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Kyera (8 KP) rated Something in Between in Books
Feb 1, 2018
Something in Between is a timely novel that is so relevant to the political environment in our country today and a must read. Jasmine's life is turned upside down when she realizes that she and her family are in America, illegally. Her whole life she thought that they had green cards. She worked hard, was top in her class and ran herself ragged to be the best and to do everything from class president to cheer captain. It all seemed to pay off when she received a scholarship that would allow her to attend any college in the US, until her parents informed her that she wouldn't be able to accept. Couldn't accept, because she was an illegal immigrant.
Life turned upside down, Jasmine must figure out what to do and how to come to terms with her changed identity. Then Jas falls for the son of a politician who is spearheading the fights against undocumented workers. How will she reconcile her new self-identity in the world she lives in? Will she and her family be able to stay in America will they be forced to move back to the Philippines, a country her brothers have never known. And, will all of her hard work be for naught because she cannot find a way to attend college? Find out in this young adult/teen contemporary fiction novel about family, friends and growing up.
Life turned upside down, Jasmine must figure out what to do and how to come to terms with her changed identity. Then Jas falls for the son of a politician who is spearheading the fights against undocumented workers. How will she reconcile her new self-identity in the world she lives in? Will she and her family be able to stay in America will they be forced to move back to the Philippines, a country her brothers have never known. And, will all of her hard work be for naught because she cannot find a way to attend college? Find out in this young adult/teen contemporary fiction novel about family, friends and growing up.
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated Between Two Shores in Books
Feb 27, 2019
It's been some time since I read a Jocelyn Green novel, and let me tell you this....it was so refreshing to get back to her books. This book, filled with beautiful historical detail, took me on a journey to Montreal, and kept me hooked until the last page was reached.
Catherine, Samuel, Bright Star, and the amazing characters truly became a part of my soul. I loved following them on their journey. The rich detail of the French and Indian War was depicted beautifully. It came to life for me, making me feel a part of Catherine and Samuel's lives.
If you love history, hope, longing and mercy, then grab this book up. It's tenderly written, and will wrap you up as you read through these pages. As a reader, the emotions will flow through you the further into the story that you get. I highly recommend this with 4 stars and two thumbs up.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.
Catherine, Samuel, Bright Star, and the amazing characters truly became a part of my soul. I loved following them on their journey. The rich detail of the French and Indian War was depicted beautifully. It came to life for me, making me feel a part of Catherine and Samuel's lives.
If you love history, hope, longing and mercy, then grab this book up. It's tenderly written, and will wrap you up as you read through these pages. As a reader, the emotions will flow through you the further into the story that you get. I highly recommend this with 4 stars and two thumbs up.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.
David McK (3361 KP) rated Identity Crisis in Books
Jan 28, 2019
Superman.
Batman.
Wonder Woman.
Green Arrow.
The Flash
The Elongated Man?
If, like me, you'd no idea who the latter character is - even though he has recently shown up in the DC TV series 'The Flash' - then this might seem a risky proposition. A few pages in, however, that decision pays off: unlike the 'big name' characters of DC (for whom you know nothing bad will ever really 'stick'), by making a relatively-minor character the initial focal point of the story, the tragedy that strikes (with the murder of his wife) really hits home.
That tragedy then being the reason why other members of the super-hero community start investigating her death, with it eventually coming to light that there is more going on here than meets the eye ...
Batman.
Wonder Woman.
Green Arrow.
The Flash
The Elongated Man?
If, like me, you'd no idea who the latter character is - even though he has recently shown up in the DC TV series 'The Flash' - then this might seem a risky proposition. A few pages in, however, that decision pays off: unlike the 'big name' characters of DC (for whom you know nothing bad will ever really 'stick'), by making a relatively-minor character the initial focal point of the story, the tragedy that strikes (with the murder of his wife) really hits home.
That tragedy then being the reason why other members of the super-hero community start investigating her death, with it eventually coming to light that there is more going on here than meets the eye ...
Dean (6925 KP) rated Scream 6 (2023) in Movies
Mar 27, 2023
Very creative (1 more)
Right mix of nostalgia and new ideas
New York New Rules
A really enjoyed @Scream (2022) and think it's one of the better entries of the franchise. Good to see this one got the green light soon after but little worried could be running out of ideas.
