avabrewer's review against another edition
4.0
This was such a fascinating book! There were elements of it that I loved, but others that seemed to fall short.
I picked this book out without fully realizing it was a fantasy book but I’m so glad that it was. It’s been ages since I’ve read a fantasy book and it was delightful.
First, I loved the characters. As a teenager, it’s wonderful to read about other teens going through the struggles of high school and beyond. Lydia’s experience dance was also beautiful for me to read about as a dancer myself. The obscure details, such as the description of Billy’s house and the whole town itself, were wonderful and kept me engaged and interested.
However, some relationships felt rushed. At the end, Billy and Ruth’s relationship seemed to come out of no where. They saw each other in passing, exchanged very few words, then all of the sudden she shows up with a shotgun before a tsunami and Billy’s in love. On the other hand, I adored the blossom of Natalie and Lydia’s relationship. Throughout the story, Billy was accused of being gay but it turns out that it’s Lydia who is. The introduction of this relationship is tasteful and keeps the reader wondering whether or not he or she is correct in assuming a romance may be beginning.
Finally, I’m still confused about the ghost of Lydia, the crowd that attacked Billy numerous times, the creatures that the characters saw over and over again, among other things. Did I miss an explanation somewhere or am I meant to read between the lines and assume that Billy and Lydia’s meeting was simply the cause of the fantastical events?
Overall, a delightful read!
I picked this book out without fully realizing it was a fantasy book but I’m so glad that it was. It’s been ages since I’ve read a fantasy book and it was delightful.
First, I loved the characters. As a teenager, it’s wonderful to read about other teens going through the struggles of high school and beyond. Lydia’s experience dance was also beautiful for me to read about as a dancer myself. The obscure details, such as the description of Billy’s house and the whole town itself, were wonderful and kept me engaged and interested.
However, some relationships felt rushed. At the end, Billy and Ruth’s relationship seemed to come out of no where. They saw each other in passing, exchanged very few words, then all of the sudden she shows up with a shotgun before a tsunami and Billy’s in love. On the other hand, I adored the blossom of Natalie and Lydia’s relationship. Throughout the story, Billy was accused of being gay but it turns out that it’s Lydia who is. The introduction of this relationship is tasteful and keeps the reader wondering whether or not he or she is correct in assuming a romance may be beginning.
Finally, I’m still confused about the ghost of Lydia, the crowd that attacked Billy numerous times, the creatures that the characters saw over and over again, among other things. Did I miss an explanation somewhere or am I meant to read between the lines and assume that Billy and Lydia’s meeting was simply the cause of the fantastical events?
Overall, a delightful read!
fluegel's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the book. I thought the characters were interesting and I liked their relationships. It seemed to be a little hostile towards Christianity and so I did not like that, but maybe that was just the characters she made. I liked how the author sort of played on reality through most of it making it hard to tell when things were actually happening and when they were not. That was a fun space to be in.
leonieb8's review against another edition
3.0
La fin a racheté ce livre très lent à partir et très mystérieux. On en vient à comprendre dans quelle société vivent les protagonistes, mais c’est long et plus ou moins clair. Le réalisme magique est toutefois très intéressant quand on embarque dedans. J’ai eu de la difficulté à m’attacher aux personnages, mais au final, je les appréciais de plus en plus. Un livre intéressant tout de même.
leawyo's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. I liked this a lot and can see the upside for sure but it didn’t quite hook me the way it did some others. I’ve been a sucker for the HEA lately and I don’t know how to feel about it. Hahahahaha.
kba76's review against another edition
3.0
Billy Stoat and Lydia Lemon don’t have much in common. Yet when their schools combine, they find themselves becoming friends.
Both socially inept, the teenagers have family backgrounds that make you want to cry. Yet the two keep a sense of humour, and actually come across very positively.
The story as such is not that exciting. Billy’s uncle (a famous singer) has a breakdown and returns to his home town. He hides away from everyone, relying on Billy to keep him fed. Then the town is hit by a tsunami.
It’s rather rambling, and could have been made more succinct but the appeal of this story was the two key characters, their developing relationship and their growing self-belief.
Thanks to NetGalley for granting me access to this prior to publication.
Both socially inept, the teenagers have family backgrounds that make you want to cry. Yet the two keep a sense of humour, and actually come across very positively.
The story as such is not that exciting. Billy’s uncle (a famous singer) has a breakdown and returns to his home town. He hides away from everyone, relying on Billy to keep him fed. Then the town is hit by a tsunami.
It’s rather rambling, and could have been made more succinct but the appeal of this story was the two key characters, their developing relationship and their growing self-belief.
Thanks to NetGalley for granting me access to this prior to publication.
thewoollygeek's review against another edition
2.0
I struggled to get into this and whilst it was well written I just couldn’t connect with the book, the plot or it’s characters. It felt a bit like one of many other books I’ve read before nothing stood out. sadly, not for me.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
doglady_reads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
amandamarieger's review against another edition
DNF (for now) at 36%. Couldn’t get into it. I might return later though. 🤷🏽♀️
heykellyjensen's review against another edition
The boy in the story -- Billy -- and the girl in the story -- Lydia -- are best friends when their small town rival high schools are merged into a single building. They made the decision out of force and by choice, which is one of the biggest themes in this bizarre and strange and weird and awesome book about family, found and made, reminiscent of the work of Shaun David Hutchinson.
The story is set in an impoverished community and deals with social class well, as well as deals with what it's like to live in a place known for something weird (in this case, Unicorns vs. Dragons the book series ala Twilight, as well as the birth place of famous rock star legend Caleb, ala Kurt Cobain).
There's a speculative undertone in the story, though much of it is grounded in reality. Lydia is a Filipina girl with no connections to her heritage but a desire to connect with it, and Billy is a boy from a broken family with the famous Uncle Caleb. Likewise, Reed pulls no punches including aspects of current political realities within this world, bringing in The King, modeled after the current president.
More on this one soon, but it's a wild, weird ride full of characters who are wild and weird. Though it's a little odder than Reed's previous books, her writing voice and the well-developed voices of her characters are all there.
The story is set in an impoverished community and deals with social class well, as well as deals with what it's like to live in a place known for something weird (in this case, Unicorns vs. Dragons the book series ala Twilight, as well as the birth place of famous rock star legend Caleb, ala Kurt Cobain).
There's a speculative undertone in the story, though much of it is grounded in reality. Lydia is a Filipina girl with no connections to her heritage but a desire to connect with it, and Billy is a boy from a broken family with the famous Uncle Caleb. Likewise, Reed pulls no punches including aspects of current political realities within this world, bringing in The King, modeled after the current president.
More on this one soon, but it's a wild, weird ride full of characters who are wild and weird. Though it's a little odder than Reed's previous books, her writing voice and the well-developed voices of her characters are all there.