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The Different Girl
Veronika. Caroline. Isobel. Eleanor. One blond, one brunette, one redhead, one with hair black as tar. Four otherwise identical girls who spend their days in sync, tasked to learn. But when May, a very different kind of girl—the lone survivor of a recent shipwreck—suddenly and mysteriously arrives on the island, an unsettling mirror is about to be held up to the life the girls have never before questioned.Sly and unsettling, Gordon Dahlquist’s timeless and evocative storytelling blurs the lines between contemporary and sci-fi with a story that is sure to linger in readers’ minds long after the final page has been turned.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 21, 2013
40 people are currently reading
3853 people want to read
About the author
Gordon Dahlquist
32 books233 followersGordon Dahlquist, also credited as G.W. Dahlquist, is a novelist and a playwright.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 386 reviews
July 22, 2020
Oh gosh, this was... pretty bad.
Everything I learned about storytelling is apparently wrong because this book has almost no plot, and definitely no resolution. No ending, not even a sad one. I just didn't get it. We are left with only questions, no answers. Some answers you may be able to infer, but with no validation or hint that you are on the right track-what does it matter? What exactly is the point of this story?
If it was to explore what exactly humanity is, it failed at that miserably. I believe Dahlquist might have had a goal in mind when he wrote this but it was absolutely poor execution.
The only metaphor I can think of for this one is this: Imagine you are given numerous puzzle pieces, each from a different puzzle, and are told to complete it. You try even though your efforts are wasted because there is no way to complete the puzzle because the pieces are all from different puzzles with no hope for fitting.
I am a fan of stories being left open to interpretation, when there is an actual story being told.
This was just...
It wasn't just the no plot, open-ended word fest that bothered me. It was even the writing itself. There are pages upon pages of girl just describing their days. What they saw, they heard, etc. It literally goes on and on, and there is a repeat of this every day.
Not for me.
Everything I learned about storytelling is apparently wrong because this book has almost no plot, and definitely no resolution. No ending, not even a sad one. I just didn't get it. We are left with only questions, no answers. Some answers you may be able to infer, but with no validation or hint that you are on the right track-what does it matter? What exactly is the point of this story?
If it was to explore what exactly humanity is, it failed at that miserably. I believe Dahlquist might have had a goal in mind when he wrote this but it was absolutely poor execution.
The only metaphor I can think of for this one is this: Imagine you are given numerous puzzle pieces, each from a different puzzle, and are told to complete it. You try even though your efforts are wasted because there is no way to complete the puzzle because the pieces are all from different puzzles with no hope for fitting.
I am a fan of stories being left open to interpretation, when there is an actual story being told.
This was just...
It wasn't just the no plot, open-ended word fest that bothered me. It was even the writing itself. There are pages upon pages of girl just describing their days. What they saw, they heard, etc. It literally goes on and on, and there is a repeat of this every day.
Not for me.
March 6, 2013
*rubs my temples*
Really?
YA?
Really?
Can I say something (with a few choice words)???
How the fuck is this YA? I know the four girls--
They're not girls. They're just the same, but different.
oh watch out.
Okay, so I know these four creations or whatever are androids, but they were so. damn. boring. I will never use the word 'boring' again unless the situation/book is exactly like The Different Girl. The freakin'...questions? Class time? The, the..what the hell is it even CALLED?
conversations between their two caretakers? I don't know, but...
You know what? I'm just so done with this. I can't even review this book because it was just so stupid. I'm literally trying to find words to form this review but they're coming out as stutters. It's impossible to describe the freakin'...things going on in this book; from the 2nd grade talk to the confusing conversation between the androids and their caretakers. Like, what the actual fuck does the parrot have to do with the girl that was shipwrecked on the island?
THE FUCKING REFERENCES
I JUST
Really?
YA?
Really?
Can I say something (with a few choice words)???
How the fuck is this YA? I know the four girls--
They're not girls. They're just the same, but different.
oh watch out.
Okay, so I know these four creations or whatever are androids, but they were so. damn. boring. I will never use the word 'boring' again unless the situation/book is exactly like The Different Girl. The freakin'...questions? Class time? The, the..what the hell is it even CALLED?
conversations between their two caretakers? I don't know, but...
