Dec 22, Jay H rated it did not like it Shelves: own-it. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Maybe I'm expecting too much out of a young adult book, but the whole book left much to be desired. The writing was bland and less than spectacular, there were rarely any time I could sit back and think "what great imagery" for example, and there were tons of places where the author could have been more descriptive but instead hit us with the hard facts.
Instead of a sudden passage like "I walked in and [name] was sitting there. It took me a while to realize it was her," it would've been much mo Maybe I'm expecting too much out of a young adult book, but the whole book left much to be desired.
It took me a while to realize it was her," it would've been much more effective to describe the features of [name] that the narrator takes in so that we too can work to the conclusion of who it is with her. A lot of the book was like that, stripping the reader of what could have been very suspenseful scenes or at least nice images to paint in one's head.
Other times, it would talk about things in such a way that the reader feels they missed something and might even be compelled to go back and look up a certain name or event. The author thought she was letting the reader piece together a mystery, but in reality it just felt like she shoved the reader into a soap opera after withholding the last few episodes because all of the "clues" to the mystery were in dialogue.
What about the first person narrator? She hasn't been shy sharing her thoughts with the reader on every thing else she's been narrating - why can she suddenly provide no information for us and we have to rummage through tons of dialogue to clue ourselves in?
It just didn't match up, and it was very confusing. I felt very detached from all of the characters as I was reading: it seemed that I could not really connect with any of them. For a good first portion of the book, Hanna the narrator doesn't talk much at all about her connection with drawing and how it's meaningful to her - it just seems like a tidbit stripped from a character bio and thrown in every so often - lines with the same sentiment as "I draw sometimes" and "you know, because I draw".
For that whole while, the act of drawing seemed to have no significance to her except as something that the author could wave around as if to say, "look, I've made a unique character; this is what makes her unique! I could just barely empathize with Hanna's situation - not because I'm cold and heartless, seeing as her situation would rough anyone up, but because the writing was so lacking that I could never feel what she felt.
I was just hearing a narration, and nothing more. I felt even less with Will, who got very few chances to make the reader feel his situation - and when he did, it was the same as Hanna's. I might as well have been reading a therapist's file on what shook him up. I did not feel like I was reading a novel - at least the kind with words that reach out and grip you and your very soul. No, I felt like I was reading a rushed, detached story about a girl who encounters sex, best friend betrayal, relationship drama, and death.
Well ain't that just the perfect combination for the average gossip-hungry teenager who never quite learned how to read past a middle school level. I understand that somewhere is a cute little story about a boy and girl thrust into a similar situation that find each other although it's not about them anymore by the second half of the book and great themes such as coping and your true family. Apr 15, Shekaina rated it it was ok Shelves: young-adult. I felt lost while reading this.
But then again, I pushed through the feeling and found some answers on few pages ahead. Just continue reading I told myself and bam, the answers were there. Feb 05, Tricy Candelario rated it really liked it.
Not bad. View 1 comment. Jan 26, April James rated it it was amazing. This book really makes you think. The story is sad, but makes you grateful for the little things in life. It could all be lost Just Like That. Shelves: fiction-not-manga , school-setting , teenagers , adults , no-magic , romance.
It surprised me how much I loved this book. Sure, the preview intrigued me, thus I took it out of my library, but there was so much more to the story. I loved how this had so many elements to it that just smoothly transitioned into each other, considering things happened 'just like that.
This isn't just a story of a girl, it's a story of Hanna's life! She was so much more than 'just another character,' she It surprised me how much I loved this book. She was so much more than 'just another character,' she was so real! I cannot stress how much I love this book, even if I was yelling at the main character for some of her choices. And I absolutly enjoyed the ending. When it came down to the final chapters, I was so confused as to how it was going to end. When I finally finished the book, I was happy that a certain question was answered, and even though it left just enough to my imagination, it might have been better to see how Hanna's relationship progressed.
