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smallskim's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Writing was fine, but plot and characters felt phoned in.
dlberglund's review against another edition
3.0
This premise is that civilization as we know it ended with the Big Shake, assumedly sometime in the late 21st century. I'm a sucker for the future dystopia books, but I think there are better ones out there. Also, the author's first book (Freak the Mighty) is also better, in my opinion.
rosietheposie's review against another edition
4.0
I love adventure stories and while I wish there was a bit more closure, I really appreciated the ending. It seemed so hopeful. I also appreciated the world of Spaz and all his vocabulary that comes with it. It was a short but thought provoking read with themes and elements applicable to today’s world but also warns of what could be in the future, if we allow it.
kamasue's review against another edition
3.0
This book is extremely formulaic [outcast, quest, heretofore unknown familial connections] but at the same time it managed to be both charming and edgy. Although it was pretty short, it was spare in its language so packed a punch. Plus, it's a rare YA book that has a not-quite-rosy ending.
vixterthevic's review against another edition
5.0
This book was a wonderful read. Revolving around a world of end times, social disorder and chaos, this read was probably one of my favorites in my pre-college years. The imagery is vivid and wonderful. The protagonists find each other as an unlikely pair, and set out on an adventure. This is potentially the least depressing read that has anything to do with how addictions (not-necessarily just drugs) have an impact on society, but without having to revolve around that for the bulk of the book. Our heroes are two of very few unaffected in the epidemic, one for moral reasons and the other for medical, but this, again,this is just talking about the premise. Basically, if you're looking for a good-quick read yourself, or for a summer reading book for your kids, this piece of literature will hold a reader's attention for hours.
johannawilbur's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
buckeyegal67's review against another edition
4.0
This was a good selection for my high school ESL students. It held their interest and provided good material for our vocabulary and fiction elements lessons.
krescentkat's review against another edition
5.0
Very unique and awesome. A good end of the world story and one of the discussed futures of the world if genetic engineering was allowed ( or allowed to happen at least).
the_loudlibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. A student urged me to read this, and it was a quick, interesting one. In a future with a setting that kind of reminds me of The Scorch Trials mashed up with Ready Player One, there are normal, terrible places, and one utopian place where “proovs” (enhances humans) live. A kid with epilepsy, nicknamed Spaz, fights through street gangs with the help of an old man named Ryter (who is writing the last book ever) to find his former foster sister, who is ill. The slang in this one reminds me of Feed and may be off-putting to some readers, but those willing to push through will be rewarded with a book that makes the reader think. Recommended for grades 6+.
jennylinsky321's review against another edition
3.0
"I've never thought about the future…. There's only room for the right here, and the want-it-now. The future is like the moon. You never expect to go there, or think about what it might be like." (p. 19)
Banished to the latch ruled by the Bangers, Spaz needs to travel across several other latches to visit his ailing sister on the other side of the Urb. This was recommended to me as "good science fiction" (I don't like science fiction), and it wasn't bad. I think it was readable (for me) because the characters were well-developed. And the story was interesting-- the idea of people foregoing the written word for direct brain probes, and the hopelessness of the Urb actually don't seem that unbelievable to me.
Banished to the latch ruled by the Bangers, Spaz needs to travel across several other latches to visit his ailing sister on the other side of the Urb. This was recommended to me as "good science fiction" (I don't like science fiction), and it wasn't bad. I think it was readable (for me) because the characters were well-developed. And the story was interesting-- the idea of people foregoing the written word for direct brain probes, and the hopelessness of the Urb actually don't seem that unbelievable to me.