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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Trading Your Soul Never Looked So Creepy..., August 25, 2009
This review is from: Another Faust (Hardcover)
ne night, in cities all across Europe, five children vanish - only to appear, years later, at an exclusive New York party with a strange and
elegant governess. Rumor and mystery follow the Faust teenagers to the city's most prestigious high school, where they soar to suspicious heights with the help of their benefactor's extraordinary "gifts."
But as the students claw their way up - reading minds, erasing scenes, stopping time, stealing power, seducing with artificial beauty - the side-effects of their own addictions. And as they make further deals with the devil, they uncover secrets more shocking than their most
unforgivable sins.
All though many people are familiar with the age old story of the man who traded his soul to the devil for a certain wish or talent, not everyone knows it as the "Faustian Bargain" or the Legend of the Faust. So, in case you are wondering about the title of the book...that is what it is based on. I wanted to point that out because quite a few teens that I polled had no idea what the word "Faust" was related to.
As you may have guessed by now this story is centered around five mysterious teens who are seemingly perfect, but weirdly...icky. Each of them have a perfect gift that any teen could relate to wanting, yet at the same time an awful quality that they must overcome. They live with their creepy governess Madame Villeroy who is no Mary Poppins (I'll just leave it at that).
Overall this is a very dark book with very few light-hearted moments and it will be obvious to any reader that each teen pays a heavy price for the gifts they so desire. There is also an ever-present feeling of loneliness through out the book because all though the five of them live together, their desire to be perfect has left them resentful, envious and mistrustful towards everyone, including each other. A few characters will surprise you and there are also some unexpected plot twists. The ending definitely leaves open the possibility for a sequel.
Great writing and chapters told from varying viewpoints (each of the five teens)keep the story well paced and interesting. Probably best for older teens or younger teens with a higher reading level due to the depth of the plot and the fact that the story bounces back and forth from present day to the past for each character.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Deliciously evil, August 27, 2009
This review is from: Another Faust (Hardcover)
In locations around the world, five children vanish without a trace. Five years later, they appear at an elite New York party on Christmas Eve, accompanied by their governess, Madame Vileroy. As strikingly beautiful as she is devious, Vileroy has endowed each of the teens with a mysterious gift. The gifts are special, fitting for each child's personality, and allow for some fun and mischief, such as Valentin's ability to stop time leads to replay a scene over and over helps a nerdy classmate win over the popular cheerleader. The gifts also enable them to advance beyond their peers. But as it's a Faustian Bargain, the gifts may have devastating consequences.
The characters varied in personality and villainy, and the use of different viewpoints gives the reader a thorough view of their complexities.I was so both horrified and intrigued by Victoria, the power-hungry teen who would stop at nothing - and I mean nothing - to win even above her brothers and sisters. Save Victoria, I wanted all of the teens to gain redemption even as they used their gifts to "cheat" over other students: Christian, the skilled athlete. Bice, who only wanted to hide away. Belle, as beautiful as she was odorous. Valentin, the liar with the soul of a poet. As they struggle with the unexpected consequences of their gifts and deceit, you'll be asking: to what lengths will someone go to win? And what happens when they reach that point?
This book grabbed me instantly. The first chapter, illustrating each of the children's lives before they were taken was so engrossing as it spanned countries and social classes, it got my attention and didn't let go until the last page. I read this on vacation, and I spent more time by the pool reading, than actually swimming. The ending was nothing like what I expected and if this title is indication, the second in the Another series will be just as suspenseful.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Somewhat disappointing despite the intiguing premise, May 29, 2010
This review is from: Another Faust (Hardcover)
Another Faust is a decent first outing from co-authors, and siblings, Daniel and Dina Nayeri. In the realm of young adult paranormal fiction, this novel is stands out due to its premise alone. Based on the classic German legend, the story woven by the authors is built on a solid, pre-established foundation. That said, it's rather easy to ruin a story through a retelling. Countless horrid Jane Austen remakes and spin-offs can attest to that. However, the Nayeri duo don't deserve to be lumped in with that bunch.
While the secondary characters are somewhat lacking in characterization, they aren't very essential to the story. The five central teenagers are all well-drawn and their combined evilness, depravity, loneliness, and sorrow is all but palpable. Part of what kept me from giving this story a higher rating was the fact that I didn't find any of these teens sympathetic enough. Even with the ones that we're obviously meant to root for in the end, it was a case of too-little, too-late. Another reason for the low rating - Their ring-leader from hell, Madame Vileroy, is only alright as far as villains go. Sure, she's as bad as can be, but she also falls short of being truly fearsome. The best villains usually draw from some sort of pain or failure to propel their evil plans and Vileroy, being a bit two-dimensional, could not manage this and seemed all the more unreal because of that. Ultimately, this lack in Vileroy made the climax and conclusion feel unsatisfying.
Although I was expecting a pretty creepy tale, Another Faust happened to be even more creepy than I expected. The subplots are all disturbing in the best of ways and, despite the fact that the story meanders a bit midway through and takes a little too long to get to the action, they come together rather well. Though obviously thematically organized, I found it hard to reconcile the vague vignettes from what seemed to be Madame Vileroy's past with the larger story.
Despite some first-timer weaknesses, Another Faust wasn't all bad. The story is creative and the idea of basing the series on retellings of classics leaves the door wide open for greater books.
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