Customer Reviews

Another Kind of Monday

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I really enjoyed this book - couldn't put it down. It's billed for young adults, but I'm in my 40's, and found it captivating. I liked "exploring" Pittsburg, and reading of its legends (I never knew if they were true or invented for the story, so I'll have to look up some of the stories and find out). I liked the theme that life is a story and therefore, we shoud try to "see other ways in which the story may be told". I enjoyed the romance of it - realistic but not explicit. More adult books should be written with romance like this.

First of all, I was required to read this book for English Festival and did not choose to read it. Overall,it was a pretty good book, but I definitely would not recommend it to any one under 13. The only thing I didn't like was the ending. I completely did not understand it and it didn't fit in with the rest of the book at all. It was very educational, though. I live in Pittsburgh and, while discuccing this book in class, discovered that our class took a field trip to an observatory and looked through a Brashear lense! Before this, the only one of the historical people in this book I had heard of was Henry Clay Frick, and I didn't even really know who he was! This book is good for any one who likes mysteries or historical books.

This was a very intriguing book. I was captivated until the last few pages, in which the author managed to throw his entire story down the drain. Read the book, but put it down before last chapter. I was thoroughly disappointed.

Though it was a good book, the plot was not as "cliff-hanging" as I expected it to be. I could put it down and leave it alone for a few months, not even wondering what happens in the end of the book...that's how boring it was. (well, it wasn't exactly BORING but it wasn't too exciting either)There were a few details in the beginning of the book that don't exactly relate to the end...they just sorta disappear i guess. basically, it was an okay book, but if you're looking for something a little more suspenseful, and a REAL mystery, choose something else.

The story itself was original and intriguing. However, some of the elements of the story (i.e., transitions, descriptions, etc.) were kind of awkward. To sum up, good story, could've been written better.

As a Young Adult librarian, I read this book thinking I could recommend it to my readers if I liked it. I really liked the 1st half of the book, a real page-turner. The whole tie-in with the story of Great Expectations is wonderful, and the idea of a "quest" sounded fun. I even managed to smile at the references to the nasty, unhelpful "librarian" working at the "Circulation Desk" - most of us that have set foot in a (largish) public libary know that librarians do not work at Circulation Desks anyway, so I tried not to take it personally. Towards the end of the story, I had really lost a lot of interest in the "quest", and in the characters as well. I was waiting for a climax, but there was none. I thought the ending was totally ...well, boring actually. Maybe I just didn't get it, but I still can't figure out if going on this quest (risking their life, really) was worth it to the main characters,in the end. I don't think so.

I picked up this book and loved the first few pages. They were full of action and suspense and left me wondering about Mark's family, the quest, and his girlfriend. The element of danger at the beginning as he begins working with Zeena on the clues is enticing. Then, the tone seems to change somewhat abruptly as Mark learns to work with Zeena and they easily figure out each clue. I also did not like how he ignored and lied to his girlfriend once he started the quest.
There are some interesting conversations about feminism, racism, cheating, and family. Readers also see Mark grow as he embarks on the quest.
I ended the book with more questions than I started with. I did not understand the cryptic, seemingly supernatural last assignment. We never learn the answer to many major plot points, such as WHY Zeena and Mark were sent on this quest, WHY they couldn't tell anyone, WHO sent them, WHERE he will go after this, or WHAT happens to Zeena and Mark. There even seems to be a hint at the end that he may get together with his old girlfriend. Although some mystery is ok, we need some kind of resolution or climax, not just an abrupt ending.

Save your time and read a different YA fiction book.

If you're a high school teacher in Pittsburgh PA, this would be a great book to read with your class: it appeals to both genders equally, I'm sure that the history is interesting/relevant IF YOU LIVE IN PITTSBURGH, and it could generate some great class discussions on race and divorce and perceptions of reality.

That said, if you're not from Pittsburgh, or deeply interested in the unique and quirky history of the place, I don't think that this book will thrill you. It's pretty well written and interesting if not captivating, but it's easy to lose it in a sea of better YA lit. The author occasionally switches tone as if his readers have suddenly aged a decade, which is jarring, and my copy was not without the occasional error in grammar and phrasing. Moreover, the idea of having to use your local public library to figure out a clues to a scavenger hunt of your city is increasingly irrelevant in our Google-ing age, and any teenager is going to wonder why these kids didn't just start out going to the net.

It's an alright book: I don't regret having read it. But I'm not sure that I'll even really remember it a few months from now.

Mark lost the copy of "Great Expectations" he was supposed to read for school, so he has to borrow a copy from the school library. Between two pages he finds several hundred dollars and a note, directing him on a secret mission around his city of Pittsburgh, finding out historical information about former city leaders. When one of his notes instructs him to choose someone he doesn't know very well to help him in his quest, he asks Zeena, a girl from his English class, to be his partner.

Zeena is smart and good at helping Mark to research, but her secret partnership with him causes major problems between him and his girlfriend, who can't seem to understand that Zeena isn't a threat to her. When she breaks up with Mark, he begins to think that perhaps he might be able to have a relationship with Zeena after all.

I liked the idea of the treasure hunt and the mission Mark and Zeena were on. I probably would have liked it more if I were more familiar with Pittsburgh and knew the landmarks in the book.

The ending of this boo was really disappointing. I wanted something spectacular to happen to Mark and Zeena, but it didn't.

Well...maybe not crazy. But, no one seems capable of playing well with others. So, what's the real scoop? The only conclusion our book club came up with was that this young adult novel can be read by either girls or boys with equal pleasure, or disdain. The reader, however, is left holding the question bag. Who exactly was the beneficient founder of the feast? What was really his motivation? Was he a total psycho? Did he create the clues before Pennyman was torched? Why did he risk the life and limb of a high school student and companion? Was Rose Tourette magical? Did Rose Tourette eat the benefactor? Heck! I don't know! There is no sequel. Some readers might prefer a more precise resolution.