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mrsjenniferwheeler's review
3.0
What the heck did I just read??? This book was really, REALLY strange to say the least. I’m honestly unsure whether I even understood the plot line or not. Having said that, the writing is intriguing - once you get past the “stream-of-consciousness” style. I did kind of enjoy it, even though it left me feeling confused & muddle-headed. I kept falling asleep while trying my darnedest to pay attention to what was going on - which is why it took me so long to finish.
rosseroo's review against another edition
1.0
The catchy title and purported premise ("Contemporary fantasy meets true crime when schools of ancient sorcery go up against the art of the long con in this stunningly entertaining debut fantasy novel.") reeled me in, but at the end of it all, I felt like the victim of a 280-page-long con.
High school junior (senior?) Mike plays football at a bland New York Catholic high school. One day, a weedy classmate introduces him to a book of magic tricks as the hook to bring him into his tiny clique of magic-using weirdos (one of whom is the requisite hot chick named Alabama -- possibly in homage to the character from the film True Romance?). Pretty much everything beyond this opening part is choppy and confusing.
It seems that Mike's group is in some long-standing "war" against the titular rivals, but the whys and wherefores never really get clear. Mike's group includes a Holocaust survivor, so presumably they're the goodies, but I could never work out what made the baddies bad. I think maybe the concept is a riff on Catcher in the Rye (which does get explicitly referred to), and the baddies are the phonies?
Oh yeah, and the writer made a distinctive choice in writing in super-short sentences, which didn't really add anything for me and just felt like an attempt at style for the sake of style. Throw in the perpetually horny and violence-prone protagonist, the fantasy sex-interest, the completely muddled stakes, and the abrupt ending, and this thing is a dud.
High school junior (senior?) Mike plays football at a bland New York Catholic high school. One day, a weedy classmate introduces him to a book of magic tricks as the hook to bring him into his tiny clique of magic-using weirdos (one of whom is the requisite hot chick named Alabama -- possibly in homage to the character from the film True Romance?). Pretty much everything beyond this opening part is choppy and confusing.
It seems that Mike's group is in some long-standing "war" against the titular rivals, but the whys and wherefores never really get clear. Mike's group includes a Holocaust survivor, so presumably they're the goodies, but I could never work out what made the baddies bad. I think maybe the concept is a riff on Catcher in the Rye (which does get explicitly referred to), and the baddies are the phonies?
Oh yeah, and the writer made a distinctive choice in writing in super-short sentences, which didn't really add anything for me and just felt like an attempt at style for the sake of style. Throw in the perpetually horny and violence-prone protagonist, the fantasy sex-interest, the completely muddled stakes, and the abrupt ending, and this thing is a dud.
ambiiumm's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I loved this book! I know some people found the writing style confusing, but I think that it made the story very fast paced. The characters were interesting, and the story was gripping. I hope there's more to come!
melissayabookshelf's review against another edition
1.0
This book just wasn't for me. I tried, but couldn't get into it. In fact, I put it down and read two and a half other books instead. I gave it to page 66, and sure, I could have kept going, but when I find myself not wanting to pick up a book, I just have to go with my instincts and pick up something new instead.
I'm sure that other people might like it, but you have to be willing to delve into the truly mysterious / unexplained for at least 60+ pages. I didn't read enough of it to give it a rating, in my opinion, though.
I'm sure that other people might like it, but you have to be willing to delve into the truly mysterious / unexplained for at least 60+ pages. I didn't read enough of it to give it a rating, in my opinion, though.
tundragirl's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this more but the writing style really got in the way. Plus ... the title is misleading. There never really is a war against any assholes.
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