bookie_queenie's review against another edition
2.0
This is the weirdest book I've ever read in my life.
June being "in love" with Finn, her uncle, was too much. As if FOURTEEN year old June knew all about love. And then came Toby. I liked Toby but some of the things that he did creeped me out. I felt like I was missing the point throughout the whole book. Was I supposed to think that this was all okay? Further on in the book, June says Finn was her first love and then follows it up by saying Toby was her second love. I wanted to hit her on the head. Seriously?? You have this creepy obsession with your Uncle Finn, you also had to have it with Toby??? She started out as a good character but slowly morphed into this weird character that felt so fake. I would've hated this book if not for the ending. It was good. I liked how Greta and June start over. That's the only relationship that felt raw and real. Did this book want me to appreciate "wrong love"? Did it want me to think that vile obsessions are okay? And how is it LOVE? She is FOURTEEN. Why does this book make it seem like hopeless, true love? I still don't get it. I didn't feel like this book explored complex relationships. It just felt like it was trying to prove that the wrong was okay. There were some beautiful lines in the book that I'd never forget. But I hope I forget the rest of it.
June being "in love" with Finn, her uncle, was too much. As if FOURTEEN year old June knew all about love. And then came Toby. I liked Toby but some of the things that he did creeped me out. I felt like I was missing the point throughout the whole book. Was I supposed to think that this was all okay? Further on in the book, June says Finn was her first love and then follows it up by saying Toby was her second love. I wanted to hit her on the head. Seriously?? You have this creepy obsession with your Uncle Finn, you also had to have it with Toby??? She started out as a good character but slowly morphed into this weird character that felt so fake. I would've hated this book if not for the ending. It was good. I liked how Greta and June start over. That's the only relationship that felt raw and real. Did this book want me to appreciate "wrong love"? Did it want me to think that vile obsessions are okay? And how is it LOVE? She is FOURTEEN. Why does this book make it seem like hopeless, true love? I still don't get it. I didn't feel like this book explored complex relationships. It just felt like it was trying to prove that the wrong was okay. There were some beautiful lines in the book that I'd never forget. But I hope I forget the rest of it.
lindasdarby's review against another edition
2.0
I can't get myself to care about this book. I know everyone says it is great but for some reason I'm not loving it.
janeneeley's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 ⭐️ - struggled with the main character//narrators voice & attitude but enjoyed it
alyskarstark's review against another edition
4.0
While there was a particular element to this book that made me feel uncomfortable (and that I'm not sure was wholly necessary), this is a beautiful story about how it feels to lose someone who truly knows you when it feels like no one else ever could.
jessicacho's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-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
blok_sera_szwajcarskiego's review against another edition
5.0
"A dom zawsze będzie domem".
To nie pierwszy raz, kiedy sięgam po tę książkę, ale przerwa między nimi wyniosła sześć lat. I nie mogę nie przyznać, że wciąż, mimo różnicy wieku między mną teraz a mną wtedy oraz wielu innych czynników, "Powiedz wilkom" dalej wywołuje we mnie to samo uczucie.
Niepokój.
To nie jest prosta książka. Jest niebezpieczna, niepokojąca, inna, kołująca, zmuszająca do zadania samemu sobie wielu pytań o granice i życie. Najciekawsze jest to, że wątkiem do tego skłaniającym nawet nie jest obecność wątku AIDS, a wszystko inne, wszystko wokół niego.
Uważam za niesamowite, jak ten tytuł kreuje bohaterów. Jak z postaci, która wydaje się wrażliwa i miła nagle wyrasta wróg, a z tej, do której nie można z początku się przywiązać, wyrasta ktoś, komu kibicujemy. I jak na koniec, jeszcze raz, następuje zwrot akcji i czytelnik już nie wie, co jest dobre, a co złe.
Bo prawda jest taka, że nie istnieje nic z góry dobre i z góry złe. Nie w prawdziwym świecie i nie w tej książce. "Powiedz wilkom" jest o siostrzeństwie, jest miłościach, nastoleceństwie, rodzinie, chorobie, śmierci i przyjaźni. Jest o sztuce i jej znaczeniu, ale i niezrozumieniu, zaufaniu, relacjach oraz symbolice. Wiele z tych wątków zahacza o szare strefy, wyjątki, "wymysły" i konflikty, których nie rozstrzyga się na codzień. Tu nie ma nic typowego.
Gdy uzupełniałam sobie listy na Goodreads, dobre kilka lat po pierwszym przeczytaniu "Powiedz wilkom", dałam im 4⭐. Nie pamiętałam z niej za wiele, oprócz tego zajmującego niepokoju, którym mnie napełniała. Pomyślałam, że kiedyś do niej wrócę, skonfrontuję się z tą dziwnością i nietypowością.
