sadiecass's review
3.0
I was up and down on my rating of this one. The beginning was so slow I almost didn't keep going on. I have 2 ereaders and bookshelves full of books that need read. Still, I pushed on and the action picked up, which made the reading go a lot faster.
...Read the rest of this review here...
...Read the rest of this review here...
sjj169's review
4.0
This damn book.
It started off and I did not think I would be able to finish it. I mean I broke out Honey BooBoo's mama it was so slow.
I kept reading. WTF?
This book is set in the year 2025 in what is to become of Manhatten and Brooklyn. A virus has came about and changed the world. If you survived it you are unable to tolerate sunlight. The world has changed. Most people scavenge to eat and our two main characters Twist and Dodger steal meds. They aren't the dosers of the world who only want to forget what is going on with the world around them. They are a couple of smart asses who give the meds out to people that need them.
At first I HATED these characters.
Then something happened. The author of this book made these characters grow. They became my friends and I cheered for them.
I cried for them.
This book would have gotten five frigging stars except for that beginning. I can't wait to see where this story goes.
And in the immortal words of our beauty queen:
I recieved an ARC of this book from Curiosity Quills in exchange for an honest review. Now I'm gonna go see if I can bug the author to find out when the next book comes out.
It started off and I did not think I would be able to finish it. I mean I broke out Honey BooBoo's mama it was so slow.
I kept reading. WTF?
This book is set in the year 2025 in what is to become of Manhatten and Brooklyn. A virus has came about and changed the world. If you survived it you are unable to tolerate sunlight. The world has changed. Most people scavenge to eat and our two main characters Twist and Dodger steal meds. They aren't the dosers of the world who only want to forget what is going on with the world around them. They are a couple of smart asses who give the meds out to people that need them.
At first I HATED these characters.
Then something happened. The author of this book made these characters grow. They became my friends and I cheered for them.
I cried for them.
This book would have gotten five frigging stars except for that beginning. I can't wait to see where this story goes.
And in the immortal words of our beauty queen:
I recieved an ARC of this book from Curiosity Quills in exchange for an honest review. Now I'm gonna go see if I can bug the author to find out when the next book comes out.
readerxxx's review
4.0
I almost didnt read this because of the reviews but I am really glad that I did. I think parts of it were a bit slow but once the action picked up it didnt let off. I liked the characters and the world.
thepaperreels's review
DNF at page 72
....and I have my reasons! Full review to come!
....and I have my reasons! Full review to come!
knightingale's review
4.0
*Thanks to the publisher, Curiosity Quills Press, for the free review copy via Netgalley.*
Possible Spoilers of a Minor Nature
The Artful by Wilbert Stanton has become one of my favorite books of the year so far. It features as it's main characters Twist and Dodger, two thieves who call themselves the 'Gutter Punks' and act like a post-apocalyptic version of Robin Hood. They take medicine from the privileged Tower Babies and give it to the poor, who are forced to live on the streets. Its set in Manhattan and Brooklyn in 2025, anyone who is still around is unable to tolerate the sun's rays and burn much to easily without shelter and protection. The story picks up when the two boys rescue a girl named Gia and Dodger is injected with a lethal virus only their enemies have the cure to. They'll have mere days to take back something their other friend stole before Dodger dies a painful death.
Twist was by far my favorite character. Unlike so many scores of YA main characters, he not only saw his flaws but also embraced them. He didn't whine and moan about his imperfections and he didn't over or under look them to any extreme. They were simply there and a fact of life.
He also really grew as a main character. In the beginning he resented the fact that everyone thought he was Dodger’s shadow, but it was sort of true, by the end he realized his own strength. He neither needed or wanted Dodger’s assistance because he had become his own person, Dodger’s illness really forced him to see his potential as it was.
One of the things I love about YA books with male main characters is the lack of drama. In particular girl type drama, evil in the clever disguise of words when it’s overused, so I also appreciated how there were no real frivolous type problems in the book. All of the issues the main characters faced were realistic and understandable. It was a lovable novel about the true pains of survival in a futuristic world that has been destroyed through something realistic. The only thing I didn’t like about it was some of the dialogue. Whenever Dodger and Twist were separated, Dodger would tell Twist what happened to him while he was gone. That doesn’t seem like a bad thing, but everything Dodger said during those times was a big block of text that told what happened just about word for word with no details omitted. Too many words were used at these times and it happened all at once, leaving the reader with no question as to what happened to Dodger during those times. It got to be quite annoying.
Although not everything about the book pleased me, The Artful was a greatly enjoyable read which I highly recommend to dystopian lovers. In particular those who enjoyed Andrew Smith’s The Marbury Lens.