I needn't of worried this feels very fresh while still in keeping with a few familiar traits of the films.
It carries soon after the last film with the survivors now in New York for a fresh start. Only for a new Ghostface wanting to make a final cut.
It definitely felt fresh with some new ideas and twists to the Scream format whilst also paying homage of sorts to the franchise as a whole. One Scream fans will enjoy for sure.
I needn't of worried this feels very fresh while still in keeping with a few familiar traits of the films.
It carries soon after the last film with the survivors now in New York for a fresh start. Only for a new Ghostface wanting to make a final cut.
It definitely felt fresh with some new ideas and twists to the Scream format whilst also paying homage of sorts to the franchise as a whole. One Scream fans will enjoy for sure.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Boba Boss in Tabletop Games
Nov 21, 2019 (Updated Nov 21, 2019)
If you are a fan of Purple Phoenix Games then you probably know of our love affair with Happy Salmon. It’s an excellent dexterity card game and it just works in so many different situations. So when I saw the promo video for Boba Boss (linked below) I thought that we might have a contender on our hands. Was I right?
Boba Boss is a quick-playing modular action/dexterity card game of filling your orders for demanding customers of your delicious boba tea. You appease them by filling their order cups with brew, but your opponents are also trying to fill their cups as quickly as possible. Are you able to complete your orders before your competitors?
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know if the final components will be similar or different, or if the Kickstarter campaign will alter or add anything through stretch goals. -T
To setup, you will need to decide which modules of the game you wish to incorporate. The game comes ready to play out of the box for an easier first game. I suggest you play this way to get familiar with how the game plays before you start adding in different modules. Or don’t. I’m not your mother.
Once the game is setup your objective is this: fill all your cups. You do this by frantically flipping cards from your deck hoping to get Straw cards. One straw will fill one cup. Two straws will fill two cups. Play needs to be brisk because the other players are flipping over cards as well and some of them will instruct the player to unflip (re-flip? Probably the same thing…) your readied tea card. This means that you must hope to flip over more straw cards to fill your cups.
There are three ways to play Boba Boss and they all have to do with the spill cards. These are cards that will have text on them in different colors. The three modes of play are identified by using three aspects of the spill cards: splatter color, text color, text text. So a spill card could have a red background (splatter color). If the round is played using splatter color and you flip over one with a red splatter color, you may unflip a readied red cup. The next round you may choose to play these cards with the text color. Each card will also have bubble text in different colors. So maybe that same red splatter card will have green text, so you would unflip a readied green tea card. And the final mode is text text. This means that same card may have the text in green but the word actually spells out “purple,” in which case you will unflip a purple player’s readied tea card. Play continues in this fashion until someone yells, “BOBA!” indicating they have two or less cups to fill. Once a player has filled all their cups they must yell, “BOBA BOSS!” And then they are crowned the victor.
This is just the base base game. Like I said, this game is modular in that you can add different dimensions of difficulty to it to have just a ridiculously confusing and frenzied play experience. One such module will add “optional flavors” to your game to increase the chaos and replayability. One example is shown below – “Karatea” (karate). When you draw and play Karatea you are to kick (flick) another player’s tea cup card where they will need to reset it to continue play. This just increases the time needed for the kicked player to win and just causes mayhem in the process. These extra flavor cards were provided to us but we just could not get all of them into play. The “Royaltea” and “Tea Rex” cards are favorites of ours.
Components. Again, we were provided with a prototype version of this game, so components may end up being very different from what we played with. This game is a box of a ton of cards. Thankfully the cards provided were glossy because they are handled A LOT. The glossy protection will help with survival of the game while being obsessively played. We appreciate that. The art is great on the cards, and the colors are fabulous. No issues with components from us, even in this prototype version.
