thatgirlwiththeteapot's review against another edition
3.0
After the first two books, I found this one slightly disappointing. The art so beautifully strewn through out the first two now appears disorganized. Pictures would appear two pages before the scene/item/character the described appeared, and sometimes the pictures would have no relevance what so ever to what was going on.
And then, Candy fell in love! Now, don't get me wrong. I believe that love at first sight can happen, especially in books. But Candy isn't a Bella Swan, and even love at first sight (Or in this case, love at first fight), should take more then 3 pages. Until she meets Gazza. Suddenly, her life and the future of the islands no longer matter unless Gazza is Safe. Did I mention that Gazza is also the first main character to not have a portrait? We have, up until this point had a portrait for many characters, both main and background. But the one that Candy falls in love with doesn't get one. Al we know id that he has white and purple marble skin, golden eyes, and is the same height as Candy. We don't even know what hair color her has.
And then we have the fact that in the middle of the biggest fight to ever hit the Abarat, only 1 character dies. And the other two main characters that die don't actually die. Geneva actually dies, and her death is written of almost like a side note, Where Malingo, who is beheaded, and Christopher, who had drowned at the end of the last book, are both completely fine. Because apparently, his nightmares can suck life force out of crabs to give to their master, and Geshrats are born with out bodies, so he can just grow a new one.
Now, I'm not saying to give up on this series. I'm just saying that for a book that took 7 years to write, it simply didn't show that much effort.
And then, Candy fell in love! Now, don't get me wrong. I believe that love at first sight can happen, especially in books. But Candy isn't a Bella Swan, and even love at first sight (Or in this case, love at first fight), should take more then 3 pages. Until she meets Gazza. Suddenly, her life and the future of the islands no longer matter unless Gazza is Safe. Did I mention that Gazza is also the first main character to not have a portrait? We have, up until this point had a portrait for many characters, both main and background. But the one that Candy falls in love with doesn't get one. Al we know id that he has white and purple marble skin, golden eyes, and is the same height as Candy. We don't even know what hair color her has.
And then we have the fact that in the middle of the biggest fight to ever hit the Abarat, only 1 character dies. And the other two main characters that die don't actually die. Geneva actually dies, and her death is written of almost like a side note, Where Malingo, who is beheaded, and Christopher, who had drowned at the end of the last book, are both completely fine. Because apparently, his nightmares can suck life force out of crabs to give to their master, and Geshrats are born with out bodies, so he can just grow a new one.
Now, I'm not saying to give up on this series. I'm just saying that for a book that took 7 years to write, it simply didn't show that much effort.
hacen0125's review against another edition
4.0
The instant love connection and the sudden change with Boa kept me from giving this five stars
moneyispizza's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lizikc's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
fanboyriot's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
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? No
1.0
Definitely not even on the same level as the first book. This book was just disappointing. I just couldn’t get into the way the story was told, it just seemed like it was written with no logic in mind. The effort seemed to be lacking with the plot and characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Genocide, Blood, Murder, War, Death, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Gore, Violence, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
mrssoule's review against another edition
4.0
So after waiting seven years for this book to be released
Spoiler
Barker's going to make us wait for more?!? I was so hoping this was a trilogy because I cannot take the suspense!!paintedgiraffe's review against another edition
1.0
Huh. Thought this was a trilogy. Not going to be reading the next book, though. I feel like this entire book was written by a high person, or otherwise that it's very bad fanfic. Was repulsed by the "instalove" that came out of nowhere, and there were many gaping plot holes and dropped storylines. I've always disliked that the reader is supposed to be sympathetic to Christopher Carrion; being abused is no excuse to continue the cycle and hurt others. Book was a lot gorier, but I didn't mind that.
allie_love's review against another edition
4.0
I LOVED IT but when I saw the ending made way for another book I felt myself deflate a little. I waited YEARS for this book to come out, and I loved reading it and finished it in two days, but I cannot help but be disappointed knowing I have a few more years to wait and see how the story ends.
heathercatherineo's review against another edition
4.0
As with some other notable young adult series, Absolute Midnight makes it clear that this series is growing up and growing out, increasing not only in its imagination but its complexity as well. I have a few minor complaints, and sometimes Barker's prose is a bit hard to follow due to the way he splits up his sentences, but overall the book was a strong piece of literature. It read as much more than a simple fantasy novel, and his artwork for this third installment of the series was brilliant: dark and chaotic, like the nature of the events happening in the world of the Abarat.
