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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Continues the story begun in Snapdragon Alley, May 25, 2011
This review is from: Freak City (Dragon City Trilogy) (Kindle Edition)
This is the sequel to Snapdragon Alley, taking place about 18 years after the events of the first book. Freak City is a much darker story than the first, and the characters have less charm. I thought that Argus-as-a-child (from the 1st book) had great potential, but it would seem that he did not live up to it - though there are hints at the very end that things may change. The storyline was good, and the puzzle that Argus set out to solve was intriguing, but I also get the feeling that the author may have lost his grip on the story somewhat. I won't provide spoilers, but there was one comment made at the beginning of the story that was never mentioned again - and to me, it seemed that that was the crux of the whole story. I kept waiting for Argus to put two and two together and remember that comment, but it never happened. Instead the characters danced around that issue without it ever coming to the fore (where I think it belonged). This is supposed to be Book 2 of a trilogy, so perhaps the author intended it to 'lead up to' the finale in the 3rd book. All in all, a good little book (very short, probably novella length) with an interesting cast of characters. It's definitely Number Two in a series, so readers should start with Snapdragon Alley in order to pick up the background. Note on Kindle formatting: Perfect, or nearly so. I did not note any issues that impacted readability.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Engaging and fun!, December 4, 2010
This review is from: Freak City (Dragon City Trilogy) (Kindle Edition)
Argus is in a dead-end job, with a crappy living situation and an uneventful life. He is largely absent from the world, choosing not to interact with his many roommates, and having little experience with quality human interaction. That is, this is Argus' life until now. A mysterious encounter with a stranger leaves Argus with a strange box filled with seemingly unrelated artifacts. He doesn't know what it all means, and, with an absent family and no real friends, he doesn't have anyone to ask. When one of his roommates reaches out to him in kindness one night and notices the odd collection, the roommates set out on an adventure to discover the meaning behind the mystery. Tom Lichtenberg has written a short novel that is both appealing and spellbinding as you discover clues right along with Argus. The desire to figure out the meaning behind the box of items keeps you reading until the end. That ending, however, felt somewhat abrupt and rushed, and was a bit of a disappointment after the path of discoveries. It is hinted that this experience has left Argus changed, and I would have liked a little more information about that change and what impact it might have. I wanted to know more about what happened to the other characters at the end as well. I wanted a little more, and I would be interested in further stories in this same vein. The writing style is unique, but well-suited to this type of unconventional story. The character of Argus is fairly well-developed. He is a very insular man who has very few authentic interactions with others, preferring to spend endless hours alone with his own thoughts. There is just enough information given to make you wonder more about Argus' family, as well as his experiences with others growing up. Some of this backstory may well be included in "Snapdragon Alley," a prequel of sorts to this book, where Argus' older brother holds center stage. I also want to know much more about the character of Fulsom. How did he end up needing to be "in charge" of the situation presented at the end? MotherLode blog
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3.0 out of 5 stars
different, January 16, 2012
This review is from: Freak City (Dragon City Trilogy) (Kindle Edition)
This series was not what I expected. I read them all but kept thinking there had to be more to the plot. I felt cheated
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