Possible Spoilers of a Minor Nature
The Artful by Wilbert Stanton has become one of my favorite books of the year so far. It features as it's main characters Twist and Dodger, two thieves who call themselves the 'Gutter Punks' and act like a post-apocalyptic version of Robin Hood. They take medicine from the privileged Tower Babies and give it to the poor, who are forced to live on the streets. Its set in Manhattan and Brooklyn in 2025, anyone who is still around is unable to tolerate the sun's rays and burn much to easily without shelter and protection. The story picks up when the two boys rescue a girl named Gia and Dodger is injected with a lethal virus only their enemies have the cure to. They'll have mere days to take back something their other friend stole before Dodger dies a painful death.
Twist was by far my favorite character. Unlike so many scores of YA main characters, he not only saw his flaws but also embraced them. He didn't whine and moan about his imperfections and he didn't over or under look them to any extreme. They were simply there and a fact of life.
He also really grew as a main character. In the beginning he resented the fact that everyone thought he was Dodger’s shadow, but it was sort of true, by the end he realized his own strength. He neither needed or wanted Dodger’s assistance because he had become his own person, Dodger’s illness really forced him to see his potential as it was.
One of the things I love about YA books with male main characters is the lack of drama. In particular girl type drama, evil in the clever disguise of words when it’s overused, so I also appreciated how there were no real frivolous type problems in the book. All of the issues the main characters faced were realistic and understandable. It was a lovable novel about the true pains of survival in a futuristic world that has been destroyed through something realistic. The only thing I didn’t like about it was some of the dialogue. Whenever Dodger and Twist were separated, Dodger would tell Twist what happened to him while he was gone. That doesn’t seem like a bad thing, but everything Dodger said during those times was a big block of text that told what happened just about word for word with no details omitted. Too many words were used at these times and it happened all at once, leaving the reader with no question as to what happened to Dodger during those times. It got to be quite annoying.
Although not everything about the book pleased me, The Artful was a greatly enjoyable read which I highly recommend to dystopian lovers. In particular those who enjoyed Andrew Smith’s The Marbury Lens.
jljaina's review
2.0
An odd, yet unique blending of Oliver Twist and Robin Hood meets the movie Doomsday (which, in itself is a clash of other stories). While I know the Oliver Twist and the Robin Hood parts are intentional (and even referred to in the book), the Doomsday feel is just what it personally reminded me heavily of while reading this. Combine all this to a post-apocalyptic New York (just a short 11 years from when this book is written) and you get The Artful.
The story is shared from the aspect of Twist. He and Dodger have been together for the past several years, since the were children. The banded a group to together that stole 'meds' and supplies from the privileged few and shared them with those less fortunate. Apparently the wealthy spent their time partying, doing drugs or having sex. Otherwise they sat around bored, locked away in towers, safe from the sun. While everyone else became scavengers and tried to survive by whatever means they could figure out. Some stole, some became cannibals, thugs or religious nuts. We meet them all in this book.
The first half of the book was quite slow but it does finally pick up but by that point there were already several parts that I did not like. The main thing is the behavior of our lead characters and the constant sexual references. I seriously could not go even a few pages without something coming up! I realize they are teenagers but I want a story, not a sex diary and at times that is how this seemed. If you have seen American Pie or Scary Movie this can go right alongside those in that sense (less the comedy). It even comes across as a bit degrading at times. While part of that does get straightened out later, it vexed me a lot at first.
The other thing that drove me nuts were the constant cliches. And those never ended. they just kept on comin'! I lost track of the eye rolls I gave this book. Really wish parts were more original.
Yet the premise kept me intrigued enough to keep going. I had to understand what was going on. Why were things still so bad with the sun when people are obviously wandering the streets and no longer dropping like flies yet the rich are still in hiding? What is happening outside the quarantine zone. And how will our boys get out of the mess they find themselves in. While some questions are answered, the big one about what was so horrible about the sunlight is never really explained very well. The characters, especially Dodger, do grow on you after awhile but you really have to bear with it for the first 45% of the book before you can start to appreciate them. At least, that is how it was for me.
*I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a fair, honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are strictly my own*
The story is shared from the aspect of Twist. He and Dodger have been together for the past several years, since the were children. The banded a group to together that stole 'meds' and supplies from the privileged few and shared them with those less fortunate. Apparently the wealthy spent their time partying, doing drugs or having sex. Otherwise they sat around bored, locked away in towers, safe from the sun. While everyone else became scavengers and tried to survive by whatever means they could figure out. Some stole, some became cannibals, thugs or religious nuts. We meet them all in this book.
