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stormydawnc's review
3.0
I really enjoyed The Loop, but I fully expect to be in the minority on this one, and here’s why: time travel and time loops will cover a multitude of bookish sins for me. I LOVE books about time travel/loops. LOVE. It’s probably the #1 draw for me in a book(Maybe why Prisoner of Azkaban is my favorite Harry Potter book?), and so I’m willing to overlook a lot of flaws that other readers might not. And I overlooked some very obvious flaws in The Loop to give it a positive rating.
This book is SHORT–probably the shortest I’ve read all year, and while I have nothing against short books in theory, the length of this book isn’t really enough to cover the subject matter. It felt kind of like a rough pass, a first draft, to me really. The writing is fairly elementary, even for YA, and the pacing is definitely off. To even enjoy this story at all, a reader who have to employ a pretty hefty amount of suspension of logic. The romance isn’t quite insta-love, but it’s definitely close. And on the whole, I’d say it’s a bit sloppily done.
And yet I REALLY liked the plot and the story. The idea of being stuck in a time loop where you die at the end of each one with only a vague notion of what’s coming is quite terrifying and really drove a lot of the suspense in this story. I was quite satisfied with the way the plot and the ending played out. It can be quite hard to write an ending for this kind of book that doesn’t feel like a cop-out, and I think the ending was probably one of the biggest strengths of The Loop.
This book is SHORT–probably the shortest I’ve read all year, and while I have nothing against short books in theory, the length of this book isn’t really enough to cover the subject matter. It felt kind of like a rough pass, a first draft, to me really. The writing is fairly elementary, even for YA, and the pacing is definitely off. To even enjoy this story at all, a reader who have to employ a pretty hefty amount of suspension of logic. The romance isn’t quite insta-love, but it’s definitely close. And on the whole, I’d say it’s a bit sloppily done.
And yet I REALLY liked the plot and the story. The idea of being stuck in a time loop where you die at the end of each one with only a vague notion of what’s coming is quite terrifying and really drove a lot of the suspense in this story. I was quite satisfied with the way the plot and the ending played out. It can be quite hard to write an ending for this kind of book that doesn’t feel like a cop-out, and I think the ending was probably one of the biggest strengths of The Loop.
3rdplacelibrary's review
4.0
Originally posted at: Girls On YA Books
~Review:
Let me tell you, when I got this book in the mail I was surprised by its size. It's only like 270+ pages. Now when stories are that short I always worry on how it's going to work out. Will 270+ pages be enough to satisfy me? Will it call short? Will it be too rushed? Will enough information be provided? Sometimes it does fall short. Others are lucky enough (well maybe it's not luck) to push past all my fears and prove to be really good! The Loop was one of the lucky (or not lucky...) ones.
Shandy Lawson is a great writer. For it being so short you didn't really feel it. And it's not like it dragged on either. It was a normal speed book. He found the happy medium and I loved it. Not only is his writing really good but the story he came up with was amazing. It's the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet but stuck in repeat. Like a broken record it just keeps repeating its tragic events. Maggie and Ben are meant to meet, fall in love and then meet their terrible end only to repeat it all over again as soon as their lives end. Maggie is able to remember it each time but Ben...Benjamin can't almost every time. Certain things come to him like déjà vu but that's as far as his memories of the events go. Each time they hope to break free of the time loop. Each time they fail. They fight against fate every time.
Reading the story from Bens POV is probably my favorite thig. I love when we get the males POV. It doesn't happen often so it's always a sweet treat when we get one. Well at least I think so!! Most of the time Ben was lost especially when it came to a new loop. He had no recollection of what had happened and had to start over each time. Again some times he got little déjà vu feelings but he had to rely on Maggie to save him from time to time and explain it all. His memory loss didn't cause the book to be slow or confusing. In fact I found it pretty fast pace as far as action and thrill went. I felt as if I was the one with time breathing down my neck waiting for death to take me! I felt what they felt. The romance was adorable. The fact that Ben couldn't remember and still was willing to face death at the end because he really liked her was endearing. I was cheering for them from the beginning!!
Fast paced, haunting, heart-breaking and absolutely wonderful! I loved The Loop through and through! I was hooked from page one, unable to put it down. Romeo and Juliett at its finest with that sci-fi twist. I finished it within a day and not because of its size. I was turning the pages faster than I could account for and before I knew it, it was over. The ending didn't leave me hanging. It ended wonderfully. Some authors just give a perfect ending and this was one of them. Shandy Lawson has a great career in Young Adult ahead of him and I can't wait to read more from him! Do I suggest you try this book out?? Well, uhm.....DUH!!!! ;P
~Rating:
4 of 5 stars!!!