You know what? I'm just so done with this. I can't even review this book because it was just so stupid. I'm literally trying to find words to form this review but they're coming out as stutters. It's impossible to describe the freakin'...things going on in this book; from the 2nd grade talk to the confusing conversation between the androids and their caretakers. Like, what the actual fuck does the parrot have to do with the girl that was shipwrecked on the island?
THE FUCKING REFERENCES
I JUST
December 14, 2023
Just over a 100 pages, and still took forever to read. Towards the last quarter I started skipping text, from dialogue scene to dialogue scene.
There are some neat ideas here, but they tend to be inferred ideas, and mostly don't directly affect the characters. Even when the outer world violently enters the characters' world, it still is indirect, only appearing as sounds.
There are some neat ideas here, but they tend to be inferred ideas, and mostly don't directly affect the characters. Even when the outer world violently enters the characters' world, it still is indirect, only appearing as sounds.
March 11, 2016
First off and as usual, it should be noted that I received this book free from GoodReads in a drawing. Despite that typical and abundantly kind consideration my candid feedback resides below.
Over the past 20 books or so I've tried with great assiduity to accentuate the positive aspects of the titles that GoodReads is so kind to provide. Until this most recent submission, that mindset has been fairly easy to adhere to. Even the worst book provides an entertaining diversion if looked at in the proper light. This book isn't really bad per se as much as it just seems to be missing something. Allow me to attempt to illuminate without unintentionally illuminating the actual plot. Or to put it more succinctly and more firmly in the vernacular, let me try to describe this without spoilers.
The nearest and simplest analogy I can draw for this book is to ask you to imagine an episode of the Twilight Zone, but limit yourself to only the middle third of it. "The Different Girl" lacks any real beginning as the reader is called upon to piece together what has come before through anecdote and implication. In general, this isn't a bad way for a book to go because readers love to figure things out as they read, unraveling the Gordian Knot of character history tidbit by tidbit. Unfortunately, the history isn't really all that surprising or unusual. Any fan of Serling or Bradbury or Bova or Asimov has read pretty much this plot already. If this had been written in 1954 it would have been marvelous but sadly we're all much too attuned to this sort of plotline to be at all surprised.
Flipping to the other periphery of the book, it doesn't really have much of a conclusion either. I found myself 10 pages from the end grumbling that things couldn't possibly be concluded satisfactorily in the time left. As it turns out I was right because we didn't actually reach any sort of wry twist. We just sort of.... well, ended. It was disappointing because the book has some real potential. In general, one can be happy with a book without a beginning. One can be happy with a book without an end. But one finds it difficult to enjoy a book which in fact lacks both.
On the positive side, the book is well written enough and does have a certain epistemological feel to it as our protagonists-four explore their world and try to unravel the mystery of their own existence. I (think) I can see where the author wants to go here. How do we learn to live in our world? How do we process divergent and contradictory inputs into some logical whole? How does our humanness shape those interpretations? There’s a great thread of philosophy here if you tease it out enough but it does take some teasing.
In summary, “The Different Girl” is fairly disappointing. I expected something fresh and got something stale and reminiscent of the 50s. Dahlquist’s skill as a writer is not to be doubted but there’s just a bit of something missing to make this into the mainstream. TDG is sure to inspire much thought and conversation but much of that will be somewhat disgruntled.
--
Rob Slaven
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tatteredthread/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile...
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/RobSlave...
WordPress: https://tthread.wordpress.com/
Over the past 20 books or so I've tried with great assiduity to accentuate the positive aspects of the titles that GoodReads is so kind to provide. Until this most recent submission, that mindset has been fairly easy to adhere to. Even the worst book provides an entertaining diversion if looked at in the proper light. This book isn't really bad per se as much as it just seems to be missing something. Allow me to attempt to illuminate without unintentionally illuminating the actual plot. Or to put it more succinctly and more firmly in the vernacular, let me try to describe this without spoilers.