The first half of the book was quite slow but it does finally pick up but by that point there were already several parts that I did not like. The main thing is the behavior of our lead characters and the constant sexual references. I seriously could not go even a few pages without something coming up! I realize they are teenagers but I want a story, not a sex diary and at times that is how this seemed. If you have seen American Pie or Scary Movie this can go right alongside those in that sense (less the comedy). It even comes across as a bit degrading at times. While part of that does get straightened out later, it vexed me a lot at first.
The other thing that drove me nuts were the constant cliches. And those never ended. they just kept on comin'! I lost track of the eye rolls I gave this book. Really wish parts were more original.
Yet the premise kept me intrigued enough to keep going. I had to understand what was going on. Why were things still so bad with the sun when people are obviously wandering the streets and no longer dropping like flies yet the rich are still in hiding? What is happening outside the quarantine zone. And how will our boys get out of the mess they find themselves in. While some questions are answered, the big one about what was so horrible about the sunlight is never really explained very well. The characters, especially Dodger, do grow on you after awhile but you really have to bear with it for the first 45% of the book before you can start to appreciate them. At least, that is how it was for me.
*I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a fair, honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are strictly my own*
urlphantomhive's review
1.0
READ IN ENGLISH
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!
I really wanted to like this book, as it features a lot of things I like to read about, post-apocalyptic setting, New York, viruses. I had to admit I didn't know who Artful Dodger was, because I've never read or properly watched Oliver Twist (my bad, I know). Dodger is in this novel indeed the head-thief and little Twist is his partner in crime.
Together they form the Gutter Punks, Robin Hood-like stealing medicine from the rich for the rest of the world. The world as we knew it has gone to the dogs, that's for sure. New York is in terrible shape (and this in only ten years and without any real war). The boroughs are everything but friendly to each other, and Dodger and Twist are 'just trying to survive' in these harsh conditions.
Only, the true horror is the book. The world building doesn't make any sense. The world is supposedly destroyed by a virus that killed half the population, leaving the rest as carriers, having only one symptom: a minor form of light allergy. Which isn't nice, but enough to destroy civilization? There are medicines against this terrible disease (I kept thinking: is this medicine Vitamin D perhaps?) however they are so expensive only the rich (for some reason called Tower Babies) can afford them. The rich, with there medicine, have taken refuge in large building like the Empire State Building and never leave the place.
The New York inhabitants believe there is a quarantine to keep them save from the rest of the world. The rest of the world however supplies them the Towers (and thus the rich) with supplies in big Zeppelins. Which makes me wonder? Why do they believe there's nothing out there, if they have better supplies than the people in the city? It just doesn't make sense.
To keep you from these questions, there are a lot of different gangs in Manhattan, like the no-rules one, one that features children who've gone Lord Of The Flies-like berserk in the Jungle (that was once Central Park), the religious sect gang, and one that seems to consist mainly out of hippies. There are also cannibals and you sometimes wonder if you're in Imperial Rome or perhaps Meereen as fights to the death in arenas are considered a civilized form of entertainment.
And in this setting we find our characters. From the first person POV of Twist, a seventeen-year-old boy who's suffering from sidekick-syndrome and is ruled by his hormones. Seriously, there isn't a single female character over the age of ten, he doesn't want to have sex with. Now that I think about it, there are only three female characters in the book. They are all bitchy and manipulative, crazy, or we get to know so little about them we can't decide in which category to put her. None of them has any depth.
What also bothered me is the following, Twist was seven when the virus struck and the world turned into this state. He however knows The Walking Dead enough to reference to it (some bad parenting?). I'm also to believe that a seven-year-old boy is interested in Titanic? (But has no memories whatsoever to news about the virus when it struck). The same with the other characters, they should remember things, but they don't. It's only been ten years! Ten heavy years, I will not deny it, but they sometimes act as if this situations been going on for centuries, which is just not right...
I was already fairly disappointed with this book, my expectations were so high, but what really did it in the end for me: the confused the flu and the common cold, which in my biomedical eyes, really is an unforgivable crime... Would not recommend.
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!
I really wanted to like this book, as it features a lot of things I like to read about, post-apocalyptic setting, New York, viruses. I had to admit I didn't know who Artful Dodger was, because I've never read or properly watched Oliver Twist (my bad, I know). Dodger is in this novel indeed the head-thief and little Twist is his partner in crime.
Together they form the Gutter Punks, Robin Hood-like stealing medicine from the rich for the rest of the world. The world as we knew it has gone to the dogs, that's for sure. New York is in terrible shape (and this in only ten years and without any real war). The boroughs are everything but friendly to each other, and Dodger and Twist are 'just trying to survive' in these harsh conditions.
