R. Wilson

A rarity of a novel

Revisado: 05-10-24

As someone who teaches 8th and 9th grade English, I can tell you it can be quite a challenge to find a novel that's level-appropriate AND rich, artful, moving, and simply kind. Most YA has a marketing driven paint-by-numbers template you can feel in your spine while reading. What Cadow has done here is write an all-ages novel in the tradition of The Catcher in the Rye, but from the point of view not of the uber-wealthy son of a corporate Manhattan attorney, but from a boy, Ian Henry, who is an afterthought for so many people, the kind of young person growing up in poverty who we would all do well to better understand and listen to. As it's May right now, you better believe I'm looking forward to summer. But one of the reasons I'll be excited to return to school in August is the chance to read this book alongside my 8th graders next year. The singular voice of the narrator, and the wonderfully understated performance here by Silver-Van Meter, are going to lodge themselves in my students' minds, make them think about the natural world, about the vast inequality ingrained in our vicious capitalist system, and about the great value of friendship and community. Fantastic novel from start to finish.

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The true meaning of Christmas

Revisado: 11-28-23

Brilliant insights into the private thoughts of people and the meaning we search for. Irish to the core.

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Hooky Concept/Cardboard Characters

Revisado: 05-09-23

I got sucked into the concept, and so I listened to this for far longer than I'd like to admit. But if the characters turned sideways, they'd disappear. The husband and wife both left me shaking my head, thinking, "why would a person ever say/do/think that?" The answer is they wouldn't. Characters are often described by the 3rd person narrator as charming when they are the exact opposite of charming. They are trite, shallow, and humorless. The authorial voice is also dismissive of seemingly all complexity and genuine human emotion. It should be written in first person, because, as it is, it's a dead giveaway that the author is basically an arrogant, shallow person.
I actually had a vision while listening--this is what novels will look like that are written mostly by A.I. in the near future. Writers with little ability to go deep on a character's psychology and emotions will just fire in some concepts to A.I. and out will come remixes like The Eden Test.

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esto le resultó útil a 6 personas

Essential Novel

Revisado: 03-10-23

At this point in my life, it's simply hard to be blown away. Well, Days Without End did it. Nearly every sentence is gut-wrenching poetry, AND it's also economical, crystal clear--just shockingly brilliant writing. Never ostentatious. There's subtle, dark humor woven through, which the narrator (Aidan Kelly) completely understands and performs to perfection. There are scenes that will shake you to the core, and then somehow, against all odds, the book will lift you up out of the blood and the mud, and you'll feel something like a kindred divine spirit around you. Amazing stuff.

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esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

The Narrator destroys an important book.

Revisado: 02-27-19

I don't want to dwell too long on this, but I can only imagine the wonderful actors who would love to read this book for a new generation. Why anyone thought this reader was a good fit is beyond belief. My students started laughing out loud in class at how bad the reading is. Everyone so often I give them a break from my reading, which I think they generally appreciate, but they were practically begging me to read it, even when I was recovering from a cold and coughing. Bad in what way you might ask? Wooden. Cartoonish accents. Misplaced emphasis on words. I often try to convince my colleagues that audio books can be a very effective teaching tool. This reader kills my argument. Help us, Viola Davis, you're our only hope.

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Makes the Mythology Contemporary

Revisado: 12-03-18

The world of this moment can sometimes leave little room for hope. This novel, more than any other I've read recently, creates a kind of space that acknowledges the injustice, brutality, and sheer evil of gods and humans, but celebrates the feats of courage, small and large, that keep us going and make life feel worth the struggle. I was moved and constantly inspired to think philosophically and emotionally about my life, my relationships, and the parts of the world that are impossible to control. Brilliant book. For Odyssey geeks, it's gold. I have to think this novel will be around for a long time. I hope it ends up a staple of high school/college literature classes.

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Brilliant Narration, Subtle Humor

Revisado: 08-20-15

Any additional comments?

The author assumes the intelligence of the young audience, and the result is a joyous listening experience. The reader is an inspiration--best performance I've heard (including the vaunted Jim Dale!).

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