The nearest and simplest analogy I can draw for this book is to ask you to imagine an episode of the Twilight Zone, but limit yourself to only the middle third of it. "The Different Girl" lacks any real beginning as the reader is called upon to piece together what has come before through anecdote and implication. In general, this isn't a bad way for a book to go because readers love to figure things out as they read, unraveling the Gordian Knot of character history tidbit by tidbit. Unfortunately, the history isn't really all that surprising or unusual. Any fan of Serling or Bradbury or Bova or Asimov has read pretty much this plot already. If this had been written in 1954 it would have been marvelous but sadly we're all much too attuned to this sort of plotline to be at all surprised.
Flipping to the other periphery of the book, it doesn't really have much of a conclusion either. I found myself 10 pages from the end grumbling that things couldn't possibly be concluded satisfactorily in the time left. As it turns out I was right because we didn't actually reach any sort of wry twist. We just sort of.... well, ended. It was disappointing because the book has some real potential. In general, one can be happy with a book without a beginning. One can be happy with a book without an end. But one finds it difficult to enjoy a book which in fact lacks both.
On the positive side, the book is well written enough and does have a certain epistemological feel to it as our protagonists-four explore their world and try to unravel the mystery of their own existence. I (think) I can see where the author wants to go here. How do we learn to live in our world? How do we process divergent and contradictory inputs into some logical whole? How does our humanness shape those interpretations? There’s a great thread of philosophy here if you tease it out enough but it does take some teasing.
In summary, “The Different Girl” is fairly disappointing. I expected something fresh and got something stale and reminiscent of the 50s. Dahlquist’s skill as a writer is not to be doubted but there’s just a bit of something missing to make this into the mainstream. TDG is sure to inspire much thought and conversation but much of that will be somewhat disgruntled.
--
Rob Slaven
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tatteredthread/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile...
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/RobSlave...
WordPress: https://tthread.wordpress.com/
February 23, 2013
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
Four orphaned girls live on an island after their parents died in a plane crash. The girls are identical in every way with the exception of their hair color: Veronika has red hair, Isobel is blonde, Caroline is a brunette and Eleanor has black hair. They are taught to observe, think, reason, and recognize abstract concepts while remaining obedient and dutiful to Robbert and Irene, their caretakers.
Their idyll and isolated lives are disturbed by Veronika's sudden discovery of another girl, May, who is the lone survivor of a shipwreck. May is different from the other girls in many ways. Her presence and subsequent actions cause Veronika to ask questions she never would otherwise. Though Veronika's behavior is a mild threat to Robbert and Irene's authority and the unity that she shares with the other girls, the real danger to their peaceful existence lurks elsewhere.
I haven't read other reviews for this book, but if I were to hazard a guess as to where some frustrations might lie, I would say it is due to Veronika's narration style. Without giving anything away (though one could easily guess the reason by looking at the cover art and the reason itself is given in the first chapter), Veronika's simplistic and straightforward outlook is that way on purpose. It is likely to annoy those who are expecting richer prose. I, however, found it challenging in a good way; her limited point of view made me appreciate the cognitive abilities that I have long taken for granted.
Also, don't expect mindblowing world building in this book. There is only one real place, the island, and there are a handful of locations that the four girls are allowed to go: the dock, the beach, the woods, and the cliffs. There are two buildings, which are a residence and a classroom. While this is only the girls' immediate environment, there are opposing factions described later in the story that will help the reader envision the true state of the outside world.
Though the ending was satisfactory, ultimately I was unhappy with the questions left unanswered. Why does Caroline sometimes dream and the other girls can't? What do the girls really look like? I'm guessing their appearance is left a mystery so the reader can fill in the blanks him/herself. Not that my imagination is lacking, but I suppose I wanted a bit more detail.
While the book falls short of excellent I would still recommend this for people who are looking for a stand-alone novel (gasp! It feels like everything is a trilogy or series nowadays) that is easy to read and doesn't require much emotional involvement. It is also good for those who are thinking of getting into sci-fi or even dystopia but don't want to be overwhelmed by unfamiliar worlds.
Four orphaned girls live on an island after their parents died in a plane crash. The girls are identical in every way with the exception of their hair color: Veronika has red hair, Isobel is blonde, Caroline is a brunette and Eleanor has black hair. They are taught to observe, think, reason, and recognize abstract concepts while remaining obedient and dutiful to Robbert and Irene, their caretakers.
