millennialbookreview's review against another edition
2.0
Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future was a book that had good moments, but was ultimately a disappointment for me. I feel that the more fantastical elements and the future storyline missed the mark on several fronts. The characters weren’t very enjoyable either. At the same time, the more human and grounded parts of the story were wonderful to read and resonated with me. There were great moments in those parts. I enjoyed the writing on a technical level, even though I wasn’t a fan of the overall story. I’d say this book was a miss for me, mostly because the story didn’t feel cohesive overall.
My full review can be found here
My full review can be found here
pinkyrae's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
itsmytuberculosis's review against another edition
1.0
The singular page entries about the future were more exciting than the rest of the book combined and multiplied by seventeen.
memita's review against another edition
3.0
3,5*
A minha motivação para ler este livro foi unicamente pela capa. É linda e o livro em sim é amarelo (bookporn)! Há já muito tempo que não escolhia um livro pela capa e soube-me bem fazê-lo. Esta é uma história sobre uma adolescente que não faz ideia de como será o seu futuro, algo com que me identifiquei (porque já passei por essa fase). Gostei da premissa, principalmente do facto da mãe que se suicidou e de como a Glory tenta lidar e ultrapassar essa questão. Quanto às visões do passado e do futuro, acho que poderiam ter sido melhor desenvolvidas, dando um maior contributo para a história. Acabou por ser uma boa leitura em termos de entretenimento, nada de muito reflexivo, apenas fácil de ler, com um final simpático.
A minha motivação para ler este livro foi unicamente pela capa. É linda e o livro em sim é amarelo (bookporn)! Há já muito tempo que não escolhia um livro pela capa e soube-me bem fazê-lo. Esta é uma história sobre uma adolescente que não faz ideia de como será o seu futuro, algo com que me identifiquei (porque já passei por essa fase). Gostei da premissa, principalmente do facto da mãe que se suicidou e de como a Glory tenta lidar e ultrapassar essa questão. Quanto às visões do passado e do futuro, acho que poderiam ter sido melhor desenvolvidas, dando um maior contributo para a história. Acabou por ser uma boa leitura em termos de entretenimento, nada de muito reflexivo, apenas fácil de ler, com um final simpático.
tawnsolo's review against another edition
1.0
I absolutely hated this main character. What a horrible, judgy, rude, unkind person she was to her friend. I think the author was trying to paint Glory as misunderstood or something, but she just seemed like a self righteous twit. Ellie is better off without Glory. "Insert laugh track laughter" ...jerk... I don't think I've ever disliked a main character this much. I understand Glory's mom passed away and that is something to be pitied, but that doesn't give her free reign to act horrible. The story itself was somewhat interesting albeit incredibly unbelievable. I just could not get over how much I wanted to scream at Glory for being so ungrateful and pretentious.
kimreadsthings's review against another edition
2.0
What the hell was this book even??
It definitely is not dystopian. It's contemporary with an element of magical realism.
I really enjoyed the only other book I've read by Amy King (Reality Boy) but this one just leaves me scratching my head. Review to come.
It definitely is not dystopian. It's contemporary with an element of magical realism.
I really enjoyed the only other book I've read by Amy King (Reality Boy) but this one just leaves me scratching my head. Review to come.
carstensena's review against another edition
4.0
I think this is my favorite King book so far. The "future" chapters really worked for me, and Glory's rocky friendship with Ellie was well-done. I also found the dilemma of whether to allow Jasmine to stay on the land quite interesting. Glory's surprise that her life will be long and good will resonate with teens, I think.
sc104906's review against another edition
4.0
Glory Obrien is graduating from high school, but her life plans are not the same as her peers. It all involves her mother’s suicide, a fermented bat corpse, and the commune across the road. Glory Obrien’s life was forever changed when her mother used the gas oven to commit suicide. Now her father works from home and hasn’t replaced the oven. Even though Glory is a photographer, her mother’s darkroom has been locked since her death. However, Glory has decided it is time to move forward. She begins using her mother’s dark room and coming to terms with her mother’s death.
Glory and her long time best friend decide to drink fermented bat corpse, which gives them superpowers. Both girls can see the futures and pasts of everyone they come into contact with. Glory soon begins to dissect her relationship with her friend and with those around her.
This is great coming of age novel, with an interesting supernatural twist (as usual). I liked the quirky characters and the interesting plot. It is a standard A.S. King novel.
Glory and her long time best friend decide to drink fermented bat corpse, which gives them superpowers. Both girls can see the futures and pasts of everyone they come into contact with. Glory soon begins to dissect her relationship with her friend and with those around her.
This is great coming of age novel, with an interesting supernatural twist (as usual). I liked the quirky characters and the interesting plot. It is a standard A.S. King novel.
ethorwitz's review against another edition
4.0
Glory O'Brien's visions are stated to be true, but imply a metaphor for writing. It's a little too coincidental that the dystonia she witnesses mirrors her own sexual and personal hangups, that the villains are cartoonish exaggerations of her disappointments with men, the she and the cute guy she met at the mall grow up into an action-movie couple. But that's the point isn't it; it makes total sense that an intelligent but introverted person like Glory would "people watch," inventing pasts and futures for random passers-by while lonely and bored at the mall.