Also, I have to say I cannot believe how much my perception of one characters changed after we learned something about him. In my mind he was one way, and then my mental image of him changed for the rest of the book. It's funny how things do that to us. Anyway, I just wanted to say that I recomend this book to everyone, for it's truly rare to find a book this great. I was so absorbed with it that I actually read it in three and a half hours. Jul 14, Melody rated it really liked it Shelves: burton-browbeating.
I was deeply engaged by the protagonist of this one. Hanna deals with her world through her paints, her pencils, her crayons. She's prickly and sensitive and awkward. I liked her a lot, and was grateful for the last chapter. The plot's complex and interesting, the characters quirky and real. I want to read everything Marsh Qualey ever wrote, right away. May 23, Tara Weiss rated it really liked it. Found this on a backroom shelf and couldn't put it down.
Made me feel that it no matter how many challenges come your way, you can't focus on the negative and "wallow" in self pity. You have to move on and make the choices that are right for you. Jan 03, Mari rated it liked it. I bought the paperback copy of this book and started reading it while I was at the office. My co-worker took off the thin plastic covering, thumbed through the pages and handed the book back to me.
I noticed something different as soon as I touched it. The texture of the cover felt funny. It wasn't glossy like most book covers usually are but it wasn't exactly matte either. It felt kinda fuzzy. Do you know how it feels when you run your hands over a dusty table top?
It sort of felt like that and I bought the paperback copy of this book and started reading it while I was at the office. It sort of felt like that and I couldn't get over it.
While I was trying to figure out what was different with it's texture, I was sitting on my desk, holding the book between my hands and was repeatedly running my palms on the front and back cover.
When I got to the "dusty table" conclusion, I looked up and saw my co-worker looking at me funny. So I asked him what was wrong. He said that I had been "rubbing"!!! Not only that, he also saw me smelling the book at one point. I know I must've looked like an idiot but I had to defend myself! He checked it out for himself but thought there was nothing weird about the cover's texture at all. The whole time he was squinting at me and he was probably thinking that I'm a nutcase. How dare he question my sound-mindedness!
And so we've come to this - To the Goodreads peeps out there who also have this book in paperback, will you please let me know what you think about the cover's texture? Doesn't it feel weird? Your responses would be much appreciated. Moving on The story is about Hanna and how her life changed after an accident that happened to complete strangers - two teenagers she didn't know but with whom she exchanged a couple of words with on the night of said accident.
I can't say anything more without revealing too much of the plot but I liked how the story unraveled. I got her connection with Will and was rooting for them though their relationship was doomed from the start. Will's family was intriguing, especially his sister Aerin. I thought the part where Hanna met Will moved way too fast but I realized it was necessary in order for the story to get going. There were times though when it felt there was too much happening with Hanna's friends, with her family and with Will's family all at the same time that the story became somewhat muddled.
The ending was kind of open. I read someone's review here in GR and said that she's a hopeless romantic and she just knew things would work out but I disagree - too much time has passed. And if I learned anything from this book, it's that things can and will change, just like that.
View 2 comments. Jan 07, Cara rated it did not like it Shelves: realistic-fiction. Isn't that cover wonderful? How could we get a bad story from that? Well it happened. I actually was really into it in the beginning, but it seemed too dramatic. Can't say I could really relate to the main character. I actually would have rather read a book about Will's sister. I bet that would have been interesting. The title is very fitting though, because before Hanna knows it things change instantly, which is how most things are.
There is this sort of twist in it that really didn't set well Isn't that cover wonderful? There is this sort of twist in it that really didn't set well with me, and I'm sure it won't bother some people but I just couldn't take it. One of the redeeming qualities of the book is that Hanna doesn't feel like she has to stay with her boyfriend she has in the beginning of the book. Glad to see some gumption, but still it felt like it was trying to be dramatic for the sake of being dramatic.
Lots of girls will love this book, but it's just didn't speak to me. Jan 08, Britany Hockenberry rated it did not like it. The format of this book is daunting. It basically allows the author to break up parts of consecutive days, periods of time, and make for very long chapters. I should be clear, I'm not opposed to a lengthy chapter, especially if it's getting you somewhere.
