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What Members Thought
from the NPR poll of great Young Adult fiction ...
This was not what I expected. Which leads me to wonder what it was I expected, and then try to contrast that with what it was that I found instead.
I guess what I expected was an exciting, engaging, adventurous, magical story involving a houseful of fairy sprites existing in an alternate plane. And what I got was an adventure story about a houseful of dull and peculiar children existing in a sort of alternate plane, but it was neither engaging nor ...more
This was not what I expected. Which leads me to wonder what it was I expected, and then try to contrast that with what it was that I found instead.
I guess what I expected was an exciting, engaging, adventurous, magical story involving a houseful of fairy sprites existing in an alternate plane. And what I got was an adventure story about a houseful of dull and peculiar children existing in a sort of alternate plane, but it was neither engaging nor ...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.
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 was an enjoyable read, although (view spoiler)
I'd be interested to read the next book in the series since it sounds like it will involve (view spoiler) ...more
I'd be interested to read the next book in the series since it sounds like it will involve (view spoiler) ...more
Odd... but fun premise. Started to get a little wonky as it went on but I'll probably read the next one.
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All style, no substance - the Quirk Books way!
I enjoyed this quite a bit. Found it strangely scary at the get-go- reading at 3am while nursing really amps up the terror factor. But it is not actually a frightening read, not really. Very interesting! Would have been better in a print book than on the kindle, but so it goes.
I felt like the story line was pretty much the same as a lot of other YA fiction - teenage boy finds out he's not like all the others and then he has to band together with others like to save the world! But the writing wasn't so compelling. I did think the idea of the story from old photos was quite novel (no pun intended) and I liked that part enough to give it three stars.
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I really liked the book and thought that the ending was open enough that there could be follow-up in the future if the author chooses to pursue it.
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
May 11, 2014
Nicole
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
young-adult,
paranormal
Jan 25, 2015
Lori
marked it as to-read
