Scan barcode
thedinosaur's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
whatchusellin's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I’ve never read a book with this format, with very minimal narrative and maximum “sources” and “documents”. At first it was slightly off putting but I did really enjoy the various perspectives of the characters and knowing their potential lack of reliability and how everything had a blatant lens of bias and the reader has to put together an idea of who these people are and who is telling the truth and what to believe. The ending was truly a delight and that itself made it very close to a 4 star read.
lemonnut's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this; a very fun skewering of some Seattle stereotypes and an engaging and crazy story about a very interesting family.
sammy_ajani's review against another edition
3.0
A fast paced book about an odd man out family. Funny, Depressing, Quirky & a page turner.
blueberry31's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, it was unusual, full of sarcasm and very well written. I could imagine everything so well: the gnats, the microsoft geniuses and the comical moments in between. It was both funny and touching at the same time, and the letter/email format was perfect for the quick moving plot. Having so many different caracters' perspectives on a single event through their communications with one another made the plot very multi dimensional and interesting to the reader. When you think about it, the entire story is completely crazy, but the result is so well carried out that it feels totally believable, something you can relate to. To sum up: a very good read with the perfect amount of satire.
camilledewaele's review against another edition
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
3.75
bella613's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Very witty and adorable characters. Love the concept of the email collection storytelling style, but it did take me a while to get used to the choppy feeling.
kessler21's review against another edition
2.0
I want to start off by saying this book is enjoyable. Overall, it's a fun read but this book seems to fall into the middle of everything.
The story, for the most part, is light and fast but at the same time, it explores some heavy themes but not in a deep way.
Most of the story is told through emails, letters, articles and the like but as the story progresses, it moves further and further away from this format. Not to mention, every character in the book writes like a modern novelist with quirky details and tangents on different topics.
Bee is supposed to be a young teenager, but most of the story, I felt imagining her as 7-9 years old fit better. Yes, you can argue developmental delays due the health problems she has had her whole life, but at other times, an older teenager fit the bill better.
Then, the ending of the book is silly and unbelievable. I was really hoping that when Bernadette went missing, she would resurface as Carmen Sandiego.
This was a hard book for me to rate really. I can't say I liked the book, but it was an easy, fun read.
The story, for the most part, is light and fast but at the same time, it explores some heavy themes but not in a deep way.
Most of the story is told through emails, letters, articles and the like but as the story progresses, it moves further and further away from this format. Not to mention, every character in the book writes like a modern novelist with quirky details and tangents on different topics.
Bee is supposed to be a young teenager, but most of the story, I felt imagining her as 7-9 years old fit better. Yes, you can argue developmental delays due the health problems she has had her whole life, but at other times, an older teenager fit the bill better.
Then, the ending of the book is silly and unbelievable. I was really hoping that when Bernadette went missing, she would resurface as Carmen Sandiego.
This was a hard book for me to rate really. I can't say I liked the book, but it was an easy, fun read.