adrianna0313's review against another edition
3.0
I really wanted to like this book but, I just had a really hard time connecting to it in any way. But, I did appreciate the meaning behind it and the way Sarah tried to recreate emotions/life experiences that everyone goes through at some point. I think my main issue was the way she described the characters was very basic. There just wasn't much depth to any of them.
hazelcat13's review against another edition
3.0
I wasn't expecting much when I started this one. This isn't typically the book I go for; in fact, I never pick up books like this. But I'm going to an author luncheon where Combs will be speaking and I wanted to have read her work. I wasn't expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised.
I've never read a book that takes place in the state I've lived most of my life. I've never had the pleasure of experiencing the shock of familiarity when I see landmarks, counties, and places that I drive past and through before. For that reason, this novel became that more real for me. I loved the way Combs wrote about Kentucky in such an up-front matter. She talked about coal, mountaintop removal, basketball, the rolling hills, and the blue-grass.
This book is a beautiful portrait of young adulthood in a state that has a pension for being misrepresented. I only wish that it would have been around when I was in high school, when I needed to be reminded of all the beautiful things that make up Kentucky.
I've never read a book that takes place in the state I've lived most of my life. I've never had the pleasure of experiencing the shock of familiarity when I see landmarks, counties, and places that I drive past and through before. For that reason, this novel became that more real for me. I loved the way Combs wrote about Kentucky in such an up-front matter. She talked about coal, mountaintop removal, basketball, the rolling hills, and the blue-grass.
This book is a beautiful portrait of young adulthood in a state that has a pension for being misrepresented. I only wish that it would have been around when I was in high school, when I needed to be reminded of all the beautiful things that make up Kentucky.
percyflies's review against another edition
Really insufferable main character. Big not like other girls/women hating energy.
Felt like it was trying to be cool and quirky like John Green or Ferris Bueller but fell flat and just came across as overwrought, unrealistic, and annoying.
Felt like it was trying to be cool and quirky like John Green or Ferris Bueller but fell flat and just came across as overwrought, unrealistic, and annoying.
nedge's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mlindsey441's review against another edition
3.0
I loved the premise of this book and it involved some interesting characters, including a boxer puppy. It involves a summer of growth and change for a group of talented young people who attend a month long camp at state college. The novel centers around one teen-aged girl and three new friends who end up in the same strand of the program. It includes some of the teen angsty stuff that I have grown a bit tired of -- Really -- how can you fall in love hate-love with someone through the window of your dorm? And Gloria (the main character) was at times a bit overly reflective about things, which lent a sense of drama to the whole narrative that was a little tiresome. And I could have done without the butterfly sub-metaphor that ran through the book.
At the same time -- boxer puppy! So cool that a dog got to play such a key role in the formation of these young people. And the adults, while rarely in the picture, are rather cool people when they are -- not in a "We all want to be your friends way," but in a "We have lives of our own and we will share those lives with you if you let us" way. There are also some great literary references in here and good conversations about books and the importance of reading in shaping lives.
Overall, I liked the book. I didn't love it, mainly because I found it so hard to relate to Gloria, but I did find it a nice quick read. I am also not this book's intended audience, so readers who are in their teens may find in this book a dear set of friends. I would certainly not hesitate to recommend it to my young adult readers.
At the same time -- boxer puppy! So cool that a dog got to play such a key role in the formation of these young people. And the adults, while rarely in the picture, are rather cool people when they are -- not in a "We all want to be your friends way," but in a "We have lives of our own and we will share those lives with you if you let us" way. There are also some great literary references in here and good conversations about books and the importance of reading in shaping lives.
Overall, I liked the book. I didn't love it, mainly because I found it so hard to relate to Gloria, but I did find it a nice quick read. I am also not this book's intended audience, so readers who are in their teens may find in this book a dear set of friends. I would certainly not hesitate to recommend it to my young adult readers.
thunderbolt_kid's review against another edition
5.0
I very much liked this book. That said, it was uneven in places, and sometimes included both plot elements and chunks of narration that put me off.
