book data
53 ratings, 3.34 average rating, 16 reviews
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published
August 28th 2007
by Bantam
binding
Paperback, 336 pages
isbn
0553384368
(isbn13: 9780553384369)
description
Part thriller, part ghost tale, part love story, One for Sorrow is a novel as timeless as The Catcher in the Rye and as hauntingl...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 114)
Read in March, 2008
The one where a kid is murdered and Adam befriends his ghost. I gave it 65 pages.
I had two problems with it: style and motivation. The style is a little too true to the way a fifteen-year-old might tell a story -- which is to say, meandering, repetitive, and trite. (In fact, all the actual fifteen-year-olds I know would probably do a better job than this, though maybe not on the first draft, which is what it reads like.)
And I couldn't make sense of why any of the characters made the cho...more
I had two problems with it: style and motivation. The style is a little too true to the way a fifteen-year-old might tell a story -- which is to say, meandering, repetitive, and trite. (In fact, all the actual fifteen-year-olds I know would probably do a better job than this, though maybe not on the first draft, which is what it reads like.)
And I couldn't make sense of why any of the characters made the cho...more
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Everyone needs to read this book.
Every once in a while, I let myself get talked into thinking I need to read some "real" literature and just pick something, and generally I feel completely apathetic about it at best, or downright hate it at worst (Frangipani, Everything Is Illuminated). Sometimes however, a non-fantasy book will catch my eye. I'll just instinctively know that I need to read it. I was walking out of the bookstore, and One For Sorrow was on the ver...more
Every once in a while, I let myself get talked into thinking I need to read some "real" literature and just pick something, and generally I feel completely apathetic about it at best, or downright hate it at worst (Frangipani, Everything Is Illuminated). Sometimes however, a non-fantasy book will catch my eye. I'll just instinctively know that I need to read it. I was walking out of the bookstore, and One For Sorrow was on the ver...more
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Read in June, 2008
I think the best summary of this book I've read so far described it as a "homo-erotic ghost story". While that may be an overly simplified description, if that doesn't pique your interest, you should probably just avoid this read. Barzak starts off with a premise that has worked well in other stories, such as The Body by Stephen King. It's basically a coming of age/loss of innocence tale involving a teenager's reaction to the murder of a boy at his school. Then it all goes down the cra...more
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Read in March, 2008
Res gave this one a thumbs-down and I really should have listened to her. But I was like, “It’s a homoerotic ghost story! There’s gotta be something in there I’ll like!” Uh, yeah. No. There really isn’t.
All the characters in this book make incredibly irrational decisions, which is especially annoying in the case of the narrator, whose head we’re supposed to be in. Yet we never get to see any of his thought processes. It’s a really baffling way to tell a story—I felt so disc...more
All the characters in this book make incredibly irrational decisions, which is especially annoying in the case of the narrator, whose head we’re supposed to be in. Yet we never get to see any of his thought processes. It’s a really baffling way to tell a story—I felt so disc...more
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Read in November, 2007
recommended to Kirsten by:
Celia Marsh
One for Sorrow is a unique ghost story that goes in some unexpected directions. When Adam McCormick's classmate, Jamie, is killed, Adam finds himself obsessed with Jamie's death and the friendship that the two of them could have shared if they hadn't both been so hesitant. When Adam learns that Gracie, the girl who found Jamie's body, has been seeing Jamie's ghost, he purposefully seeks her out. What follows is a strange almost-love-triangle, as Adam is torn between his loyalty to Jamie and his ...more
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When Jamie Marks is murdered outside of Youngstown, Ohio, the boy’s ghost appears to Gracie Highsmith, the classmate who discovered his body. Adam McCormick, a dysfunctional child and one of Jamie’s few friends in life, discovers that he can see the spirit. In short order, the adolescent-ghost relationship blossoms—as does Adam’s relationship with Gracie—forming a bond among the three that they never shared when Jamie was alive. Traveling with Jamie into the "dead spaces" tha...more
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Read in November, 2008
Really liked this. A true ghost story, and so resonant to the landscape I grew up in (southern PA instead of Eastern Ohio). Looking forward to reading more Barzak.
Oh god, and I totally loved the crazy thing with his mom becoming best friends with the woman who paralyzed her.
http://alisaword.wordpress.com...
Oh god, and I totally loved the crazy thing with his mom becoming best friends with the woman who paralyzed her.
http://alisaword.wordpress.com...
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Read in September, 2007
recommends it for:
no one
I found this book to be written at a middle school level, with little or no emotion from the main character. I had a very hard time connecting to him and the events in the book. At the same time, there were some sexual encounters that wouldn't be appropriate for teens. I found myself putting the book aside and reading another until I finally decided to not finish the book about halfway through. I don't recommend it.
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Read in October, 2008
This story started with such an interesting premise and some really interesting and unexpected phrasing. My hopes were high for a little bit, but then the whole thing crashed into a muddle. The writer could have cut lots and lots out of this story. It seems like he just didn't know where to go with it after a certain point.
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Read in May, 2008
Just finished reading this as part of my reading queer ghost stories program for this year. I found it to be a fast, well written read but had a hard time relating to the characters and their motivations. I also found that I wanted more closure in the ending; I was left quite unsatisfied when I finished the book.
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Read in November, 2007
Instantly loved this book. But for a bit of a mid-late lull, would've been a full 5 stars. Outstanding writing.
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Read in February, 2008
One for Sorrow started off with a lot of promise, but started to wander...just like my attention.
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Read in January, 2008
UMMMMMM, very strange. A little disturbing. Gave me wierd dreams. But I liked it.
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Read in September, 2008
It is a great book; really enjoyed the story....
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in April, 2008
Just starting this book . . .
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"Sometimes you've got to be able to listen to yourself and be okay with no one else understanding."
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