As if we didn’t already have enough stress in our lives, along comes Boba Boss and makes us sweat in the first 60 seconds. This game is such an adrenaline rush as you are trying to fill customer orders for boba tea. Playing with three different game modes and tons of different cards to be added in modular fashion makes for an excellent balance of chaos and brain adaptation that you just don’t get anywhere else. Honestly, as you can see from our preview, we had so much fun playing that we didn’t have time to take photos of much of the game, but we hope in adding our photo along with a graphic and video from the publisher that you will forgive us. We are very excited to watch this Kickstarter campaign and hopefully our readers will give it a chance. It fills a unique niche and earns a place next to our beloved Happy Salmon. High praise for a great game.
Boba Boss is a quick-playing modular action/dexterity card game of filling your orders for demanding customers of your delicious boba tea. You appease them by filling their order cups with brew, but your opponents are also trying to fill their cups as quickly as possible. Are you able to complete your orders before your competitors?
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know if the final components will be similar or different, or if the Kickstarter campaign will alter or add anything through stretch goals. -T
To setup, you will need to decide which modules of the game you wish to incorporate. The game comes ready to play out of the box for an easier first game. I suggest you play this way to get familiar with how the game plays before you start adding in different modules. Or don’t. I’m not your mother.
Once the game is setup your objective is this: fill all your cups. You do this by frantically flipping cards from your deck hoping to get Straw cards. One straw will fill one cup. Two straws will fill two cups. Play needs to be brisk because the other players are flipping over cards as well and some of them will instruct the player to unflip (re-flip? Probably the same thing…) your readied tea card. This means that you must hope to flip over more straw cards to fill your cups.
There are three ways to play Boba Boss and they all have to do with the spill cards. These are cards that will have text on them in different colors. The three modes of play are identified by using three aspects of the spill cards: splatter color, text color, text text. So a spill card could have a red background (splatter color). If the round is played using splatter color and you flip over one with a red splatter color, you may unflip a readied red cup. The next round you may choose to play these cards with the text color. Each card will also have bubble text in different colors. So maybe that same red splatter card will have green text, so you would unflip a readied green tea card. And the final mode is text text. This means that same card may have the text in green but the word actually spells out “purple,” in which case you will unflip a purple player’s readied tea card. Play continues in this fashion until someone yells, “BOBA!” indicating they have two or less cups to fill. Once a player has filled all their cups they must yell, “BOBA BOSS!” And then they are crowned the victor.
This is just the base base game. Like I said, this game is modular in that you can add different dimensions of difficulty to it to have just a ridiculously confusing and frenzied play experience. One such module will add “optional flavors” to your game to increase the chaos and replayability. One example is shown below – “Karatea” (karate). When you draw and play Karatea you are to kick (flick) another player’s tea cup card where they will need to reset it to continue play. This just increases the time needed for the kicked player to win and just causes mayhem in the process. These extra flavor cards were provided to us but we just could not get all of them into play. The “Royaltea” and “Tea Rex” cards are favorites of ours.
Components. Again, we were provided with a prototype version of this game, so components may end up being very different from what we played with. This game is a box of a ton of cards. Thankfully the cards provided were glossy because they are handled A LOT. The glossy protection will help with survival of the game while being obsessively played. We appreciate that. The art is great on the cards, and the colors are fabulous. No issues with components from us, even in this prototype version.
As if we didn’t already have enough stress in our lives, along comes Boba Boss and makes us sweat in the first 60 seconds. This game is such an adrenaline rush as you are trying to fill customer orders for boba tea. Playing with three different game modes and tons of different cards to be added in modular fashion makes for an excellent balance of chaos and brain adaptation that you just don’t get anywhere else. Honestly, as you can see from our preview, we had so much fun playing that we didn’t have time to take photos of much of the game, but we hope in adding our photo along with a graphic and video from the publisher that you will forgive us. We are very excited to watch this Kickstarter campaign and hopefully our readers will give it a chance. It fills a unique niche and earns a place next to our beloved Happy Salmon. High praise for a great game.
Merissa (11925 KP) rated Daughter of Chaos (Red Magic #1) in Books
Jun 8, 2023
In Darlena's world, magic is divided into three different categories. To put it simply - white is good, black is bad, and green is balance. Normally a witch will choose a path on her 16th birthday. Darlena has passed this milestone without declaring which path she will follow. One evening Hecate shows up and puts Darlena on the spot - which path will she choose? Darlena follows her heart and her instincts and chooses a colour that she has never heard of before - Red. It must be a real path because the next day she is expelled from school with no explanation. Anyone who hears what colour she has chosen, reacts in a very different way to how Darlena was expecting.
