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What Members Thought
Oct 01, 2012
Melle
rated it
it was ok
Shelves:
read-in-2015,
fantasy,
ya,
supernatural,
world-war-ii,
teen,
school,
florida,
uk-wales,
boarding-school
This was almost a two-and-a-half star read for me. I can see how this phenomenon of a creepy backstory created for found photographs captured a lot of people; it's very imaginative and has some titillating supernatural and teen romance elements. For me as a reader, I just didn't find the narrator a compelling presence (actually, I found Jacob to be kind of annoying), and, for me personally, the story felt forced and limited based on these photographic prompts. I don't feel it was a bad read; I j
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Jacob’s grandfather has always been a little bizarre, from the guns he hoards in his home to the stories and pictures of “peculiar” children. When his grandfather mysteriously dies from some sort of animal attack, Jacob travels to the Welsh island where his grandfather grew up to get some closure, only to discover that his grandfather’s stories of peculiar children may not be made up.
This is another book where many people seem to either love or feel lukewarm towards it. Personally, I loved it! I ...more
This is another book where many people seem to either love or feel lukewarm towards it. Personally, I loved it! I ...more
A young boy has been fed odd stories by his grandfather for his entire childhood. When the grandpa dies a violent death, Jacob heads off to a remote island off the coast of Wales to find some answers -- only to be found by some peculiar children.
What I REALLY liked about this book is the originality -- using bizarre vintage photographs to create a story. That really worked for me. I was less impressed with the writing, character development and lack of resolution. When I was toward the end and q ...more
What I REALLY liked about this book is the originality -- using bizarre vintage photographs to create a story. That really worked for me. I was less impressed with the writing, character development and lack of resolution. When I was toward the end and q ...more
I recently reread this over the course of a Sunday afternoon to prepare for reading the sequel (Hollow City) and discovered two things.
1) I think I liked it more the second time than I did the first and
2) I had forgotten quite how good it was.
Ransom Riggs created a world that really draws you in with characters you (or at least I) feel like you want to spend time with in person. Although protagonist and narrator Jacob is kind of annoying -- although, realistically, who isn't as a teenager -- the ...more
1) I think I liked it more the second time than I did the first and
2) I had forgotten quite how good it was.
Ransom Riggs created a world that really draws you in with characters you (or at least I) feel like you want to spend time with in person. Although protagonist and narrator Jacob is kind of annoying -- although, realistically, who isn't as a teenager -- the ...more
The photographs in this book are amazing and it is worth the read simply to see how Riggs weaves them all together. It is very well written, although the relationships that develop among some of the characters are a little bizarre. Every little detail and question is wrapped up nicely in the end and the backdrop of WWII isn't overwhelming.
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A completely awesome premise with a shaky execution. I loved the integration of the pictures and the plot is pretty interesting (creepy twist near the end that I appreciated, too), but I kept getting bogged down in the writing. It was a slog to get through for a story that was almost worth it. I might check out the sequel, though.
Is this yet another first book in a series? I am getting tired of books that don't feel like a full story, and don't contain a warning.
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Interesting story. It reminded me of a mix between Harry Potter and Night Circus. Will definitely read the sequel, I want to know what happens next!
This is a fun and spooky story. The inclusion of the photographs boots everything up to a 4.5. The ending sets the stage for the next book (I'm beginning to wonder if anyone writes just one book per story anymore) and I am looking forward to seeing where this goes next.
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Oh... huh. Well, I think I'm one of the last people left who hadn't read this yet. I don't really know what to say about it. I dug it, but it felt maybe a little overhyped by the time I got around to it? I did enjoy the found photography aspect of it for sure. I waffled between 3 and 4 stars on this. I guess I went with 4 because the photos were cool? I kind of wasn't that invested in the story, but the last 25% or so was a page turner.
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3.5 out of 5
Nov 04, 2011
A. V.
marked it as to-read
Nov 14, 2011
Arianna
marked it as not-sure
Jan 07, 2012
Aimee
marked it as to-read
Jan 25, 2015
Lori
marked it as to-read
