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sharimeyer's review against another edition
2.0
I read almost half of this book before concluding I wouldn't be able to finish it. My heart hurts for T.S. and his loneliness, but the geography of the west, the trains, and the lack of connection I felt to his unconventional family made me feel pretty bored with the book overall. I really got mired in the first part, but the addition of the biography of TS' great grandmother in part 2 was the last straw. I will skim part 3 to see how it ends but otherwise will call myself finished with this book.
bnorton20's review against another edition
2.0
I was gifted this book from Cam. I pretty much agree with his review in that this book has a lot of promise at the beginning in terms of the excellent use of footnotes (sidenotes?) and maps, however, the story never really comes together in the end. Most of what happens in the DC part of this just plain doesn't make sense and is completely unrealistic. Usually I'm ok with that (see Zombies v. Unicorns), but here it just didn't really play.
laraph's review against another edition
4.0
Aside from the middle sagging a little long the humor is excellent, the margin notes are crucial, and the climax is hilarious, sudden and satisfying.
barbaraalfond's review against another edition
4.0
Amazingly clever; amazingly evocative; amazingly innovative!
lnocita's review against another edition
5.0
T.S. Spivet is a cartographer extraordinaire. His drawings are exquisitely detailed and reveal the smallest details with exactitude and understanding. His works have been published in several prominent scientific magazines. When T.S. wins the Smithsonian's prestigious Baird award, the twelve year old's world is turned upside down. At first declining the award, realizing that there has been a rather grave misrepresentation of his personage, T.S. on second thought, decides to accept and begins his Odysseus-like travel from Montana to Washington D.C. This novel is a gem. I absolutely loved the prose. And although the twelve-year old protagonist seems rather improbable, the author deftly manages to hook the reader by giving T.S. Spivet just enough youthful naivete, foibles and exuberance to convince herself/himself to suspend all disbelief and and jump on the freight train alongside T.S. As the novel winds to its conclusion, the narrative becomes fairly Alice-in-Wonderland-esque with a bit of "National Treasure" thrown in for good measure, but I like the ambiguity this lends to the story's interpretation. Did it all really happen? Or was it richly imagined in the throes of a nap among the Montana wheatgrasses, a prolonged delirium or depression? Best novel I have read in 2009 by far. This is one I will be recommending heartily!
yvonnemh's review against another edition
3.0
A quirky, offbeat but charming book that takes a bit to get into.
bethanyruth's review against another edition
4.0
Truly lovely writing. The only reason I didn't give this five stars is the ending - it seemed out of place with the rest of the book. Hopefully this is just because it's Larsen's first work; I'm looking forward to reading what he writes in the future.
artsybry's review against another edition
2.0
Not really sure how to classify this book. It's not a mystery, not really young adult, it has so many facts in it that it could almost pass in some parts as non-fiction. It is definitely a work that walks the lines between the genres and does it quite well.
I do find it hard to sit down and start reading it but once I do I will get through quite a few pages. The only problem is that if I let the book sit, which I have done quite a number of times, I don't have much of a desire to return to it.
I will finish it though! I am determined. TS is quite the character and the illustrations are beyond amazing. They help add so much to the back stories and the characters that otherwise the reader never know or else the book would be a 10 volume set.
****
Finally finished after forcing myself to sit down and be done with it. And frankly the more I think back on this book the more annoyed I get with it. The first half was so wonderful with all these back stories, complex relationships, explanations...but then you are this train ride and the story somewhat deteriorates into minute tidbits without much of a connecting plot. Then he gets to D.C. and the plot becomes crazy far fetched with the secret society and the revelation that every one knew about this trip all along. (Maybe someone should have kept a closer eye on him in Chicago.)
Maye I just didn't get enough closure in the end I guess. I was just left wanting. Don't get me wrong, you get to know a ton about the parents in the last few pages, but it just seemed too little too late to me in the end. Did the mom really write all that about Emma? Was any of it even true? Does T.S.'s relationships with his parents change after this trip? Does he continue on with his maps, or did the bureaucracy of it all drain it from him? Does he end up like Emma herself and retreat back to the country side and give up his intellectual pursuits? Not to mention all the far reaching coincidences in the last few chapters with the 'secret society'. Where did they even come from?
I mean seriously. You don't even get a reunion between T.S. and his mom or Gracie.
All in all I was so excited when I found this book, even paid cover price because I couldn't wait to get home and start reading it. It's reviews were awesome, and the hype seemed well deserved. But in the end I'm disappointed. The only saving grace were the incredible illustrations and maps which were out of this world. Although in the middle of the book when it was at its most boring I was even skimming these to move through the story more quickly.
It was an incredibly unique format with T.S.'s perspective which was totally awesome (although a bit annoying at times), but in the end with the plot just ending as it did so abruptly with so many unanswered questions it fell short of my expectations.
I do find it hard to sit down and start reading it but once I do I will get through quite a few pages. The only problem is that if I let the book sit, which I have done quite a number of times, I don't have much of a desire to return to it.
I will finish it though! I am determined. TS is quite the character and the illustrations are beyond amazing. They help add so much to the back stories and the characters that otherwise the reader never know or else the book would be a 10 volume set.
****
Finally finished after forcing myself to sit down and be done with it. And frankly the more I think back on this book the more annoyed I get with it. The first half was so wonderful with all these back stories, complex relationships, explanations...but then you are this train ride and the story somewhat deteriorates into minute tidbits without much of a connecting plot. Then he gets to D.C. and the plot becomes crazy far fetched with the secret society and the revelation that every one knew about this trip all along. (Maybe someone should have kept a closer eye on him in Chicago.)
Maye I just didn't get enough closure in the end I guess. I was just left wanting. Don't get me wrong, you get to know a ton about the parents in the last few pages, but it just seemed too little too late to me in the end. Did the mom really write all that about Emma? Was any of it even true? Does T.S.'s relationships with his parents change after this trip? Does he continue on with his maps, or did the bureaucracy of it all drain it from him? Does he end up like Emma herself and retreat back to the country side and give up his intellectual pursuits? Not to mention all the far reaching coincidences in the last few chapters with the 'secret society'. Where did they even come from?
I mean seriously. You don't even get a reunion between T.S. and his mom or Gracie.
All in all I was so excited when I found this book, even paid cover price because I couldn't wait to get home and start reading it. It's reviews were awesome, and the hype seemed well deserved. But in the end I'm disappointed. The only saving grace were the incredible illustrations and maps which were out of this world. Although in the middle of the book when it was at its most boring I was even skimming these to move through the story more quickly.
It was an incredibly unique format with T.S.'s perspective which was totally awesome (although a bit annoying at times), but in the end with the plot just ending as it did so abruptly with so many unanswered questions it fell short of my expectations.
madil's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0