Their idyll and isolated lives are disturbed by Veronika's sudden discovery of another girl, May, who is the lone survivor of a shipwreck. May is different from the other girls in many ways. Her presence and subsequent actions cause Veronika to ask questions she never would otherwise. Though Veronika's behavior is a mild threat to Robbert and Irene's authority and the unity that she shares with the other girls, the real danger to their peaceful existence lurks elsewhere.
I haven't read other reviews for this book, but if I were to hazard a guess as to where some frustrations might lie, I would say it is due to Veronika's narration style. Without giving anything away (though one could easily guess the reason by looking at the cover art and the reason itself is given in the first chapter), Veronika's simplistic and straightforward outlook is that way on purpose. It is likely to annoy those who are expecting richer prose. I, however, found it challenging in a good way; her limited point of view made me appreciate the cognitive abilities that I have long taken for granted.
Also, don't expect mindblowing world building in this book. There is only one real place, the island, and there are a handful of locations that the four girls are allowed to go: the dock, the beach, the woods, and the cliffs. There are two buildings, which are a residence and a classroom. While this is only the girls' immediate environment, there are opposing factions described later in the story that will help the reader envision the true state of the outside world.
Though the ending was satisfactory, ultimately I was unhappy with the questions left unanswered. Why does Caroline sometimes dream and the other girls can't? What do the girls really look like? I'm guessing their appearance is left a mystery so the reader can fill in the blanks him/herself. Not that my imagination is lacking, but I suppose I wanted a bit more detail.
While the book falls short of excellent I would still recommend this for people who are looking for a stand-alone novel (gasp! It feels like everything is a trilogy or series nowadays) that is easy to read and doesn't require much emotional involvement. It is also good for those who are thinking of getting into sci-fi or even dystopia but don't want to be overwhelmed by unfamiliar worlds.
March 25, 2013
This book was wonderful enough that I stayed up far, far past my bedtime last night so I could finish reading it.
I love that this story is told from the point of view of one of four identical girls. Veronika's journey is one of discovery--of who and what she is and where she and her sisters came from. Ultimately, this is a coming-of-age story, but it's complicated when you're a humanoid robot.
I also love that the ending isn't a traditionally "happy" one. Instead, it's a hopeful one that continues to provoke thought after the story is over.
I only hope there are no sequels to The Different Girl. It's open-ended enough that it might be tempting for the author to revisit these girls, but I think that the question of what happens after would be better answered by a roomful of 6th graders than by another novel.
As for myself, I appreciate all the little mysteries that The Different Girl holds, including the mystery of what happens next.
I love that this story is told from the point of view of one of four identical girls. Veronika's journey is one of discovery--of who and what she is and where she and her sisters came from. Ultimately, this is a coming-of-age story, but it's complicated when you're a humanoid robot.
I also love that the ending isn't a traditionally "happy" one. Instead, it's a hopeful one that continues to provoke thought after the story is over.
I only hope there are no sequels to The Different Girl. It's open-ended enough that it might be tempting for the author to revisit these girls, but I think that the question of what happens after would be better answered by a roomful of 6th graders than by another novel.
As for myself, I appreciate all the little mysteries that The Different Girl holds, including the mystery of what happens next.
July 10, 2016
Every so often a book comes along that you struggle to get through. Unfortunately, this was one of thise for me for a few different reasons. I was tempted along the way to just DNF it, but only chose to stick with it because there was a lot hidden from readers that I wanted to see revealed and explained. Needless to say I was not impressed when much of it stayed hidden and I felt like I stuck with the book for no reason.
This book really went wrong in two areas for me. First of all, I found it dull. The four identical girls were so similar (identical is right) in every way that I barely remembered their names upon closing the book (good thing they're in the blurb). Because of the nature of the girls, there isn't much to separate them from one another. They have no real personality or character traits besides a small sense of curiosity that is easily pushed aside in favour of following their schedule and rules. Even worse, they didn't really DO anything. The majority of the novel was spent with them going about their routine, day after day. Even when May, the mysterious arrival promised in the blurb, shows up, they simply try their best to integrate her into their routine and are baffled when she struggles. It was very dull and I didn't really understand the point of the story.