~Review:
Let me tell you, when I got this book in the mail I was surprised by its size. It's only like 270+ pages. Now when stories are that short I always worry on how it's going to work out. Will 270+ pages be enough to satisfy me? Will it call short? Will it be too rushed? Will enough information be provided? Sometimes it does fall short. Others are lucky enough (well maybe it's not luck) to push past all my fears and prove to be really good! The Loop was one of the lucky (or not lucky...) ones.
Shandy Lawson is a great writer. For it being so short you didn't really feel it. And it's not like it dragged on either. It was a normal speed book. He found the happy medium and I loved it. Not only is his writing really good but the story he came up with was amazing. It's the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet but stuck in repeat. Like a broken record it just keeps repeating its tragic events. Maggie and Ben are meant to meet, fall in love and then meet their terrible end only to repeat it all over again as soon as their lives end. Maggie is able to remember it each time but Ben...Benjamin can't almost every time. Certain things come to him like déjà vu but that's as far as his memories of the events go. Each time they hope to break free of the time loop. Each time they fail. They fight against fate every time.
Reading the story from Bens POV is probably my favorite thig. I love when we get the males POV. It doesn't happen often so it's always a sweet treat when we get one. Well at least I think so!! Most of the time Ben was lost especially when it came to a new loop. He had no recollection of what had happened and had to start over each time. Again some times he got little déjà vu feelings but he had to rely on Maggie to save him from time to time and explain it all. His memory loss didn't cause the book to be slow or confusing. In fact I found it pretty fast pace as far as action and thrill went. I felt as if I was the one with time breathing down my neck waiting for death to take me! I felt what they felt. The romance was adorable. The fact that Ben couldn't remember and still was willing to face death at the end because he really liked her was endearing. I was cheering for them from the beginning!!
Fast paced, haunting, heart-breaking and absolutely wonderful! I loved The Loop through and through! I was hooked from page one, unable to put it down. Romeo and Juliett at its finest with that sci-fi twist. I finished it within a day and not because of its size. I was turning the pages faster than I could account for and before I knew it, it was over. The ending didn't leave me hanging. It ended wonderfully. Some authors just give a perfect ending and this was one of them. Shandy Lawson has a great career in Young Adult ahead of him and I can't wait to read more from him! Do I suggest you try this book out?? Well, uhm.....DUH!!!! ;P
~Rating:
4 of 5 stars!!!
drivecarefully's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
simsbrarian's review
4.0
A good read. Like a nicely done rendition of Groundhog Day ala YA novel. Only, no groundhogs and not nearly that level of repetition. Ben and Maggie are stuck in a time loop. It's only a couple days long and at the end, if they fail to break free of the loop, they just find themselves back at the beginning again, struggling to find a way to finally, hopefully this time, make enough small changes to break the cycle.
Despite it's short length I felt drawn to the two characters and felt I got to know them fairly well. Good depth on that and a nice take on the Repeated Time Loop concept.
Despite it's short length I felt drawn to the two characters and felt I got to know them fairly well. Good depth on that and a nice take on the Repeated Time Loop concept.
suzylibrarian's review
5.0
Totally fun time-bending story. Lots of action, some violence and a bit of a sweet romance...appropriate for grade 7 or 8 and up.
While similar to Lisa McMann's Crash trilogy, the language is much tamer. Certainly seems poised for a sequel.
While similar to Lisa McMann's Crash trilogy, the language is much tamer. Certainly seems poised for a sequel.
grapeapril75's review against another edition
3.0
I received a copy free through Goodreads First Reads.
This was a very entertaining read that moved at a quick pace. Action packed and engaging story with an interesting concept. It could have gone a bit deeper but was a really enjoyable read. I really liked Ben and Maggie and was really routing for them! It is written in a first person narrative which is not a favorite of mine. Fortunately the story is fresh and the concept interesting enough for me to over look that flaw. A little violent at times but that is the nature of the tale. I would definitely like to see more from this author in the future!
Cover Art - Nice! I like the shattered clock at the top and the bold font taking over the cover.
This was a very entertaining read that moved at a quick pace. Action packed and engaging story with an interesting concept. It could have gone a bit deeper but was a really enjoyable read. I really liked Ben and Maggie and was really routing for them! It is written in a first person narrative which is not a favorite of mine. Fortunately the story is fresh and the concept interesting enough for me to over look that flaw. A little violent at times but that is the nature of the tale. I would definitely like to see more from this author in the future!
Cover Art - Nice! I like the shattered clock at the top and the bold font taking over the cover.
12rhys23's review
Badly written, flat characters that feel like they were dropped from nowhere into the story, a cliche MPDG. The MC at the end of TWO different chapters in the same loop gets to have tge same realization that he would die for the girl he's only known for less than 24hours, because I guess the author forgot he used that line a few chapters earlier.