I loved how Jen McConnel set this all up and how it was all executed. The writing and links are flawless, with plenty of surprises along the way. I thought having Aphrodite as a patron of Red magic was brilliant, and anyone who thinks that love isn't chaotic is seriously mistaken!
With lessons to be learnt, Darlena has some serious choices to make. Some of which she makes on the rebound, some of which she has time to think about. With friends and allies helping her along the way, as well as enemies trying to hinder her, her life is moving along at breakneck speed. Will she find the time to figure out what to do?
With a cast of amazing characters, from the noble yet slightly self-righteous Justin to the flawed and grasping Rochelle, you have a fast-paced story that will keep you engrossed from beginning to end. I can't wait to read more about Darlena's story to see what happens next. Definitely recommended.
* Verified Purchase on Amazon *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
May 19, 2016
I loved how Jen McConnel set this all up and how it was all executed. The writing and links are flawless, with plenty of surprises along the way. I thought having Aphrodite as a patron of Red magic was brilliant, and anyone who thinks that love isn't chaotic is seriously mistaken!
With lessons to be learnt, Darlena has some serious choices to make. Some of which she makes on the rebound, some of which she has time to think about. With friends and allies helping her along the way, as well as enemies trying to hinder her, her life is moving along at breakneck speed. Will she find the time to figure out what to do?
With a cast of amazing characters, from the noble yet slightly self-righteous Justin to the flawed and grasping Rochelle, you have a fast-paced story that will keep you engrossed from beginning to end. I can't wait to read more about Darlena's story to see what happens next. Definitely recommended.
* Verified Purchase on Amazon *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
May 19, 2016
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Tempting Fate in Books
May 10, 2018
Gabby is 43, married with two children and she is in "the afternoon of her life." She isn't particularly pretty or dowdy nor does she stand out in a crowd. She is just your average mom of two. According to Gabby she is middle-aged.
On a girls night out, she meets Matt, a social media mogul who is 10 years younger than her. Matt makes her feel like she hasn't felt in a very long time...far from middle-aged. But Gabby has been happily married to Elliott for years, and even though this young man is flattering and gorgeous, she would never do anything to ruin her family. But then Gabby and Matt begin to email and text and soon neither of their lives will be the same.
As women, when we age, we tend to lose our identities. We are used to being single and carefree and then we get married and have to learn to be a wife and share our lives with another person. Then the kids come along and it feels as if we are no longer ourselves. We're someone's wife and maybe a few peoples mother, seldom are we called by our own name. So when we get noticed, our minds start to turn, especially when we as women get noticed by the opposite sex. How we handle these types of situations can be a testament to our strength and character.
At times this book was predictable, which I don't think is a bad thing in this case. It's a story that you have probably heard in your real life. How the characters developed and the story progresses is what makes you want to continue to read. Jane Green always does a great job of writing about female relationships and emotions. This is the second Jane Green book I have read this year, the first being Jemima J. I have read a few others as well. Jane Green is now on my list of favorite authors.
On a girls night out, she meets Matt, a social media mogul who is 10 years younger than her. Matt makes her feel like she hasn't felt in a very long time...far from middle-aged. But Gabby has been happily married to Elliott for years, and even though this young man is flattering and gorgeous, she would never do anything to ruin her family. But then Gabby and Matt begin to email and text and soon neither of their lives will be the same.
As women, when we age, we tend to lose our identities. We are used to being single and carefree and then we get married and have to learn to be a wife and share our lives with another person. Then the kids come along and it feels as if we are no longer ourselves. We're someone's wife and maybe a few peoples mother, seldom are we called by our own name. So when we get noticed, our minds start to turn, especially when we as women get noticed by the opposite sex. How we handle these types of situations can be a testament to our strength and character.
