Lee

I am giving this book 4 stars because I think people should read it. But rating it feels a little bit disingenuous–it's a thought provoking book about memory and identity and mostly built on vibes. Someone should read this and talk to me about it.

Not for me. No shade to anyone who likes it.

Definitely paying homage to Faulkner's As I Lay Dying and Morrison's Song of Solomon. Ward is not up to the level of those two, but that's like saying I'm not as good a football coach as Bill Walsh. No duh.

Dated.

I hesitate to give books 1 star because it feels punitive, but I truly, truly think this book is bad. It is poorly written on a mechanical level, it has flat, poorly developed characters, and regressive views on relationships masquerading as healthy response to abuse. No thank you.

I detest this book. References to obscure 80's cultural objects purely for the sake of nostalgia and a collection of the worst impulses of nerd-culture. Self-insert fantasy about the power of being the king of trivia.

Excellently paced, exciting, and inventive coming-of-age fantasy written with excellent style and a compelling framing device. Very intrigued by the rest of the series.

Excellent work on the art of comics and the underlying mechanics (and philosophies) that make comics work, and that make them valuable and intriguing as an art form. A comic about comics. Great stuff.

Interesting, well written book from the perspective of a (seemingly) autistic boy. Interesting style, a sort of murder-mystery-memoir that ends up in a very interesting place. Worth the short amount of time it takes to read.

Large world, flat characters. Very cliche (even though it may have created some), and not all that compelling. It's decent fantasy. Not pursuing the rest of the series, though.

Great art. Interesting characters. Lots of experimentation going on by Gaiman, and not all of it is successful. The Dr. Destiny chapter is incredible, and unsettling. The end of the volume provides an enticement to continue.

Very fast-paced, exciting, fun book, full of suspense and inventiveness, and nice dash of humor. Ultimately, falls short of excellence because of a lack of character depth or development over the course of the story.

Great political satire and an entertaining spy story at the same time. Good stuff.

Great spy story stuff. Good characters, great setting, excellent pacing, all good all around.

Great short story. Lots to say. Interesting perspective changes.

Very engaging novel. Depressing–about the torture, apostacy, and death of missionaries to Japan. Raises many interesting issues about missions around the world. Profoundly affecting.

Amazing characters, setting, and themes. Incredible pathos. One of the best.

Good story, ultimately falls short of excellence. Great idea, interesting dystopian world, not sure what it wants to say about any of it, though.

Amazingly inventing, unflinchingly weird, this look at information culture and the future of technology builds an engaging universe in which to explore its myths and legends and beliefs. Very good read for any sci-fi fan.

More of the same for fans of Ender's Game. While it treads the same ground, it finds a new path as the novel it parallels. Bean provides an interesting second viewpoint for the story, and helps to shed new light on the same topics. The fact that all of the details of the story are already known does lessen the intensity, but the insight is strong nonetheless.

Magnificent. First contact with another species provides a stunning fulcrum on which Russell can turn spirituality and faith, the essence of humanity, and all manner of weighty ideas. Nicely paced, exciting, devastating, hopeful.

A wonderful coming-of-age story written in Faulkner's wonderful prose, without the characteristic incomprehensibility. Great stuff.

Uniquely written in a pyramidal chronology where the beginning is also the end(?), this book, while unusual, builds unique characters with unique style and keeps you engaged throughout. One of my favorites, to be sure.

Great book. Great characters. Interesting story. Well worth the read, especially if you like baseball, but even if you don't.

All-timer, one of the finest I've ever read.