It's hard to describe a book like this and get it right, it's so deeply lyrical with solitary beauty. Nature, red tooth and nail comes to mind, but also the inhuman nature of man. Ree is such a strong well drawn character with the world upon her shoulder. We start out knowing Ree is the caretaker for both of her younger brothers and her mentally adrift mother, Ree is only sixteen herself. Her father, who has been known to be off for days/weeks a time, is now missing and has skipped bail. If he doesn't show up for his next shortly upcoming court date the house will be repossessed, leaving Ree, her two brothers, and her mother to "live in the field like dogs". She then begins her labyrinth through the winter wilderness of her long-stretching, cult-like, meth addicted family called the Dollys to search for her father.
There is good bit of action in this book, but I found myself looking towards the quiet scenes with breathtaking admiration. Daniel Woodrell can write.
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This series seemed to fall slightly as it progressed. I became more involved with the characters which was good, but the plot became pretty boring even among the all the action going on. Most of my frustration comes from the fact that I love fantasy, something out of the ordinary. So...when someone tells you there are doors, doors beyond this world you know, you expect well... something unexpected.
I felt this way about the Maze Runner series, it just dwindled away into nothing for me. I still remember the plot for the most part, but was I as enthralled with book two and three as I was the first one? No, there was still mystery in the second and third book, but it receded without reward.
I still don't know if I'm disappointed with the controversial ending, because I did think it was genius in it's own right, but I can see why everyone's so pissed off. You get invested. It hurt to see things end, but the story did end. I wish I could say it was fantastic, like I would about Divergent, but I can't.
All that aside I heard an interesting quote that I think fits Roth's whole "science is bad" approach, which I think rings true:
“The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom. -Isaac Asimov
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Alabama- Looking For Alaska by John Green
California- The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
Florida- The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riodan
Illinois- Summer Morning, Summer Night by Ray Bradbury
Kentucky- Heart of the Hunter by R.L. Stine
Louisiana- Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris
Maine-Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool
Massachusetts- Cascade by Maryanne O'Hara
Mississippi- Light in August by William Faulkner
Missouri-Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell
New York- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
North Carolina- Joyland by Stephen King
Ohio- Winesburg, Ohio by Anderson Sherwood
Tennessee- The Orchard Keeper by Cormac McCarthy
Vermont- The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Virginia- The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
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I still have quite a few to go...
]]>2012-Flight Behaivor by Barbara Kingsolver
2011-Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
2010-Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkings
2009-Labor Day by Joyce Maynard
2008-Paper Towns by John Green
2007 The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex
2006-The Ruins by Scott B. Smith
2005- Looking for Alaska by Jonh Green
2004-Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
2003-Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
2002-
2001-Midnight Bayou by Nora Roberts
2000-A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan
1999-The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich
1998- Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
1997-Heart of the Hunter by R.L. Stine
1996-
1995-
1994-
1993-
1992-Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
1991-People of the Wolf by W. Michael Gear & Kathleen O'Neal Gear
1990-
1989-A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle
1988-Scorpions by Walter Dean Myers
1987-
1986-It by Stephen King
1985-
1984-
1983-
1982-
1981-
1980-The Twits by Roald Dahl
1979-
1978-
1977-
1976-
1975-
1974-
1973-The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper
1972-The Summer Book by Tove Jansson
1971-
1970-
1969-The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton
1968-
1967-
1966-
1965-Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper
1964-
1963-
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The nostalgic presence of juvenescence seeps through it pages. I want to say almost Brabury-esk, but Partridge definitely holds his own. The writing itself was superb, the beginning, middle and end were perfect. My only objection is that it is such a short book.
There's something that's been bothering me, and it really has nothing to do with the book, but my inability to shelf it. It's a horror, but not. It's a YA, but also not. I haven't seen anyone shelf it as YA, but from my knowledge of what YA is, this book is it. This book is really something in itself.
Overall I loved it, it was a perfect read for Halloween. It wasn't sleep with your light on scary, but the creepiness permeates the entire story. Not what I was expecting, but nonetheless a pleasant surprise.
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