At times this book was predictable, which I don't think is a bad thing in this case. It's a story that you have probably heard in your real life. How the characters developed and the story progresses is what makes you want to continue to read. Jane Green always does a great job of writing about female relationships and emotions. This is the second Jane Green book I have read this year, the first being Jemima J. I have read a few others as well. Jane Green is now on my list of favorite authors.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated The Green Knight (2020) in Movies
Aug 6, 2021
Interesting...Intriguing...and Weird
You have 2 choices when choosing to view the Arthurian tale THE GREEN KNIGHT.
1). Brush up on the 14th Century tale (writer unknown) about Sir Gawain (of Knights of the Round Table fame) and The Green Knight
2). Go in “blind” and let the film wash over you.
I did #2 and while I got the “gist” of what was going on, I missed some of the subtleties (or the attempted subtleties) that I now know since I went on-line and brushed up on the story/poem (no, I did not read the 14th century poem - a google search synopsis of plot of the poem was sufficient).
Starring Dev Patel (more on him later) THE GREEN KNIGHT tells the story of a would-be Knight of the Round Table, Gawain, who accepts a challenge of THE GREEN KNIGHT and now must stand up to the consequence of his deeds while heading off on a quest.
Dev Patel (SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE) has really grown into a fine actor and he is perfectly cast as the courage-challenged Gawain. He walks through this film with a slight look of fear in his eyes and I was finding myself yelling at him (in my head) to “stand up and do what’s right” (which is the point of the film/story) when he would make the wrong decision.
Alicia Vikander (who I have not seen on screen since 2018’s TOMB RAIDER) and Joel Edgerton (LOVING) are 2 of the people that Gawain meets along the way and they bring strength and star power to the middle part of this film - they came along at an opportune time, for this film was beginning to sag under it’s own weight at that point, but these 2 help propel Gawain (and the film) to the climax.
Director David Lowery (A GHOST STORY) has crafted a fantastical film that reminded me very much of the work of Terry Gilliam - and I mean that as a compliment. He heightens every scene with imagery that’s just “off” (again, I mean that as a compliment) that symbolizes the “quest” that Gawain is on.
He also does something that will either encourage or discourage a viewer (and that is the strength and weakness of this film) - he explains nothing.
For example…at the beginning, Gawain is sitting at a round table with a King and Queen and a bunch of other Knights (or would be Knights). One would assume that this is King Arthur, Guinevere and the Knights of the Round Table, but Lowery never calls them by name. “The King” pulls out his sword and hands it to Gawain for his contest with the Green Knight. The crowd reacts with gasps - one would assume that this is the fable sword Excaliber, but it is never stated.
So…knowing these things (and some of the other aspects of the Gawain) story, might further enrich this experience, but Lowery chooses to not spoon feed the audience and since I did not really know the Gawain story, I just sat back and enjoyed the quest, the imagery, the weirdness (and there is some VERY weird moments - I still don’t know what to make of the scene with the Giants) and was rewarded with a film experience that is rare nowadays, one that just unfurls without telescoping what is happening or what is to come.
This film is not for everyone - it does have a rather languid pace to it - but for those of you that can sit in the stillness, marvel at the imagery and revel in the weirdness/unknown, then THE GREEN KNIGHT is, ultimately, a rewarding film experience - one that (now that I know the story) am eager to revisit.
Letter Grade: B
7 Stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
1). Brush up on the 14th Century tale (writer unknown) about Sir Gawain (of Knights of the Round Table fame) and The Green Knight
2). Go in “blind” and let the film wash over you.
I did #2 and while I got the “gist” of what was going on, I missed some of the subtleties (or the attempted subtleties) that I now know since I went on-line and brushed up on the story/poem (no, I did not read the 14th century poem - a google search synopsis of plot of the poem was sufficient).
Starring Dev Patel (more on him later) THE GREEN KNIGHT tells the story of a would-be Knight of the Round Table, Gawain, who accepts a challenge of THE GREEN KNIGHT and now must stand up to the consequence of his deeds while heading off on a quest.
Dev Patel (SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE) has really grown into a fine actor and he is perfectly cast as the courage-challenged Gawain. He walks through this film with a slight look of fear in his eyes and I was finding myself yelling at him (in my head) to “stand up and do what’s right” (which is the point of the film/story) when he would make the wrong decision.
