debchan's review against another edition
3.0
not bad for a debut book. lots of philosophical thought about life that made me skim through those bits. (yes, i do feel bad about that) i love the friendships between the three main characters — that was probably the highlight of the book.
story_sanctuary's review against another edition
5.0
I loved so many things about this book it would be hard to narrow it down to just one. The philosophy references and discussions were great. The banter between the characters was incredible. I'm a huge sucker for witty back-and-forth dialogue, and Ostrovski delivers it in scene after scene.
I also loved that this story tells the familiar tale of unexpected pregnancy aftermath from a largely unexplored voice: that of the baby's father. His connection with the baby (whom he names Socrates) and his emotional journey, realizing that it means so much to him to be a father, even for a few stolen hours, was so powerful. His relationships with his best friend and ex-girlfriend felt really genuine, too. And his grandmother! Aw, wow. His relationship with her and the fact that she has dimentia really underscored the sieze-the-day feeling throughout the book.
The reason I started reading this book is because the author's next book AWAY WE GO will come out in a few months, and I was curious to see what his writing was like. After reading the post on his blog about why he wrote THE PARADOX OF VERTICAL FLIGHT and what it means to him, I couldn't help reading it. I was not disappointed, either. I definitely recommend this book to readers who like contemporary fiction with witty dialogue, strong emotional journey, and memorable characters. LOVED IT.
I also loved that this story tells the familiar tale of unexpected pregnancy aftermath from a largely unexplored voice: that of the baby's father. His connection with the baby (whom he names Socrates) and his emotional journey, realizing that it means so much to him to be a father, even for a few stolen hours, was so powerful. His relationships with his best friend and ex-girlfriend felt really genuine, too. And his grandmother! Aw, wow. His relationship with her and the fact that she has dimentia really underscored the sieze-the-day feeling throughout the book.
The reason I started reading this book is because the author's next book AWAY WE GO will come out in a few months, and I was curious to see what his writing was like. After reading the post on his blog about why he wrote THE PARADOX OF VERTICAL FLIGHT and what it means to him, I couldn't help reading it. I was not disappointed, either. I definitely recommend this book to readers who like contemporary fiction with witty dialogue, strong emotional journey, and memorable characters. LOVED IT.
readingundertheradar's review against another edition
5.0
The review is also up on my blog - http://www.happybookloversblog.com
I don't know what I was expecting out of this. I loved the cover when I first saw it and thought, "Yeah, I have to read that!" Guys, this book was seriously awesome. It's hard to earn top marks from me, and this one nearly did it.
On page 2, the author referenced Kafka and "Metamorphosis," so I was already in love and super impressed that that made it into this YA novel. Then, as if it couldn't get more awesome on the scale of pop-culture references, he also managed to include Star Wars, the Wizard of Oz, Medal of Honor, Harry Potter, and old Greek philosophers. And it all made perfect sense. SO COOL.
The pacing was also spot on. The narrator was Jack, who stole his son at the beginning of the novel because he just couldn't bring himself to say goodbye on the spot like that. His narration constantly switched between telling the readers what was actually happening and his thoughts and imaginary conversations he had with his son, Socrates. These conversations were brilliantly hilarious. Jack imagines the baby discussing all sorts of philosophy and existential topics and is surprised that the baby doesn't respond back, so he makes up his responses. It was so witty and quick-paced I forgot it was supposed to be a baby talking, and then Jack would mention it, and it was hilarious again that he was having these imaginary conversations.
It was so impressive the sheer amount of stuff Ostrovski tackled. Between teen pregnancy, adoption, parental ties, and the idea of a ceiling on the Earth and religious/philosophical beliefs, it's a wonder now that I didn't get overwhelmed or bogged down. But the writing was so colloquial and it all flowed together so well, it was easy to breeze through while still questioning life along with Jack.
Definitely worth the read and purchase, especially for something light and summery but still with big-picture questions.
I don't know what I was expecting out of this. I loved the cover when I first saw it and thought, "Yeah, I have to read that!" Guys, this book was seriously awesome. It's hard to earn top marks from me, and this one nearly did it.
On page 2, the author referenced Kafka and "Metamorphosis," so I was already in love and super impressed that that made it into this YA novel. Then, as if it couldn't get more awesome on the scale of pop-culture references, he also managed to include Star Wars, the Wizard of Oz, Medal of Honor, Harry Potter, and old Greek philosophers. And it all made perfect sense. SO COOL.
