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pseudosara's review against another edition
3.0
I don't remember this one either. It was good, but not my favorite by far.
onetrooluff's review against another edition
5.0
The concept of this book fascinated me and has stuck with me for years. I don't remember the plot, as much as I remember ideas, like the idea that people in Biblical times could have been much, much shorter than people today (which would only make sense considering that the average height is increasing every year) and that they might not have kept time the same way - meaning that Abraham could have been 900 years old on HIS calendar. That kind of thinking was new to me then. I'd like to re-read this book and see what I think of it now.
teresatumminello's review against another edition
3.0
As I said of [b:A Wind in the Door|18130|A Wind in the Door (Time Quintet, #2)|Madeleine L'Engle|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327464177s/18130.jpg|1196035] and [b:A Swiftly Tilting Planet|77276|A Swiftly Tilting Planet (Time Quintet, #3)|Madeleine L'Engle|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327465278s/77276.jpg|1196024], I didn’t know of these sequels to [b:A Wrinkle in Time|33574273|A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet, #1)|Madeleine L'Engle|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1507963312s/33574273.jpg|948387] until I was an adult and read them when my son was reading the quartet. I now own this beautiful edition: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39096803-madeleine-l-engle?from_search=true , and have reread the books (along with their respective endnotes) but reviewed them separately.
From what I gather, fans of the Time Quartet have two main issues with this book: first, that it is the Murry twins having an adventure; and, second, that this adventure is set in the time of Noah. I don’t have an issue with the latter. I get the first point, though, in that this adventure is out of character for the twins. They are the static, ‘normal,’ characters in the books; they are there for contrast to the 'eccentric' members of their family, as well as for some comic relief. But I have no problem thinking of this book as alternative, parallel, ‘history.’
I imagine there’s a third, disconcerting, issue for some of the fans: unlike the rest of the series, this book is about sex, mostly lust, though love is promoted. For the teenaged twins, previously concerned only with sports and their upcoming drivers’ licenses, this is the story of their sexual awakening. It’s also a possible primer for their lives together going forward: 1) y’all are likely to fall in love with the same (good) girl who will also be in love with both of you, and that will be complicated; 2) beware of the older, seductive (bad) girl with the “perfect” (L’Engle’s word) body. Unicorns are also a part of the story, and we all know the implications of that. Having a brilliant scientist mother has certainly influenced their views though: they have no issue with thinking and calling the Biblical story they are a part of “chauvinistic.”
My main issue with the book is that it seemed to go on too long (perhaps because my adolescent days are long past), and scenes like the ones of the boys being taken care of after sunstroke started to feel repetitive, and a bit boring--what kept me reading is L'Engle's storytelling skills.
From what I gather, fans of the Time Quartet have two main issues with this book: first, that it is the Murry twins having an adventure; and, second, that this adventure is set in the time of Noah. I don’t have an issue with the latter. I get the first point, though, in that this adventure is out of character for the twins. They are the static, ‘normal,’ characters in the books; they are there for contrast to the 'eccentric' members of their family, as well as for some comic relief. But I have no problem thinking of this book as alternative, parallel, ‘history.’
I imagine there’s a third, disconcerting, issue for some of the fans: unlike the rest of the series, this book is about sex, mostly lust, though love is promoted. For the teenaged twins, previously concerned only with sports and their upcoming drivers’ licenses, this is the story of their sexual awakening. It’s also a possible primer for their lives together going forward: 1) y’all are likely to fall in love with the same (good) girl who will also be in love with both of you, and that will be complicated; 2) beware of the older, seductive (bad) girl with the “perfect” (L’Engle’s word) body. Unicorns are also a part of the story, and we all know the implications of that. Having a brilliant scientist mother has certainly influenced their views though: they have no issue with thinking and calling the Biblical story they are a part of “chauvinistic.”
My main issue with the book is that it seemed to go on too long (perhaps because my adolescent days are long past), and scenes like the ones of the boys being taken care of after sunstroke started to feel repetitive, and a bit boring--what kept me reading is L'Engle's storytelling skills.
pengirl55's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
slow-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
r_said's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.75
wardo2700's review against another edition
3.0
This was the most uninteresting book of the time quintet. Thankfully the tie in to the Noah and the great flood story kept it somewhat engaging. But the lurid behavior of the female characters that were influenced by the evil nephilim was just not a topic I would associate with a good fantasy tale. there was also not as much emphasis on the Science as in her previous books so that also contributed to my lack of interest. Other readers might find this an intriguing book, I didn't. But it showed me even an excellent author can create a so so story.
aislyn_kats's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-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? No
2.0
lilylanie's review against another edition
2.0
DNF at around 20%
This book just didn’t work for me the way the others did. The twins were never my favourite characters, and if you multiply a two-dimensional character by two, the resulting answer is neither a four-dimensional character nor even a three-dimensional one. It’s just two really boring dudes, in a really boring place, with a really unbelievable backdrop of creationism. Not for me I’m afraid.
This book just didn’t work for me the way the others did. The twins were never my favourite characters, and if you multiply a two-dimensional character by two, the resulting answer is neither a four-dimensional character nor even a three-dimensional one. It’s just two really boring dudes, in a really boring place, with a really unbelievable backdrop of creationism. Not for me I’m afraid.