Only a few complaints...
The first complaint I have is of the Abarataraba, the ancient, most powerful form of Abaratian magic. It's mentioned within the first few chapters of the book, and Candy admits to having had heard of it, and yet this is the first time we the readers are hearing of it. It pops up out of nowhere, and we don't understand what it really is until later, only getting bits and pieces of information about it. But then again, maybe that's meant to reflect the nature of the Abarataraba itself, in which case, kudos to Barker.
The next two complaints I have
Second, Gazza, the fisherman (who doesn't have his own portrait, though Barker is quick to give us illustrations of many of the other major characters) who seems to come out of nowhere. He suddenly pops up, and with hardly any interaction that the reader witnesses, suddenly he and Candy are soulmates and it feels as though the readers are left to just go with it and just accept the fact that suddenly Gazza is a major character.
Neither of these complaints would be as prominent if Barker hadn't done such a wonderful job in the first two books (and even this one, with some other characters) creating an intricate portrait of each major player in this world, both with words and art. But the fact that these things pop up with no background other than what is hastily supplied on the spot and afterwards leaves a bad taste of shallow plot devices in my mouth.
I suppose I could summarize my complaints by saying, as another reviewer put it, that I feel as though I missed a step between the second and third Abarat books, that there is an "Abarat 2.5" out there that explains all these things that seem to pop up out of nowhere and the increasing detachment that at least I felt from the character of Candy as she becomes exponentially more abstract. Yes, the third book begins right where the last one left off, but suddenly all these new elements are introduced and I'm left scratching my head and struggling to keep up.
Overall, however, I find that though it seemed a bit rushed at times, Absolute Midnight is a well-written, creepy and complex chapter in this epic story.
Only a few complaints...
The first complaint I have is of the Abarataraba, the ancient, most powerful form of Abaratian magic. It's mentioned within the first few chapters of the book, and Candy admits to having had heard of it, and yet this is the first time we the readers are hearing of it. It pops up out of nowhere, and we don't understand what it really is until later, only getting bits and pieces of information about it. But then again, maybe that's meant to reflect the nature of the Abarataraba itself, in which case, kudos to Barker.
The next two complaints I have
Spoiler
are, as I've found, fairly common among people who have read the book. First, Boa is evil? I'll agree with many other readers in saying that that felt like it came out of left field. As the book progresses, Barker gives an explanation as to why she's evil and has been, but it feels like a weak filler for such a big revelation, especially when an entire section of the book is devoted to her true evil nature.Second, Gazza, the fisherman (who doesn't have his own portrait, though Barker is quick to give us illustrations of many of the other major characters) who seems to come out of nowhere. He suddenly pops up, and with hardly any interaction that the reader witnesses, suddenly he and Candy are soulmates and it feels as though the readers are left to just go with it and just accept the fact that suddenly Gazza is a major character.
Neither of these complaints would be as prominent if Barker hadn't done such a wonderful job in the first two books (and even this one, with some other characters) creating an intricate portrait of each major player in this world, both with words and art. But the fact that these things pop up with no background other than what is hastily supplied on the spot and afterwards leaves a bad taste of shallow plot devices in my mouth.
I suppose I could summarize my complaints by saying, as another reviewer put it, that I feel as though I missed a step between the second and third Abarat books, that there is an "Abarat 2.5" out there that explains all these things that seem to pop up out of nowhere and the increasing detachment that at least I felt from the character of Candy as she becomes exponentially more abstract. Yes, the third book begins right where the last one left off, but suddenly all these new elements are introduced and I'm left scratching my head and struggling to keep up.
Overall, however, I find that though it seemed a bit rushed at times, Absolute Midnight is a well-written, creepy and complex chapter in this epic story.
trash_reader_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
This felt like a completely different book than the others in the series. It was as if Clive Barker forgot almost everything about the first two books but still continued to try and finish the series without refreshing his memory. Which wouldn't surprise me, considering it was 7 years between this book and the second one. At this point I'm convinced he isn't going to finish the series, and that's okay with me. As much as I enjoyed reading all three of these books, this one deviated way too much from the premise of the first two for me to want to continue. Since that'll probably be the case as well if the 4th book ever gets published.