The pacing was also spot on. The narrator was Jack, who stole his son at the beginning of the novel because he just couldn't bring himself to say goodbye on the spot like that. His narration constantly switched between telling the readers what was actually happening and his thoughts and imaginary conversations he had with his son, Socrates. These conversations were brilliantly hilarious. Jack imagines the baby discussing all sorts of philosophy and existential topics and is surprised that the baby doesn't respond back, so he makes up his responses. It was so witty and quick-paced I forgot it was supposed to be a baby talking, and then Jack would mention it, and it was hilarious again that he was having these imaginary conversations.
It was so impressive the sheer amount of stuff Ostrovski tackled. Between teen pregnancy, adoption, parental ties, and the idea of a ceiling on the Earth and religious/philosophical beliefs, it's a wonder now that I didn't get overwhelmed or bogged down. But the writing was so colloquial and it all flowed together so well, it was easy to breeze through while still questioning life along with Jack.
Definitely worth the read and purchase, especially for something light and summery but still with big-picture questions.
charmaineac's review against another edition
3.0
This was so quirky and pensive, ahh. The eccentricity of it all seeped into my bones. This felt like a heartwarming summer road trip tale. I connected with Jack, Tommy, Jess, and even Socrates. I rooted them on. Their moments at night in the boat were the kind of memories to last a lifetime. They were young and dumb, just going with the waves. Ostrovski is remarkable at capturing the human spirit.
There were also some pretty gaping plot holes, which I'd chalk up to inexperience. Many aspects felt too unrealistic to be real (like everything regarding the police chase and pregnancy). Jack's parents were strangely absentee, but not at the same time. Why would the police arrest him for taking his own son with him on a trip? How could they not hunt them all down (I mean, have you ever SEEN those crazy police chases on Youtube)?
Jack and Jess's relationship was on point though. They had trouble being vulnerable. They made mistakes, which they couldn't really overcome. They were never really at the same level. They were swept up by love (or perhaps, lust) and wound up with something unexpected.
I know Socrates represented Jack's inner monologue, but it got to be a bit much. As interesting I find philosophy to be, I felt like Ostrovski packed in a ton of concepts for the sake of it, and that made the book a little more pretentious and a little less grounded. Then again, if you want a whimsical flight of fancy to help you fly, this book is on point.
There were also some pretty gaping plot holes, which I'd chalk up to inexperience. Many aspects felt too unrealistic to be real (like everything regarding the police chase and pregnancy). Jack's parents were strangely absentee, but not at the same time. Why would the police arrest him for taking his own son with him on a trip? How could they not hunt them all down (I mean, have you ever SEEN those crazy police chases on Youtube)?
Jack and Jess's relationship was on point though. They had trouble being vulnerable. They made mistakes, which they couldn't really overcome. They were never really at the same level. They were swept up by love (or perhaps, lust) and wound up with something unexpected.
I know Socrates represented Jack's inner monologue, but it got to be a bit much. As interesting I find philosophy to be, I felt like Ostrovski packed in a ton of concepts for the sake of it, and that made the book a little more pretentious and a little less grounded. Then again, if you want a whimsical flight of fancy to help you fly, this book is on point.
megandukebooks's review against another edition
5.0
This was a really quick read, but it was very entertaining! It was insightful and intelligent. It was also funny. If you question the meaning of life, this book might be of use to you. I definitely enjoyed it!
orangesloth1's review against another edition
2.0
This book is about to give you a crash course in a lot of philosophical questions and ponderings you've never thought of or even wanted to attempt to wrap your head around, but that's the charm in the book. The best parts of the entire book was the dialogue because it captured a lot of who the characters were.
mckenzierichardson's review against another edition
4.0
I received an ARC of this novel.
This is a beautifully written book. Well done inner monologue. While there were a few plot points I was uncomfortable with (kidnapping a baby, getting drunk while watching said baby), overall I liked the story. At times humorous, other times heartfelt, the writing is a wonderful twist of poetic language and teenage foolishness.
This is a beautifully written book. Well done inner monologue. While there were a few plot points I was uncomfortable with (kidnapping a baby, getting drunk while watching said baby), overall I liked the story. At times humorous, other times heartfelt, the writing is a wonderful twist of poetic language and teenage foolishness.
calliecinque's review against another edition
4.0
For some reason this novel took a long time to get through. However, I loved the content of the book and the Main character, Jack's perspective on many things. Every page there was some new paragraph of philosophical thoughts and it was quite intriguing to read. The story was comical and no doubt original.