Dzisiaj podwyższam tę ocenę. Zastanawiałam się, czy na pewno, ale ostatecznie, po przeczytaniu ostatniego rozdziału i zakończenia tej historii. To nie jest szczęśliwa historia, ja po niej też nie jestem szczęśliwa, ale bogowie skłamałabym, gdybym powiedziała, że nie poruszyła mnie do żywego.
To nie pierwszy raz, kiedy sięgam po tę książkę, ale przerwa między nimi wyniosła sześć lat. I nie mogę nie przyznać, że wciąż, mimo różnicy wieku między mną teraz a mną wtedy oraz wielu innych czynników, "Powiedz wilkom" dalej wywołuje we mnie to samo uczucie.
Niepokój.
To nie jest prosta książka. Jest niebezpieczna, niepokojąca, inna, kołująca, zmuszająca do zadania samemu sobie wielu pytań o granice i życie. Najciekawsze jest to, że wątkiem do tego skłaniającym nawet nie jest obecność wątku AIDS, a wszystko inne, wszystko wokół niego.
Uważam za niesamowite, jak ten tytuł kreuje bohaterów. Jak z postaci, która wydaje się wrażliwa i miła nagle wyrasta wróg, a z tej, do której nie można z początku się przywiązać, wyrasta ktoś, komu kibicujemy. I jak na koniec, jeszcze raz, następuje zwrot akcji i czytelnik już nie wie, co jest dobre, a co złe.
Bo prawda jest taka, że nie istnieje nic z góry dobre i z góry złe. Nie w prawdziwym świecie i nie w tej książce. "Powiedz wilkom" jest o siostrzeństwie, jest miłościach, nastoleceństwie, rodzinie, chorobie, śmierci i przyjaźni. Jest o sztuce i jej znaczeniu, ale i niezrozumieniu, zaufaniu, relacjach oraz symbolice. Wiele z tych wątków zahacza o szare strefy, wyjątki, "wymysły" i konflikty, których nie rozstrzyga się na codzień. Tu nie ma nic typowego.
Gdy uzupełniałam sobie listy na Goodreads, dobre kilka lat po pierwszym przeczytaniu "Powiedz wilkom", dałam im 4⭐. Nie pamiętałam z niej za wiele, oprócz tego zajmującego niepokoju, którym mnie napełniała. Pomyślałam, że kiedyś do niej wrócę, skonfrontuję się z tą dziwnością i nietypowością.
Dzisiaj podwyższam tę ocenę. Zastanawiałam się, czy na pewno, ale ostatecznie, po przeczytaniu ostatniego rozdziału i zakończenia tej historii. To nie jest szczęśliwa historia, ja po niej też nie jestem szczęśliwa, ale bogowie skłamałabym, gdybym powiedziała, że nie poruszyła mnie do żywego.
3kojou's review against another edition
4.0
very touching and beautiful. the part where toby told june about the buttons made me tear up. i really appreciated the relationship between greta and june, and the way june experienced the world. however some of june's feelings about finn and later toby (anyone who reads the book knows which ones) made me uncomfortable so it knocks it down...
piggyreadsbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.5
jenmat1197's review against another edition
2.0
This is the story of June Elbus. She is a 14 year old girl in 1987 who feels like the only person who understands her is her Uncle Finn. Finn is a renowned painter who has been painting June and her sister each Sunday afternoon -trying to get the portrait just right. While June's sister wishes that Finn would hurry up so she could get back to her life, June hopes that the painting never ends.
However - when Finn dies, June feels lost. The painting of the girls becomes famous and makes the news, so June's parents secure it in a vault - telling June and her sister they can go and see it anytime they want. June discovers that Finn had someone else in his life - and she feels betrayed that she wasn't the most important person in his life. As she gets to know Toby, their mutral love for Finn brings them together. As June and her sister start to rebel Finn's life with Toby and even before as his life as a brother to June's mom- come to light. And June does not know where that leaves her.
This wasn't a great book. I did finish it, but should have quit about half way through. Weak characters that I never really felt drawn to care about. June and her sister Greta's relationship is so up and down it will make your head spin. I found the relationships between June and her Uncle and Toby disturbing.
I just couldn't get into it. Not for me.
However - when Finn dies, June feels lost. The painting of the girls becomes famous and makes the news, so June's parents secure it in a vault - telling June and her sister they can go and see it anytime they want. June discovers that Finn had someone else in his life - and she feels betrayed that she wasn't the most important person in his life. As she gets to know Toby, their mutral love for Finn brings them together. As June and her sister start to rebel Finn's life with Toby and even before as his life as a brother to June's mom- come to light. And June does not know where that leaves her.
This wasn't a great book. I did finish it, but should have quit about half way through. Weak characters that I never really felt drawn to care about. June and her sister Greta's relationship is so up and down it will make your head spin. I found the relationships between June and her Uncle and Toby disturbing.
I just couldn't get into it. Not for me.
nmstettler's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0