Okay, this book gave me the heebie-jeebies, and I often wanted to take a shower every time I put it down. It was Disturbing with a capital "D"...moreOkay, this book gave me the heebie-jeebies, and I often wanted to take a shower every time I put it down. It was Disturbing with a capital "D". But holy twist a lot! I loved that the author took me on a ride. By the time I reached the end of the book, I completely changed my perception of the main character. Overall, it was extremely well-written. But man, disturbing. Be prepared.(less)
Very disturbing. But I was looking for a psychological thriller or horror book, so it did its job. However, must warn any potential readers: This book...moreVery disturbing. But I was looking for a psychological thriller or horror book, so it did its job. However, must warn any potential readers: This book is messed up. Crazy in the kind of way that makes you want to take a shower every time you put the book down. But I suppose that's the point. :)(less)
Made me cry at the end. That's always a good sign because I don't cry very often while reading books. Very real, very frustrating. Great characterizat...moreMade me cry at the end. That's always a good sign because I don't cry very often while reading books. Very real, very frustrating. Great characterization. Real dialogue. I really would recommend this to anyone.(less)
I was hoping for the edge of my seat thril...moreUm. Weird.
That's a perfect adjective to describe this book.
Plain weird.
I was hoping for the edge of my seat thriller, but it's not really that kind of book.
Let me start with what I DID like. First of all, it's different than any YA book out there. If I pick up one more teen novel set in a prep school or with a girl who can't choose between two guys, I think I might hurl all the way to the Acknowledgments Page. I appreciate the creativity and the bizarre nature of this book. However...
It's disturbing - you're dealing with an F-ed up kidnapper at first, but then the book takes a different turn and you're straddling the line between sanity and insanity, and wondering which "lens" your character is looking through. Is he really experiencing all these things? Is he imagining it? It poses the question: is what you experience true reality... or is the imaginary world actually the reality and this is the made-up world?
Trust me... that gives nothing away. This book takes your head on a ride. I don't know what I think honestly. Did I LOVE this book? No. But I kept reading. I wanted to keep reading. So I liked it, disturbing and disgusting as it was.
The author is a little repetitive with certain phrases that the main character "hears" and says to himself. That was the only part that pulled me out of the story. I got the point, but I could have gotten the point with a few hundred less of the same phrases.
In addition, I'm left unsatisfied as to why Marbury exists and if there is any cohesive tie between Marbury and his earlier kidnapping. There is no allusion to the connection of these two very traumatic parts of his life. Would he have been given the glasses had the kidnapping and murder not occurred? I didn't need all questions answers -- just some allusion to a connection. Without it, his kidnapping and the world of Marbury feel disjointed, like two separate stories -- two very unlucky events that Jack "happens" upon.
I know I'm not in the majority, as most people are rating this book a great deal higher. I actually read it because Sara Zarr recommended it. I wanted to LOVE it. But I didn't. On the other hand, I didn't hate it. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under 17.(less)
Emily really understands character. It's different. Very Mormon, but the Mormon culture embedded in the text is fascinating. It's a great walk through...moreEmily really understands character. It's different. Very Mormon, but the Mormon culture embedded in the text is fascinating. It's a great walk through the different ways people cope following someone's death. The story is really about a guy who never shows up on the pages because he dies before page one. (less)
I feel like the style is kind of a gorier (is that a word?) version of Bram Stoker's DRACULA, but it doesn't quite hold a candle to DRACULA. There's a...moreI feel like the style is kind of a gorier (is that a word?) version of Bram Stoker's DRACULA, but it doesn't quite hold a candle to DRACULA. There's at least one SAT word per page, and Yancey does work them in nicely without it feeling like it's an SAT-prep course, but...
The book is a labor of love. I make sure to read a minimum of one chapter before bed, so there must be some disconnect between me and the book if it's a discipline rather than a joy.
As I read, I find the language beautiful. His dialogue is brilliant at covertly conveying character (hey, nice alliteration, HB), but alas, I'm not riveted.
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Well, well! This book made a comeback! Now that I have finished the novel, I have to say, the last 150 pages were very enjoyable. Here is the strongest quality about this book:
-Characters brilliantly developed. When I was in college, my screenwriting professor used to make us cover up the names of the people talking in the scene, and just read dialogue. He said that if we correctly developed our characters, we would be able to tell which one was talking. We wouldn't need to see the names. He said each person not only has a different personality, but he/she also has a different "way" of speaking (ie the choice of words, the brevity or longevity, the repetitions, and/or the order of words). Yancey has mastered this understanding. Each character not only acted differently, but spoke differently. Each character was multi-dimentional -- not one character spoke as a filler. Not one word was merely a device to push the story forward. Each piece of dialogue came from that character and was a true reaction of how that character would respond in that particular situation.
-Dialogue and prose true to the time period The novel takes place in the 1800's, and the language felt antiquated, in a good way. I felt like I was dropped into the 19th century, from the setting to the way people talked to the narration. Maybe that's why the SAT words strewn throughout the book felt so natural -- some of those words, so obsolete nowadays -- were quite commonplace back then.
It was refreshing to read a young adult book that was not trying to be covertly didactic. Yancey was simply telling a good story. And if you have the stamina, it's an authentic ride down a 19th century landscape in pursuit of monsters.
Okay, this book has such a simple concept: jerky boy finds her notebook of secrets/fears, and threatens to publish it online if she doesn't do the fea...moreOkay, this book has such a simple concept: jerky boy finds her notebook of secrets/fears, and threatens to publish it online if she doesn't do the fears in her book. It all takes place in one night, and her two best friends and her ex-boyfriend help her through the madness. Nothing life-changing, but such a freaking fun read! Would make a great Disney original movie, but then I guess it wouldn't be a Disney original. Cute and fun. Who doesn't want to have an all-night adventure when you're seventeen?(less)
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