However, this book never goes anywhere. Even though the incident you think is going to set the tone for the storyline happens in ch "Just Like That" this book is finished, and I still don't have a clue what story this author was trying to tell.
Even though the incident you think is going to set the tone for the storyline happens in chapter two, you quickly realize that what you thought this book was going to be about isn't right at all. Page 50 arrives, you begin to think that you're finally onto something and the story is going to really begin. Except, you're wrong again; by page you're still asking yourself, "What is this book about"?
Read on and by page you're thinking, "Maybe this is where the story is going? Page , you decide that the book is simply going to continue on this way, and you've made it this far so you may as well finish.
Once you do, you're just glad it's over since it was pretty much pointless. The back of the book does say "But what she learns about herself - her friendships, her family, her life- will affect her far more".
It seems like that one final sentence is what the book is really trying to be about. Though the main character, Hanna, never really seems to learn anything, and you aimlessly follow her along her rather dull days, and never really knowing why.
As far as growth goes, Hanna goes on to remain her bland self and keeps on making rash decisions that just creates more drama for her life. I don't know, maybe for some this book is "it", but for me its lackluster to say the very least. Breanna Rance I think your review was better than the actual book.
Jan 28, Joni Thomas rated it it was amazing. Hanna Martin has just broken up with her boyfriend of almost a year and is unsure how to feel about life. She knows she should feel sad or angry but instead she feels nothing. But then one midnight walk to clear her head changes everything about her life and makes her question her beliefs about love, friendship, and family. I am so glad that I found this book in my local library. First off, the cover is beautiful.
And I love the title, it is so thought provoking. Which describes the book as well, Hanna Martin has just broken up with her boyfriend of almost a year and is unsure how to feel about life.
Which describes the book as well, very thought provoking. I will admit that the writing style bugged me. The dialogue seemed a bit forced and just unnatural. But as a writer I understand how difficult dialogue is to write so I am looking passed that.
Just throwing it out there as a warning. Hanna comes across two couples on her midnight walk by the lake in her neighborhood. The first is a couple skiing and they warn her not to go out on the lake because although it is winter in Minnesota the ice is thin in some places. The second couple rides by on an ATV and they are laughing, celebrating their one year anniversary. They stop by and briefly talk to Hanna. Instead she lets them drive off and then she gets up and walks home.
The next morning she finds out that the couple died. The ATV crashed through the ice and they were killed. Hanna is overcome by grief and guilt and cannot bring herself to talk to anyone about what happened. Until she meets Will, a boy who has secrets of his own. This story idea is so original and it was like a breathe of fresh air after reading about five books in a row that I was able to predict the entire plotline about five pages into the novel.
This one was different. I had no idea what to expect or where the story would go. I really like Hanna. She is down to earth and a very believable character. I also love the relationship between her and her mother, which is featured prominently in the book. They seem to have a near perfect relationship and I hope to have a similar one to my daughter when she grows up.
To get into the details that I loved about this book mean revealing basically the entire plotline. But to summarize, please read this book. This book will definitely be added to my list of books that can be read over and over again. Nov 10, Lily rated it it was ok Recommends it for: Girls. This book had an intriguing take on the involvment of art in an ordinary girl's life.
Feeling like a scapegoat in an extremely awful incident that might have been somewhat avoidable, art is her only reprieve.
I think art was an interesting symbol to use to display a sense of belonging in a teenager's life. Feeling responsible for the deaths of two young people and carrying the burden of the secrets of the last moments of their lives is a hard thing to do. This kind of concept reminds me of someth This book had an intriguing take on the involvment of art in an ordinary girl's life.
This kind of concept reminds me of something we are learning about in American History. It is called escapsim and it is a form of entertainment mostly books read mainly during the Great Depression in order to escape the disasterous reality. I think that this is a really interesting concept, and one that can be very useful. Art and creativity fall in the same category as books and plays do, and that type of imagination can be very useful when one like the protagonist of this novel wishes to distract oneself from reality.