Alicia Vikander (who I have not seen on screen since 2018’s TOMB RAIDER) and Joel Edgerton (LOVING) are 2 of the people that Gawain meets along the way and they bring strength and star power to the middle part of this film - they came along at an opportune time, for this film was beginning to sag under it’s own weight at that point, but these 2 help propel Gawain (and the film) to the climax.
Director David Lowery (A GHOST STORY) has crafted a fantastical film that reminded me very much of the work of Terry Gilliam - and I mean that as a compliment. He heightens every scene with imagery that’s just “off” (again, I mean that as a compliment) that symbolizes the “quest” that Gawain is on.
He also does something that will either encourage or discourage a viewer (and that is the strength and weakness of this film) - he explains nothing.
For example…at the beginning, Gawain is sitting at a round table with a King and Queen and a bunch of other Knights (or would be Knights). One would assume that this is King Arthur, Guinevere and the Knights of the Round Table, but Lowery never calls them by name. “The King” pulls out his sword and hands it to Gawain for his contest with the Green Knight. The crowd reacts with gasps - one would assume that this is the fable sword Excaliber, but it is never stated.
So…knowing these things (and some of the other aspects of the Gawain) story, might further enrich this experience, but Lowery chooses to not spoon feed the audience and since I did not really know the Gawain story, I just sat back and enjoyed the quest, the imagery, the weirdness (and there is some VERY weird moments - I still don’t know what to make of the scene with the Giants) and was rewarded with a film experience that is rare nowadays, one that just unfurls without telescoping what is happening or what is to come.
This film is not for everyone - it does have a rather languid pace to it - but for those of you that can sit in the stillness, marvel at the imagery and revel in the weirdness/unknown, then THE GREEN KNIGHT is, ultimately, a rewarding film experience - one that (now that I know the story) am eager to revisit.
Letter Grade: B
7 Stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Night Life (Nocturne City, #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
After skimming some mixed reviews at Amazon, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Night Life. I thought that Luna was a great character; she had the perfect blend of good and bad personality traits, without being a complete b!tch or too perfect, as some urban fantasy heroines can be. Of course there will be some who find her b!tchy, but I didn't and she's what I think Chris Marie Green and Kit Whitfield were each trying for with their heroines in their respective books, The Night Babylon series and Benighted. The other characters: Sunny, Dmitri, and Mac all added to the story and were great also, especially Dmitri.
The plot held my interest and moved at a swift pace without too much action or getting too bogged down with details. I cannot wait until the next book comes out to read what happens with Luna next!
The plot held my interest and moved at a swift pace without too much action or getting too bogged down with details. I cannot wait until the next book comes out to read what happens with Luna next!
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Paper Towns in Books
May 30, 2017
John Green is such a good writer
Paper Towns is a brilliantly written novel by John Green. Having only previously read The Fault in our Stars I have little to compare it to and cannot say whether it is his best. I am writing this less that half an hour after finishing Paper Towns therefore it is still fresh in my mind, which may explain my slight preference over TFIOS. However the story lines are so different that it is not really fair to compare them.
Set in Orlando, Florida, Paper Towns is narrated by eighteen-year-old Quentin Jacobson (often referred to as Q). It begins with a flash back to when he and next door neighbour, Margo Roth Spiegelman, were nine and discovered a dead body in the park. It is here that the differences in character are pointed out: “As I took those two steps back, Margo took two equally small and quiet steps forward.” Q is an anxious boy, whereas Margo comes across as very confident.
Despite their childhood relationship, for the main bulk of the story Q and Margo have grown apart. They belong to different social circles: Margo to the popular crowd and Q with the gamers, band members and social outcasts. But things take a turn when one night Margo climbs through Q’s bedroom window and insists he accompany her on a nighttime adventure, going around righting wrongs and wronging rights.
But the next day Margo runs away telling no one where she is going, except it appears that she has left clues to her whereabouts. Clues only intended for Q to discover. With the help of his prom-obsessed friend, Ben; Radar, the guy whose parents own the world’s largest collection of black Santas (seriously, where does Green come up with this stuff?); and Lacey, Margo’s best friend and Ben’s soon to be girlfriend; Q struggles to understand the clues and uncover Margo’s hiding place.
