Eric Stone
This book is tremendous. It is the kind of story that brings into focus how challenging some books are to read, simply because this one is so effortless. Zevin reveals information across the past, present, and future in a non-linear way that feels completely natural - the transitions are incredibly smooth.
I was 30% in when I realized I didn't want this to end. I was dreading the bad things I knew were coming, but I couldn't put it down. When the turning point with Marx arrived, it didn't feel like it came out of left field; the book is so deeply rooted in action and consequence that even the smallest moments carry weight.
Sam and Sadie are written perfectly. They are walking contradictions - loyal yet disloyal, self-serving yet selfless. They are all the things we are, whether we want to admit it or not. As someone who grew up in Massachusetts and is almost exactly the same age as these characters, the nostalgia hit home - from the Metal Gear Solid reference to the "palpable, if irrational, longing for all things Massachusetts."
The portrayal of deeply platonic love here is the best I have ever read. The "Pioneers" section and the reveal of Sam's grandfather’s will were exactly what the story needed, exactly when it needed them. As I approached the last handful of pages, I was met with an enormous sense of mourning. Now that I've turned that final page, I grieve; and pray that I will someday reach "acceptance."
This passes my criteria for a 5 star rating. I would reread it immediately, and I will be recommending it to everyone I know for the foreseeable future. You don't need to love video games to love this book - you just need to open your heart to the possibility that anything can happen to anyone at any time - and there's nothing more important than holding on to something real.
This book is tremendous. It is the kind of story that brings into focus how challenging some books are to read, simply because this one is so effortless. Zevin reveals information across the past, present, and future in a non-linear way that feels completely natural - the transitions are incredibly smooth.
I was 30% in when I realized I didn't want this to end. I was dreading the bad things I knew were coming, but I couldn't put it down. When the turning point with Marx arrived, it didn't feel like it came out of left field; the book is so deeply rooted in action and consequence that even the smallest moments carry weight.
Sam and Sadie are written perfectly. They are walking contradictions - loyal yet disloyal, self-serving yet selfless. They are all the things we are, whether we want to admit it or not. As someone who grew up in Massachusetts and is almost exactly the same age as these characters, the nostalgia hit home - from the Metal Gear Solid reference to the "palpable, if irrational, longing for all things Massachusetts."
The portrayal of deeply platonic love here is the best I have ever read. The "Pioneers" section and the reveal of Sam's grandfather’s will were exactly what the story needed, exactly when it needed them. As I approached the last handful of pages, I was met with an enormous sense of mourning. Now that I've turned that final page, I grieve; and pray that I will someday reach "acceptance."
This passes my criteria for a 5 star rating. I would reread it immediately, and I will be recommending it to everyone I know for the foreseeable future. You don't need to love video games to love this book - you just need to open your heart to the possibility that anything can happen to anyone at any time - and there's nothing more important than holding on to something real.