Absolutely brilliant!!
From the very start and throughout this story was easy to read, witty and entertaining. I laughed, cringed and glared at the pages throughout, although for many differing reasons.
The first section of the book, we see the characters at school, and we begin to see the different personalities. The typical groupings of students, the nerd, the bullies etc, and it’s very easy to see which is which. We feel sympathy for the Narrator and disgust at the bully. This seems a fairly normal reaction, but then we reach the island, and that is where the Authors Talent truly begins to shine through.
Up until this point, i was enjoying the story. From here I devoured it: I couldn’t read fast enough! By the second section, the book gets gradually darker and we start to see the personalities of the characters begin to take a shift. Peoples social status changes, adapts to the new situation, and the choices our narrator makes aren’t jus self preservation. They can be down right MEAN! But, it fits.
The shifts in our Narrators personality follow a brilliantly conceived logic that makes the transitions for each person seem effortless. The further into the story we get, the more our characters shift and change, their personalities clashing in very different ways, and their roles taking an entirely different stance.
The Characters were brilliantly created so that the shifts in personality made perfect sense for the new situation, and the changes were believable. The changes to attitude and social status were brilliantly done, and I have to admire the Authors talent in doing this in a way which maintained the humour of the first section, whilst building a darker, sharper edge to the tale that wasn’t entirely comfortable! And I mean that as a compliment. The story effortlessly transitions from humorous tale to sinister.
I loved the layout, and the way each section is titled by use of a song. These songs were a very clever, witty way of telling us roughly what the section is about, whilst telling us nothing about what would happen. The continuation of the theme of music in the plot was genius, and individual. I won’t say more for fear of spoilers, but... this was a very clever element to the plot and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
The Bully vs Victim elements to the tale were perfectly handled. This alone should make this something to be read in schools. There were so many lessons within the tale, with role reversals and situation flips that serve as great life advice for children. Example, the person you bully today for their individuality may be your boss tomorrow.
I loved how we find out more about certain characters lives, which again I lived for the lessons which could be learnt from it. There are several moments within the story in which there is a very clear change of power or situation, and these were very cleverly thought out. I thoroughly enjoyed how characters acted for their own interests, and the reader ends up question their initial likes and dislikes of characters.
In short... this is and easy and entertaining yet very powerful book. It gives a lot to think about, and is entertaining for many different reasons. Although this is the Authors second book, I have not read the previous, but I certainly will do now!
Amazing. And wholeheartedly recommend for teens and Young Adults alike, especially for teens as I feel they can learn many vital lessons from this story! Perfect for anyone who enjoys anything funny, realistic, individual... or lovers of YA Fiction/ Thrillers
From the very start and throughout this story was easy to read, witty and entertaining. I laughed, cringed and glared at the pages throughout, although for many differing reasons.
The first section of the book, we see the characters at school, and we begin to see the different personalities. The typical groupings of students, the nerd, the bullies etc, and it’s very easy to see which is which. We feel sympathy for the Narrator and disgust at the bully. This seems a fairly normal reaction, but then we reach the island, and that is where the Authors Talent truly begins to shine through.
Up until this point, i was enjoying the story. From here I devoured it: I couldn’t read fast enough! By the second section, the book gets gradually darker and we start to see the personalities of the characters begin to take a shift. Peoples social status changes, adapts to the new situation, and the choices our narrator makes aren’t jus self preservation. They can be down right MEAN! But, it fits.
The shifts in our Narrators personality follow a brilliantly conceived logic that makes the transitions for each person seem effortless. The further into the story we get, the more our characters shift and change, their personalities clashing in very different ways, and their roles taking an entirely different stance.
The Characters were brilliantly created so that the shifts in personality made perfect sense for the new situation, and the changes were believable. The changes to attitude and social status were brilliantly done, and I have to admire the Authors talent in doing this in a way which maintained the humour of the first section, whilst building a darker, sharper edge to the tale that wasn’t entirely comfortable! And I mean that as a compliment. The story effortlessly transitions from humorous tale to sinister.
I loved the layout, and the way each section is titled by use of a song. These songs were a very clever, witty way of telling us roughly what the section is about, whilst telling us nothing about what would happen. The continuation of the theme of music in the plot was genius, and individual. I won’t say more for fear of spoilers, but... this was a very clever element to the plot and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
The Bully vs Victim elements to the tale were perfectly handled. This alone should make this something to be read in schools. There were so many lessons within the tale, with role reversals and situation flips that serve as great life advice for children. Example, the person you bully today for their individuality may be your boss tomorrow.
I loved how we find out more about certain characters lives, which again I lived for the lessons which could be learnt from it. There are several moments within the story in which there is a very clear change of power or situation, and these were very cleverly thought out. I thoroughly enjoyed how characters acted for their own interests, and the reader ends up question their initial likes and dislikes of characters.
In short... this is and easy and entertaining yet very powerful book. It gives a lot to think about, and is entertaining for many different reasons. Although this is the Authors second book, I have not read the previous, but I certainly will do now!
Amazing. And wholeheartedly recommend for teens and Young Adults alike, especially for teens as I feel they can learn many vital lessons from this story! Perfect for anyone who enjoys anything funny, realistic, individual... or lovers of YA Fiction/ Thrillers