annebennett1957's review against another edition
3.0
By the end of the book I really liked this little award winner. Read my review here: https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2010/03/repossessed-by-am-jenkins.html
kricketa's review against another edition
4.0
oh hey, just catching up on my printz reading...from 2007...
honestly i had pretty low expectations for this book about a demon who takes over a teenage boy's body so that he can have a vacation from hell. kiriel intends to enjoy every element of being human, but once he's in shaun's body he finds himself actually wanting to make a difference in the lives of shaun's friends and family. i was very amused and slightly touched. recommended.
honestly i had pretty low expectations for this book about a demon who takes over a teenage boy's body so that he can have a vacation from hell. kiriel intends to enjoy every element of being human, but once he's in shaun's body he finds himself actually wanting to make a difference in the lives of shaun's friends and family. i was very amused and slightly touched. recommended.
carstensena's review against another edition
5.0
I didn't expect to like this book. How wrong I was! Entertaining and thought-provoking. Not surprising considering its Printz Award honor book status...
trudilibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
Sweet book with a lot of heart. Really makes you step back and appreciate all the little joys of living a corporeal life -- like ketchup, tomatoes and kissing :-D Live life fully now, don't regret for eternity.
sc104906's review against another edition
3.0
Kiriel is tired of being the mirror of suffering in Hell. This fallen angel decides that it is time for a vacation. He possesses the body a slacker boy, just before the body meets its untimely demise. Kiriel as Shaun, decides he is going to live it up in the corporeal form. Nobody in Shaun's life suspects anything, even though he is totally acting out of character. He begins hanging out with his younger brother and a girl who has a massive crush on him. Little does everyone know, but "Shaun" wants to experience as many sins as possible (especially sex). "Shaun" is going to live life to its fullest, until he kicked back to Hell.
I found this novel funny and quirky. The characters weren't overwhelmingly compelling, but the plot was wicked interesting. It was interesting to see the positive impact a fallen angel could have on the world, even if it was unintentional.
I found this novel funny and quirky. The characters weren't overwhelmingly compelling, but the plot was wicked interesting. It was interesting to see the positive impact a fallen angel could have on the world, even if it was unintentional.
akrafi's review against another edition
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Religious bigotry
christiek's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting premise and I like what the author does with it. But the whole exploration is rather shallow. I really would have like there to be more depth.
qquos's review against another edition
4.0
I thought this was a delight to read.
It had its funny and sad moments, but what I liked the most about this book was the detail.
All those new experiences Kiriel had had me rethinking, and re-examining them from his perspective.
It had its funny and sad moments, but what I liked the most about this book was the detail.
All those new experiences Kiriel had had me rethinking, and re-examining them from his perspective.
librariann's review against another edition
3.0
Ages 13+ (frequent mentions of sex, none explicit) An entertaining and quick read with a great premise that could have been expanded on further. If you like other body-snatching stories such as Dead Connection by Price, A Certain Slant of Light by Whitcomb - demon/angel stories such as Devilish by Johnson, Story Time by Bloor, or Good Omens by Gaiman/Pratchett
orangerful's review against another edition
4.0
Hey, I didn't know it won the Printz award! Cool.
Repossessed is a young adult novel about a demon that takes over a teenage boys body in his(?) quest to find out what human life is all about. After spending eternity guarding tortured souls in Hell, he wants to see what it is all about. He wants to understand how bad sins really are and what it feels like to...well feel.
Actually, it sounds sorta lame when I write it out. It is actually quite a clever little book. Kiriel (the demon/spirit thing) snags the body of Shaun right before he steps off the curb and gets hit by a bus - so technically Shaun would be dead anyway, he had no more life to live. Kiriel takes the life that Shaun has been taking for granted and attempts to just have experiences. But he soon finds out that to truly experience being human, he has to make connections and the more connections he makes the more he wants to experience...
I did enjoy this book, though at times I wondered if teens reading it would feel as though the author was being too preachy about certain situations. Other parts are just flat out hilarious when Kiriel first gets Shaun's body and starts to do all the things he's seen Shaun do that look like fun (yeah, you get to guess what Shaun, a teenage BOY does for fun...). Jenkins does a good job of avoiding any religious controversy, avoiding terms like "God" and "Satan". And the idea of the Hell that Kiriel comes from is just different enough to make you think. The book leaves you wanting more, but I think Jenkins ended it at just the right spot.
I'd give it a 3.5. outta 5. Original and funny.
originally posted at http://orangerful.vox.com
Repossessed is a young adult novel about a demon that takes over a teenage boys body in his(?) quest to find out what human life is all about. After spending eternity guarding tortured souls in Hell, he wants to see what it is all about. He wants to understand how bad sins really are and what it feels like to...well feel.
Actually, it sounds sorta lame when I write it out. It is actually quite a clever little book. Kiriel (the demon/spirit thing) snags the body of Shaun right before he steps off the curb and gets hit by a bus - so technically Shaun would be dead anyway, he had no more life to live. Kiriel takes the life that Shaun has been taking for granted and attempts to just have experiences. But he soon finds out that to truly experience being human, he has to make connections and the more connections he makes the more he wants to experience...
I did enjoy this book, though at times I wondered if teens reading it would feel as though the author was being too preachy about certain situations. Other parts are just flat out hilarious when Kiriel first gets Shaun's body and starts to do all the things he's seen Shaun do that look like fun (yeah, you get to guess what Shaun, a teenage BOY does for fun...). Jenkins does a good job of avoiding any religious controversy, avoiding terms like "God" and "Satan". And the idea of the Hell that Kiriel comes from is just different enough to make you think. The book leaves you wanting more, but I think Jenkins ended it at just the right spot.
I'd give it a 3.5. outta 5. Original and funny.
originally posted at http://orangerful.vox.com