All-in-all, though, a nice book that presents some of the issues in Kentucky without making conclusions for the reader. Good sense of place, and value for this same thing. So some of the results in the book were confusing/unclear as a result - rather than being left to interpret the narrator's choices, they are simply presented without any clear follow-up/understandable reasoning. That, however, can be adolescence, so I'm all over the map on this one.
Still, a recommend.
All-in-all, though, a nice book that presents some of the issues in Kentucky without making conclusions for the reader. Good sense of place, and value for this same thing. So some of the results in the book were confusing/unclear as a result - rather than being left to interpret the narrator's choices, they are simply presented without any clear follow-up/understandable reasoning. That, however, can be adolescence, so I'm all over the map on this one.
Still, a recommend.
charmaineac's review against another edition
4.0
This book is—at once—both poetic and substantial. The words weave an eloquent, elegant tale that makes you laugh and cry along with Gloria. It's comprised of all the wonderful moments that make up childhood, youth, and life in general. It's made up of the things that you look back on; the memories of a lifetime. It's introspective, innocent, and hopeful after discovering the vast new world, despite starting off jaded and "SO Over It."
I've been to my own version of a Canadian Geek Camp, so I found this particularly bittersweet. The book captured the feeling perfectly—meeting people who just GET YOU, who don't care about the pettiness of pop culture and social circles. Meeting people who are passionate about THINGS, even if they're so vastly different from your own passions. Meeting people who keep an open-mind about your passions, and are willing to hold intelligible conversations about them. Meeting people who are curious and ready to explore the world.
This book was The Breakfast Club (intentionally, I'm sure) meets the Dead Poets Society. It was such an eclectic bunch of people who wouldn't seemingly fit together, but worked so well. I fell in love with each of them. I loved how their quirks came out little by little, so they didn't DEFINE the characters—they became afterthoughts, because we got to know each of them so well. In fact, none of the characters fit into neat little stereotypes. They were all so fleshed out and REAL.
There were so many beautiful moments, and Gloria savoured each one: Plato's Myth of the Cave, having your own "spot" somewhere, passion, wholesome goodness, blackberries, 8-ales, the fourth of July, the Mystery Machine, helicopters, butterflies, sunsets, ideological disputes, real snail mail, stumbling upon something secret, and even downtime in a laundry room.
The book started kind of slowly, but it grew on me. It felt like one of those books that MATTERED, that tried to look into what life is all about... and managing to glean some insight to that genuine human experience.
I've been to my own version of a Canadian Geek Camp, so I found this particularly bittersweet. The book captured the feeling perfectly—meeting people who just GET YOU, who don't care about the pettiness of pop culture and social circles. Meeting people who are passionate about THINGS, even if they're so vastly different from your own passions. Meeting people who keep an open-mind about your passions, and are willing to hold intelligible conversations about them. Meeting people who are curious and ready to explore the world.
This book was The Breakfast Club (intentionally, I'm sure) meets the Dead Poets Society. It was such an eclectic bunch of people who wouldn't seemingly fit together, but worked so well. I fell in love with each of them. I loved how their quirks came out little by little, so they didn't DEFINE the characters—they became afterthoughts, because we got to know each of them so well. In fact, none of the characters fit into neat little stereotypes. They were all so fleshed out and REAL.
There were so many beautiful moments, and Gloria savoured each one: Plato's Myth of the Cave, having your own "spot" somewhere, passion, wholesome goodness, blackberries, 8-ales, the fourth of July, the Mystery Machine, helicopters, butterflies, sunsets, ideological disputes, real snail mail, stumbling upon something secret, and even downtime in a laundry room.
The book started kind of slowly, but it grew on me. It felt like one of those books that MATTERED, that tried to look into what life is all about... and managing to glean some insight to that genuine human experience.
charmaineac's review against another edition
4.0
This book is—at once—both poetic and substantial. The words weave an eloquent, elegant tale that makes you laugh and cry along with Gloria. It's comprised of all the wonderful moments that make up childhood, youth, and life in general. It's made up of the things that you look back on; the memories of a lifetime. It's introspective, innocent, and hopeful after discovering the vast new world, despite starting off jaded and "SO Over It."
