auroraleighs's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
This was okay and a neat concept. The writing style didn't vibe with me though. And the way was teenage girl was written in this was....oof. yikes.
kittenpuke's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
tlm1964's review
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
michellesantiago's review against another edition
4.0
Sebastian Prendergast lives in a geodesic dome with his kooky grandma, an ardent believer and follower of Buckminster Fuller's philosophies and architectural designs. Sebastian doesn't leave the dome much and everything he knows, he learned from his grandma who has a grand plan for him. When Grandma suffers a stroke, he was taken in by the Whitcomb family who has a son, Jared, a foul-mouthed, chain smoking heart transplant recipient. In Jared, Sebastian learns all about being a teenager and together they form a punk band. With its original plot, this tale of friendship, family and punk music was cleverly written and surprisingly unputdownable--surprising because I didn't expect to like it as much as I did.
Sebastian told the story in first person and I enjoyed his voice, the way he said what he said reminded me a lot of Christopher Boone from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (another book I surprisingly enjoyed). But my favorite character is Jared--you just feel for this kid but it's hard to like him in the beginning because he was very crude... the things that come out of his mouth! Once you get more into the story, you get a sense of his loneliness, the physical limitation due to his illness and you can't help but love him. I love the friendship between Jared and Sebastian and I thought Sebastian's crush on Jared's sister was so sweet. Along with the two boys, the other character's voices rang true as well; their flaws and their emotions were understandable.
Though it took me a few chapters to get used to it, to the different voice after all the YA and romance I've been reading, I thought the writing was great, especially the dialogue between the boys, the plot original and it turned out being a quick read for me. When I put it down, I find myself picking it back up again because I wanted to keep going because I was intrigued--it was a strange mix of punk music references, Buckminster Fuller, geodesic domes, things of which I am not familiar with but it was very entertaining nonetheless. The House of Tomorrow is not my usual kind of book, but it's good to read outside the box once in a while especially if they're this good. If you're looking for a different read, you might want to pick this book up. It will appeal to older teens and adults (due to explicit language and sexual situations).
Sebastian told the story in first person and I enjoyed his voice, the way he said what he said reminded me a lot of Christopher Boone from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (another book I surprisingly enjoyed). But my favorite character is Jared--you just feel for this kid but it's hard to like him in the beginning because he was very crude... the things that come out of his mouth! Once you get more into the story, you get a sense of his loneliness, the physical limitation due to his illness and you can't help but love him. I love the friendship between Jared and Sebastian and I thought Sebastian's crush on Jared's sister was so sweet. Along with the two boys, the other character's voices rang true as well; their flaws and their emotions were understandable.
Though it took me a few chapters to get used to it, to the different voice after all the YA and romance I've been reading, I thought the writing was great, especially the dialogue between the boys, the plot original and it turned out being a quick read for me. When I put it down, I find myself picking it back up again because I wanted to keep going because I was intrigued--it was a strange mix of punk music references, Buckminster Fuller, geodesic domes, things of which I am not familiar with but it was very entertaining nonetheless. The House of Tomorrow is not my usual kind of book, but it's good to read outside the box once in a while especially if they're this good. If you're looking for a different read, you might want to pick this book up. It will appeal to older teens and adults (due to explicit language and sexual situations).
sde's review against another edition
4.0
I began this book with some trepidation. My daughter is heading to college in a few months, and the author is her probable creative writing professor. What if I hated the book? Luckily, I did not. It was fun, and the author got into the head of teenage boys, at least the nerdy, non-athletic teenage boys I know.
The description on the book jacket describes one of the main characters, Sebastian, as being homeschooled. This raised the hackles of a couple of friends who homeschool their kids. Of course, they said, the homeschooled kid hasn't been out in the world and is really weird and awkward. But the homeschool aspect is a very minor part of the story, and he isn't that weird at all, although the same can't perhaps be said about his grandmother, who is also his guardian.
The two teenage boy characters were the most well done. The other characters, such as the grandmother, and Sebastian's friend's sister and mother, were a little flat. But the book was light-hearted while dealing with some serious subjects, and could even be considered a YA book for older teens. Oh, and I learned something about Buckminster Fuller too.
The description on the book jacket describes one of the main characters, Sebastian, as being homeschooled. This raised the hackles of a couple of friends who homeschool their kids. Of course, they said, the homeschooled kid hasn't been out in the world and is really weird and awkward. But the homeschool aspect is a very minor part of the story, and he isn't that weird at all, although the same can't perhaps be said about his grandmother, who is also his guardian.
The two teenage boy characters were the most well done. The other characters, such as the grandmother, and Sebastian's friend's sister and mother, were a little flat. But the book was light-hearted while dealing with some serious subjects, and could even be considered a YA book for older teens. Oh, and I learned something about Buckminster Fuller too.
steven_sahatjian's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mommarex1221's review against another edition
3.5
Sweet and relatable, the kind of story that deserves more - I could read a series worth these characters - but as it is, it leaves me wanting. It feels like it only scratches the surface... I suppose it's fitting, in a way, but you'd have to read it to understand. Enjoyable audio book narrator.
randybo5's review against another edition
4.0
An unexpected pleasure...I loved the interactions between the sheltered, eccentric Sebastion and the rebellious Jard.
laurelinwonder's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of those quiet, meditative books that makes you work for the end. It moves slowly, perhaps a little too slow at times. This is a weird little book, it's unlike most YA novels, and follows a unique trajectory that I felt satisfied with by the end. It's very different, and lost me for a little while in the beginning, but I would still recommend it.