the goofiest/sweetest thing I've ever heard.
Andromeda Klein, Andromeda Klein
Born under a cryptic sign
The water of air
The fire of Earth
Whatever that might be worth
It's adorable.
Andromeda Klein starts out slow, spending quite a long time examining the various phrases, worries, and occulist gobbly-gook running through her head. Once again, I...more
Shub-Niggaruth - the song!
The Goat with a Thousand Young!
C'mon, you know that's catchy.
And Byron's song for Andromeda has got to be the goofiest/sweetest thing I've ever heard.
Andromeda Klein, Andromeda Klein
Born under a cryptic sign
The water of air
The fire of Earth
Whatever that might be worth
It's adorable.
Andromeda Klein starts out slow, spending quite a long time examining the various phrases, worries, and occulist gobbly-gook running through her head. Once again, I...more
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 occult premise, but the references are relentless,...more
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 occult premise, but the references are relentless,...more
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 the world,...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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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 outcast without reso...more
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 outcast without reso...more
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
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 began to unde...more
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. And I ended up appre...more
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. And I ended up appre...more
This one requires so much built-in knowledge of the occult (and tarot, specifically) that it nearly lost me at the beginning. And, as a huge fan of Portman's first book, King Dork, it was disappointing to feel like that one had been a fluke, a one-off. Turns out, though, that once he had laid the groundwork – the title character is a tarot-obsessed teen dealing with the aftermath of her best friend's death – this book reveals itself to be as much fun as Portman's previous. What really sets Andro...more
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 enjoyable read. I'...more
Sep 21, 2009
Jamil
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
aleister-crowley,
esoterica,
lovecraft,
magic,
teenage-kicks,
occult,
tarot,
led-zeppelin,
grrls,
geek-love
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 interaction...more
Aug 03, 2011
Jenna (the book element)
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Dedicated Readers Only
Shelves:
mg-ya,
internship
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 on to. Of course, my confusion was pro...more
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 on to. Of course, my confusion was pro...more
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
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 very, very we...more
The ceremonial magic is very, very we...more
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 source of stress.
The occult plays a...more
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 source of stress.
The occult plays a...more
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
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, just like my...more
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, just like my...more
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 nerdish rocker/hipsters. Portman's word play i...more
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Frank Portman(AKA Dr. Frank) is the singer/songwriter, guitarist of the popular San Francisco based punk band The Mr. T. Experience (MTX). Formed in the mid 1980's, MTX has recorded over twenty albums and has an incredibly large fanbase. The author lives in Oakland, California.
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updated Mar 19, 2013 04:33pm