danyell919's review against another edition
4.0
I almost tossed this book aside. The beginning did not keep me interested. But the last 100 pages redeemed the book... The ending was unexpected!
lisagray68's review against another edition
3.0
This book was in the teen section of my library. I wonder if they misfiled it...? A mildly interesting book about star-crossed love in the days before the Cuban Missile Crisis. I skipped over a lot of parts, and I can't for the life of me understand why any TEEN would read this. It wasn't terrible, but it's not a typical teen book, and I learned way more than I was interested in learning about the Cuban Missile Crisis...
jengennari's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this. But is it YA? Perhaps inaccurately shelved at my local library.
jessalynn_librarian's review against another edition
4.0
Mal Peet can write like nobody's business. He can make the Cuban missile crisis compelling, for crying out loud. He can make the world' most annoying characters readable. He can also write an ending (a non-ending?) that makes me want to throw the book across the room.
I didn't actually throw it - it was a library book - but I did toss it onto the coffee table in disgust. I would also argue that maybe this shouldn't have been published as a young adult book in the US - although the main characters are teens for a book portion of the book, and I know there are teens who would find the book compelling (the slightly brainy ones who don't mind bleakness and love Honors English), the book as a whole felt more adult.
All that aside, this is a carefully crafted, well-constructed, brilliant piece of bleakness. I can admire it but I cannot love it. If that's your cup of tea, I recommend it.
Source: my public library
I didn't actually throw it - it was a library book - but I did toss it onto the coffee table in disgust. I would also argue that maybe this shouldn't have been published as a young adult book in the US - although the main characters are teens for a book portion of the book, and I know there are teens who would find the book compelling (the slightly brainy ones who don't mind bleakness and love Honors English), the book as a whole felt more adult.
All that aside, this is a carefully crafted, well-constructed, brilliant piece of bleakness. I can admire it but I cannot love it. If that's your cup of tea, I recommend it.
Source: my public library
quietjenn's review against another edition
4.0
Is it for everyone? No. Was it for me? Yes. Is it problematic? Yes. Did I care about many of those problematic bits? No. Did I like it and care about the characters and think about the history in a new way and revel in the language? Yes, yes, yes.
heykellyjensen's review against another edition
I knew 30 pages in this was not a good fit for me, so I'm passing on it.
thebrainlair's review against another edition
2.0
Finished. Did not like most but some parts were ok.
ohlookanowl's review against another edition
4.0
Well done, though fair warning--it's not a lighthearted journey. The tone is warm and humane, but there's some quietly devastating parts of the book. I thought it was quite good, but I'd put it in YA rather than juvenile (as the library from which I borrowed it did)because there's some heavy subject matter: the Cuban Missile Crisis, 9-11, sexual frustration, etc, which might be better understood by a slightly older reader (maybe 12 and up?).