To begin with it is exciting to read about Q and his friends unscrambling the hidden messages but as the story goes on and Margo is yet to be found a sense of dread creeps up on us and Q begins to think the worst.
The final section, however, is fast past and thrilling to read as the characters travel across states, with a rather short time limit, in Q’s mini van in a final attempt to find Margo. What will they find when they arrive? Will Margo still be there?
At first I was not sure that I would like this book. Chapter one is mostly about Quentin, Ben and Radar fooling around as boys do, but once everything kicks off with Margo it is really exciting. Similarly to The Fault in our Stars, Green has filled Paper Towns with clever metaphors with paper, string, balloons and grass being used to represent life. It is a very witty narrative containing lots of humour, yet also manages to convey important ideas about the way we see the world, and the people in it.
Paper Towns can be described as a contemporary, coming-of-age story. As mentioned already, Margo was portrayed as a confident girl whereas Quentin was the opposite. Despite Q stating “I wanted Margo’s disappearance to change me; but it hasn’t, not really” I think Green has shown major character developments, and possibly even role reversals. Q may never completely get rid of his anxieties and does not totally become a different person, but he does gain more confidence as he is forced out of his comfort zone, and his perception of other people also begins to alter. Margo on the other hand may not be all that she seems. The real Margo may in fact be a quiet, rather lost teen in a world she feels trapped in. I think this story and Q’s development has the potential to inspire others of similar ages and make all readers question things about themselves.
Overall, an exceptionally good read.
Set in Orlando, Florida, Paper Towns is narrated by eighteen-year-old Quentin Jacobson (often referred to as Q). It begins with a flash back to when he and next door neighbour, Margo Roth Spiegelman, were nine and discovered a dead body in the park. It is here that the differences in character are pointed out: “As I took those two steps back, Margo took two equally small and quiet steps forward.” Q is an anxious boy, whereas Margo comes across as very confident.
Despite their childhood relationship, for the main bulk of the story Q and Margo have grown apart. They belong to different social circles: Margo to the popular crowd and Q with the gamers, band members and social outcasts. But things take a turn when one night Margo climbs through Q’s bedroom window and insists he accompany her on a nighttime adventure, going around righting wrongs and wronging rights.
But the next day Margo runs away telling no one where she is going, except it appears that she has left clues to her whereabouts. Clues only intended for Q to discover. With the help of his prom-obsessed friend, Ben; Radar, the guy whose parents own the world’s largest collection of black Santas (seriously, where does Green come up with this stuff?); and Lacey, Margo’s best friend and Ben’s soon to be girlfriend; Q struggles to understand the clues and uncover Margo’s hiding place.
To begin with it is exciting to read about Q and his friends unscrambling the hidden messages but as the story goes on and Margo is yet to be found a sense of dread creeps up on us and Q begins to think the worst.
The final section, however, is fast past and thrilling to read as the characters travel across states, with a rather short time limit, in Q’s mini van in a final attempt to find Margo. What will they find when they arrive? Will Margo still be there?
At first I was not sure that I would like this book. Chapter one is mostly about Quentin, Ben and Radar fooling around as boys do, but once everything kicks off with Margo it is really exciting. Similarly to The Fault in our Stars, Green has filled Paper Towns with clever metaphors with paper, string, balloons and grass being used to represent life. It is a very witty narrative containing lots of humour, yet also manages to convey important ideas about the way we see the world, and the people in it.
Paper Towns can be described as a contemporary, coming-of-age story. As mentioned already, Margo was portrayed as a confident girl whereas Quentin was the opposite. Despite Q stating “I wanted Margo’s disappearance to change me; but it hasn’t, not really” I think Green has shown major character developments, and possibly even role reversals. Q may never completely get rid of his anxieties and does not totally become a different person, but he does gain more confidence as he is forced out of his comfort zone, and his perception of other people also begins to alter. Margo on the other hand may not be all that she seems. The real Margo may in fact be a quiet, rather lost teen in a world she feels trapped in. I think this story and Q’s development has the potential to inspire others of similar ages and make all readers question things about themselves.
Overall, an exceptionally good read.