Only, the true horror is the book. The world building doesn't make any sense. The world is supposedly destroyed by a virus that killed half the population, leaving the rest as carriers, having only one symptom: a minor form of light allergy. Which isn't nice, but enough to destroy civilization? There are medicines against this terrible disease (I kept thinking: is this medicine Vitamin D perhaps?) however they are so expensive only the rich (for some reason called Tower Babies) can afford them. The rich, with there medicine, have taken refuge in large building like the Empire State Building and never leave the place.
The New York inhabitants believe there is a quarantine to keep them save from the rest of the world. The rest of the world however supplies them the Towers (and thus the rich) with supplies in big Zeppelins. Which makes me wonder? Why do they believe there's nothing out there, if they have better supplies than the people in the city? It just doesn't make sense.
To keep you from these questions, there are a lot of different gangs in Manhattan, like the no-rules one, one that features children who've gone Lord Of The Flies-like berserk in the Jungle (that was once Central Park), the religious sect gang, and one that seems to consist mainly out of hippies. There are also cannibals and you sometimes wonder if you're in Imperial Rome or perhaps Meereen as fights to the death in arenas are considered a civilized form of entertainment.
And in this setting we find our characters. From the first person POV of Twist, a seventeen-year-old boy who's suffering from sidekick-syndrome and is ruled by his hormones. Seriously, there isn't a single female character over the age of ten, he doesn't want to have sex with. Now that I think about it, there are only three female characters in the book. They are all bitchy and manipulative, crazy, or we get to know so little about them we can't decide in which category to put her. None of them has any depth.
What also bothered me is the following, Twist was seven when the virus struck and the world turned into this state. He however knows The Walking Dead enough to reference to it (some bad parenting?). I'm also to believe that a seven-year-old boy is interested in Titanic? (But has no memories whatsoever to news about the virus when it struck). The same with the other characters, they should remember things, but they don't. It's only been ten years! Ten heavy years, I will not deny it, but they sometimes act as if this situations been going on for centuries, which is just not right...
I was already fairly disappointed with this book, my expectations were so high, but what really did it in the end for me: the confused the flu and the common cold, which in my biomedical eyes, really is an unforgivable crime... Would not recommend.
ctorretta's review
3.0
This started out so slow. And sort of Steam Punkish even though it’s set in 2025 after a horrible disease has ravaged the world. I’m not sure if it was just the world building and the characters or the fact that I really haven’t loved Steam Punk but whatever it was, it took me forever to get into this. It seemed like something that just was not my forte.
Fortunately there is enough to the story to make me curious. At least curious enough when I was on the fence about putting it down to keep reading instead. That does happen with books that are out of my genre. And I felt like the writing was exquisite! I felt like I should have really enjoyed this but for some reason it was only that bit of curiosity that kept me going.
The good behind this is that the characters really started growing. Characters that I thought I would never get into nor like, were starting to make an impression. The plot line got better and made me more anxious for the characters too!
Dodge was a weird one for me. I still cannot tell you if I truly wound up liking him fully or not. It’s one of those things where I’m sitting here going over the plot and wondering if the author could have changed anything. But there again, I honestly think this is a case of “It’s me, not you” hitting. The conclusion, however, was the complete opposite from the beginning and had me at the edge of my seat.
In short: The intensity and the plot line really picks up as you go along. If you find this a bit slow but normally enjoy apocalyptic, stick with it! You might be surprised.
Fortunately there is enough to the story to make me curious. At least curious enough when I was on the fence about putting it down to keep reading instead. That does happen with books that are out of my genre. And I felt like the writing was exquisite! I felt like I should have really enjoyed this but for some reason it was only that bit of curiosity that kept me going.
The good behind this is that the characters really started growing. Characters that I thought I would never get into nor like, were starting to make an impression. The plot line got better and made me more anxious for the characters too!
Dodge was a weird one for me. I still cannot tell you if I truly wound up liking him fully or not. It’s one of those things where I’m sitting here going over the plot and wondering if the author could have changed anything. But there again, I honestly think this is a case of “It’s me, not you” hitting. The conclusion, however, was the complete opposite from the beginning and had me at the edge of my seat.
In short: The intensity and the plot line really picks up as you go along. If you find this a bit slow but normally enjoy apocalyptic, stick with it! You might be surprised.
jessbaggins's review
3.0
ALL THE SPOILERS!!! MAJOR MAJOR SPOILERS!!!! That is all.