I've been to my own version of a Canadian Geek Camp, so I found this particularly bittersweet. The book captured the feeling perfectly—meeting people who just GET YOU, who don't care about the pettiness of pop culture and social circles. Meeting people who are passionate about THINGS, even if they're so vastly different from your own passions. Meeting people who keep an open-mind about your passions, and are willing to hold intelligible conversations about them. Meeting people who are curious and ready to explore the world.
This book was The Breakfast Club (intentionally, I'm sure) meets the Dead Poets Society. It was such an eclectic bunch of people who wouldn't seemingly fit together, but worked so well. I fell in love with each of them. I loved how their quirks came out little by little, so they didn't DEFINE the characters—they became afterthoughts, because we got to know each of them so well. In fact, none of the characters fit into neat little stereotypes. They were all so fleshed out and REAL.
There were so many beautiful moments, and Gloria savoured each one: Plato's Myth of the Cave, having your own "spot" somewhere, passion, wholesome goodness, blackberries, 8-ales, the fourth of July, the Mystery Machine, helicopters, butterflies, sunsets, ideological disputes, real snail mail, stumbling upon something secret, and even downtime in a laundry room.
The book started kind of slowly, but it grew on me. It felt like one of those books that MATTERED, that tried to look into what life is all about... and managing to glean some insight to that genuine human experience.
I've been to my own version of a Canadian Geek Camp, so I found this particularly bittersweet. The book captured the feeling perfectly—meeting people who just GET YOU, who don't care about the pettiness of pop culture and social circles. Meeting people who are passionate about THINGS, even if they're so vastly different from your own passions. Meeting people who keep an open-mind about your passions, and are willing to hold intelligible conversations about them. Meeting people who are curious and ready to explore the world.
This book was The Breakfast Club (intentionally, I'm sure) meets the Dead Poets Society. It was such an eclectic bunch of people who wouldn't seemingly fit together, but worked so well. I fell in love with each of them. I loved how their quirks came out little by little, so they didn't DEFINE the characters—they became afterthoughts, because we got to know each of them so well. In fact, none of the characters fit into neat little stereotypes. They were all so fleshed out and REAL.
There were so many beautiful moments, and Gloria savoured each one: Plato's Myth of the Cave, having your own "spot" somewhere, passion, wholesome goodness, blackberries, 8-ales, the fourth of July, the Mystery Machine, helicopters, butterflies, sunsets, ideological disputes, real snail mail, stumbling upon something secret, and even downtime in a laundry room.
The book started kind of slowly, but it grew on me. It felt like one of those books that MATTERED, that tried to look into what life is all about... and managing to glean some insight to that genuine human experience.
thepaperreels's review against another edition
DNF at 75%
Breakfast Served Anytime allured me with it's beautiful cover. But man! I was so disappointed.
I'm blaming Gloria. I think the author wants Gloria to come out as poetic because of her way of telling the story but that's not what I got at all. Gloria rambles. She wants to talk about everything and she makes simple things complicated. So I thought, hmmm okay, the protagonist is annoying me but maybe I'll get something from the plot.
I was bored. I was dozing off the whole time. I tried, really tried. Then I just decided that it wasn't worth it anymore. I have a lot of books to read and I don't have time for this.
Breakfast Served Anytime allured me with it's beautiful cover. But man! I was so disappointed.
I'm blaming Gloria. I think the author wants Gloria to come out as poetic because of her way of telling the story but that's not what I got at all. Gloria rambles. She wants to talk about everything and she makes simple things complicated. So I thought, hmmm okay, the protagonist is annoying me but maybe I'll get something from the plot.
I was bored. I was dozing off the whole time. I tried, really tried. Then I just decided that it wasn't worth it anymore. I have a lot of books to read and I don't have time for this.