This was not the best book I have ever read, and was not written to impress, but had a couple of interesting factors to it, like the one i just discussed. Mar 07, Alexa rated it it was ok Recommended to Alexa by: Jaymee. Review originally posted on Alexa Loves Books The premise of this book seemed interesting - but I found that I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.
I did come to semi-appreciate our MC, Hanna, who is experiencing an incredible amount of change in her life. Qualey managed to convey most of the reactions and emotions that one would feel in Hanna's place quite accurately. I felt quite compassionate for her during some of the more crazy scenarios that occurred; there were also times however Review originally posted on Alexa Loves Books The premise of this book seemed interesting - but I found that I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.
I felt quite compassionate for her during some of the more crazy scenarios that occurred; there were also times however when I wanted to give her a shove and basically offer my own unsolicited advice.
What I felt turned me off of the book, however, was that, apart from occasionally feeling for Hanna, I just didn't really care about much of the story or the characters. I'm not heartless, but I felt like the story was just a bunch of dramatic events pieced together haphazardly. Some of the characters also, were a bit two dimensional. All in all, this is a pretty average read for me.
Feb 07, Jason rated it did not like it. Whenever I hear someone say "Twilight is the worst book I've ever read! If only I had such a blessed life as that, that in all the books I've ever read for Twilight to be worse of them.
Sadly, Twilight looks like fine, classic literature in comparison to this book. The plot makes absolutely no sense, the characters are completely unbelievable, and when the main character says on the first page that people think she's a bitch, they aren't kidding. Honestly, I think the author had come up with about 10 pretty good book ideas and decided to shove them all into one book. I regret the day that I ever picked up this book, however at least I now know the true definition of atrocious writing.
Jun 15, Aileen rated it it was ok. This book was kind of weird in the beginning and then it just got confusing, since you had no idea who people were or why they acted the way they did. This book could have been so much better, had there not only been a bit more detail but also some more information about the characters, since it was not until very late in the story did you realize why the characters had for example, tried to commit suicide, hid their identities, etc. This book was okay, but it's not one I would readily recommend This book was kind of weird in the beginning and then it just got confusing, since you had no idea who people were or why they acted the way they did.
This book was okay, but it's not one I would readily recommend, it was kind of like the entire beginning of the story was just filler for the ending.
Nowadays reading books become more than want or need but also turn into a life style. This reading habit give you lot of advantages. The benefits you got of course the knowledge even the information inside the book that improve your knowledge and information. The info you get based on what kind of e-book you read, if you want get more knowledge just go with education and learning books but if you want experience happy read one with theme for entertaining such as comic or novel.
Typically the Just Like That is kind of e-book which is giving the reader capricious experience. Do you really one of the book lovers? If yes, do you ever feeling doubt while you are in the book store? Make an effort to pick one book that you never know the inside because don't ascertain book by its include may doesn't work here is difficult job because you are afraid that the inside maybe not while fantastic as in the outside look likes.
Maybe you answer could be Just Like That why because the amazing cover that make you consider regarding the content will not disappoint you actually.
The inside or content is actually fantastic as the outside or maybe cover. Your reading 6th sense will directly show you to pick up this book. Are you kind of active person, only have 10 or perhaps 15 minute in your day time to upgrading your mind expertise or thinking skill also analytical thinking? Then you are receiving problem with the book as compared to can satisfy your short period of time to read it because all this time you only find guide that need more time to be learn.
Just Like That can be your answer as it can be read by you who have those short time problems. Just Like That by Marsha Qualey Free PDF d0wnl0ad, audio books, books to read, good books to read, cheap books, good books, online books, books online, book reviews epub, read books online, books to read online, online library, greatbooks to read, PDF best books to read, top books to read Just Like That by Marsha Qualey books to read online.
Juni 13, And then Hanna finds herself the bearer of a major secret: she was the last person to see two teenagers before they died in an accident on the icy lake.
0コメント