The plot is full of holes. Like, the villain is also stuck in the loop where he ends up killing the two MCs, and he keeps trying to kill them trying to break out of the loop instead of, idk, NOT killing them, and seeing if that works?? A big deal is made about not being able to change the timeline by an exposition dump named Steve who is also stuck in his own, seperate loop, then immediately this gets tossed away as a chapter or two later Ben "bends the timeline" by simply introducing Steve and Maggie. I get this is for younger readers but it's so dumb, especially when so many other books for young readers don't treat it's audience like morons.
DNF at just over 50%
The plot is full of holes. Like, the villain is also stuck in the loop where he ends up killing the two MCs, and he keeps trying to kill them trying to break out of the loop instead of, idk, NOT killing them, and seeing if that works?? A big deal is made about not being able to change the timeline by an exposition dump named Steve who is also stuck in his own, seperate loop, then immediately this gets tossed away as a chapter or two later Ben "bends the timeline" by simply introducing Steve and Maggie. I get this is for younger readers but it's so dumb, especially when so many other books for young readers don't treat it's audience like morons.
DNF at just over 50%
juliaria's review
5.0
I went into this book completely blind. I knew the general idea, but really, I had no idea, and i am so, SO, glad i read this! Best book I've read in a really long time.
I won't tell you anything about it. Just read it. You WILL NOT be sorry!
I won't tell you anything about it. Just read it. You WILL NOT be sorry!
waywardsky's review against another edition
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
The Loop earned its second star by creating a fast-paced writing style that's easy to follow and easy to read. Additionally, the author clearly had a working understanding of New Orleans and nearby cities, which made the landscape realistic.
Unfortunately, that's where the stars end. Not making sense at times and rampant with plot holes weren't even the worst of its problems. Worst was the utter lack of characterization. Not only did Maggie and Ben have a deficit of any sort of meaningful past - especially Ben who seemed to have fallen out of the void into this story - but pre-established family or friends was an afterthought - literally, Ben kept forgetting about his parents and Maggie never even THOUGHT about hers. These characters were wind-up toys, set on a path and let go.
What little we DID learn of their pasts didn't shape who they were today. For instance, you'd think Maggie's experiences with previous "loops" and being seen as some sort of witch or seer and reject would have left some scars and personality traits behind, especially since she's still amongst the peers who would whisper about her behind her back. However, even though, towards the end of the novel, she describes how she wished she could be the "invisible girl," her "personality" in this book was bold, brash, optomistic, and excitable. Not what I'd expect from a verbally bullied, rejected highschooler who wished she were "invisible.
To be frank, this is NOT the worst book I've read. While the plot was weak, there was something there that could have been good. Who doesn't love a Groundhog Day but with an added twist of Fate with a capital F attempting to force you into the path of your death every cycle? If all the plot holes were cleaned up, it might have even crawled its way to a 3-star, carboard characters and all.
Regardless, I'm glad I FINALLY just read this and got it off my TBR, where it's been sitting for years. Unfortunately, I'm now left with a book that's doomed for the trade-in bin, and an experience that wasn't too painful but also isn't something I'd ever recommend to someone else.
Unfortunately, that's where the stars end. Not making sense at times and rampant with plot holes weren't even the worst of its problems. Worst was the utter lack of characterization. Not only did Maggie and Ben have a deficit of any sort of meaningful past - especially Ben who seemed to have fallen out of the void into this story - but pre-established family or friends was an afterthought - literally, Ben kept forgetting about his parents and Maggie never even THOUGHT about hers. These characters were wind-up toys, set on a path and let go.
What little we DID learn of their pasts didn't shape who they were today. For instance, you'd think Maggie's experiences with previous "loops" and being seen as some sort of witch or seer and reject would have left some scars and personality traits behind, especially since she's still amongst the peers who would whisper about her behind her back. However, even though, towards the end of the novel, she describes how she wished she could be the "invisible girl," her "personality" in this book was bold, brash, optomistic, and excitable. Not what I'd expect from a verbally bullied, rejected highschooler who wished she were "invisible.
To be frank, this is NOT the worst book I've read. While the plot was weak, there was something there that could have been good. Who doesn't love a Groundhog Day but with an added twist of Fate with a capital F attempting to force you into the path of your death every cycle? If all the plot holes were cleaned up, it might have even crawled its way to a 3-star, carboard characters and all.
Regardless, I'm glad I FINALLY just read this and got it off my TBR, where it's been sitting for years. Unfortunately, I'm now left with a book that's doomed for the trade-in bin, and an experience that wasn't too painful but also isn't something I'd ever recommend to someone else.