Okay so the Artful Dodger is my favorite literary character, and he is also the only character I have that I love who doesn't FREAKING DIE (besides Mr. Bingley, thank you for living to the end of your book, dear). AND WHAT DOES THIS BOOK DO?!
IT KILLS DODGER OFF AND MAKES HIM JOIN FINNICK AND FRED AND ENJOLRAS AND HENRY V IN THAT BOOKSHOP IN THE SKY.
Okay. Now that that part of my review is done, we can get into the meat of it, shall we? I got this book because, as I said, I ADORE Dodger from Dickens's "Oliver Twist." And with a title like "The Artful," I figured that it would be through his POV or be mostly about him. But much to my disappointment... It was all about Oliver and through his POV. And quite apparently, no matter what the world or the story, Oliver is as annoying as nails on a chalk-board! His whiny narrative made me want to bash my head into a wall and FREAKING GIA... Okay. First off. One of the most annoying Mary-Sue made-up YA girl characters out there. Like... Bella material. Second of all, Oliver is DISGUSTING. The way he fawns all over her beauty at the most inappropriate times, the way he's more worried about her than his BROTHER Dodger, the way he is fretting over her and not mourning Dodge at the end, the way he doesn't even TRY and save Dodger when he takes the bullet for Gia... Shocking. I couldn't handle it. And poor Dodger! He never got a break cut for him! Though I will say Stanton wrote him very mean, and made me miss the good-hearted Dodger from Terry Pratchett's pen, or even Dickens's original Jack Dawkins. Not only that, but there were many typos, and when Dodger was recounting his tale of killing Adam... OMG nobody talks like that and certainly not the Artful Dodger.
Not that this book was all bad... The concept was brilliant, and the moments where the Dodger we all know and love DID shine through made up for the times he had a slip in character. To be honest, however, Stanton better find a way to bring back Dodger in the next book somehow someway because he was the only reason I found any good in this book, and if the whole next book is about Oliver and Gia well... Needless to say I will not be needing a copy, thank you.
I just... I had to go re-read the last sentence of Terry Pratchett's "Dodger" after finishing this book. It was gripping and lovely at parts, and at other parts I wanted to throw it across the room. I am left with many, many feels... And I'm not sure if they are the good feels or not. That's all I have to say about that.
Okay so the Artful Dodger is my favorite literary character, and he is also the only character I have that I love who doesn't FREAKING DIE (besides Mr. Bingley, thank you for living to the end of your book, dear). AND WHAT DOES THIS BOOK DO?!
IT KILLS DODGER OFF AND MAKES HIM JOIN FINNICK AND FRED AND ENJOLRAS AND HENRY V IN THAT BOOKSHOP IN THE SKY.
Okay. Now that that part of my review is done, we can get into the meat of it, shall we? I got this book because, as I said, I ADORE Dodger from Dickens's "Oliver Twist." And with a title like "The Artful," I figured that it would be through his POV or be mostly about him. But much to my disappointment... It was all about Oliver and through his POV. And quite apparently, no matter what the world or the story, Oliver is as annoying as nails on a chalk-board! His whiny narrative made me want to bash my head into a wall and FREAKING GIA... Okay. First off. One of the most annoying Mary-Sue made-up YA girl characters out there. Like... Bella material. Second of all, Oliver is DISGUSTING. The way he fawns all over her beauty at the most inappropriate times, the way he's more worried about her than his BROTHER Dodger, the way he is fretting over her and not mourning Dodge at the end, the way he doesn't even TRY and save Dodger when he takes the bullet for Gia... Shocking. I couldn't handle it. And poor Dodger! He never got a break cut for him! Though I will say Stanton wrote him very mean, and made me miss the good-hearted Dodger from Terry Pratchett's pen, or even Dickens's original Jack Dawkins. Not only that, but there were many typos, and when Dodger was recounting his tale of killing Adam... OMG nobody talks like that and certainly not the Artful Dodger.
Not that this book was all bad... The concept was brilliant, and the moments where the Dodger we all know and love DID shine through made up for the times he had a slip in character. To be honest, however, Stanton better find a way to bring back Dodger in the next book somehow someway because he was the only reason I found any good in this book, and if the whole next book is about Oliver and Gia well... Needless to say I will not be needing a copy, thank you.
I just... I had to go re-read the last sentence of Terry Pratchett's "Dodger" after finishing this book. It was gripping and lovely at parts, and at other parts I wanted to throw it across the room. I am left with many, many feels... And I'm not sure if they are the good feels or not. That's all I have to say about that.
justangus's review
2.0
Still quite undecided about this book. See my full review here: http://www.7thpage.com/2014/08/01/review-the-artful-by-wilbur-stanton/