This leads me to my second issue with the novel: it made me feel dumb. I felt like because I found it so boring and uninspiring, I was probably missing something important that was making some philosophical point about life or people or something. It really felt like there was supposed to be a point or a message to the monotonous story, but I just wasn't seeing it. I like to think I am not a dumb person, and it's not very often that books make me feel that way, so this one just really rubbed me the wrong way in that sense.
Honestly, this was just not the book for me. I struggled with the repetitive and slow plot and the almost indistinguishable characters, and was left frustrated by an ending that gives you nothing.
1 star.
This book really went wrong in two areas for me. First of all, I found it dull. The four identical girls were so similar (identical is right) in every way that I barely remembered their names upon closing the book (good thing they're in the blurb). Because of the nature of the girls, there isn't much to separate them from one another. They have no real personality or character traits besides a small sense of curiosity that is easily pushed aside in favour of following their schedule and rules. Even worse, they didn't really DO anything. The majority of the novel was spent with them going about their routine, day after day. Even when May, the mysterious arrival promised in the blurb, shows up, they simply try their best to integrate her into their routine and are baffled when she struggles. It was very dull and I didn't really understand the point of the story.
This leads me to my second issue with the novel: it made me feel dumb. I felt like because I found it so boring and uninspiring, I was probably missing something important that was making some philosophical point about life or people or something. It really felt like there was supposed to be a point or a message to the monotonous story, but I just wasn't seeing it. I like to think I am not a dumb person, and it's not very often that books make me feel that way, so this one just really rubbed me the wrong way in that sense.
Honestly, this was just not the book for me. I struggled with the repetitive and slow plot and the almost indistinguishable characters, and was left frustrated by an ending that gives you nothing.
1 star.
April 16, 2021
**SPOILERS**
Boring, pointless, weird, and UNCLEAR.
DON'T TRY TO FIND A MEANING! IT'S A TRAP!
There is none.
Pick up another book. Please. Don't torture your brain.
So. The first 2/3 of the novel was just the girls doing boring things and watching boring things and making observations about boring things and asking dumb questions.
Something like this (no, this is not an actual scene of the novel but it might as well be):
George saw a brown ant walking on the ground, carrying a piece of grass. ``Where is he going?`` said George. ``Why is he brown?`` asked Bob. ``Why is he carrying a piece of grass?`` said Elvis.
And then their guardian or parent or whatever will go ``Why do you think so?`` and they'll all give answers and discuss them. For at least half the book.
The writing style did not keep my attention at all. I was skimming through it, which I almost never do when I read, because I don't want to miss out on details. But this time I knew there was no important details TO read.
Short, cold sentences. I felt like I was reading from the point of view of a rock. I guess it was kind of what the author was trying to do, maybe, since Veronika is a robot.
Or is she??? How could she think or do anything she wasn't ``programmed`` for (like hide things from Irene and Robbert) if she was a robot? How could she feel love for Irene??
The whole book was just a blur. I HATE books like that, when I feel like the author is laughing at me because his story is a private inside joke with himself that I don't understand. Or that he is trying to be really deep and I'm here feeling stupid because I don't get it, and wondering if it's just me.
I read for fun, not to wrack my brain and torture myself...
I didn't care about any characters. May was annoying. She barely cared that both her uncles were dead and never tried to escape from the island... The 4 girls were.. well.. stupid robots that didn't understand anything and had no personality and were obsessed with hair colors. Irene and Robbert were just creepy and probably insane (which we'll never know since this book is a damn blur).
I thought there would FINALLY be something interesting in the end, I saw the sun shine through the clouds, for a brief moment, a few pages.
But no.
There WAS potential near the end. There WAS something there, buried in the pages of crap. I started to see the light. I was actually INTRIGUED and slightly anxious about getting to the end.
I actually read in reviews here that the ending was unsatisfying so I was kind of expecting it. But I was still mad at the end of the book. And I was still hopeful BEFORE I got to the end. If only I had known..
So yeah.. that false hope is why the ending of the story enrages me even more. HE COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING TO SAVE THE STORY! But he just sat there and let it DIEEEE!
No freakin questions are answered. Why were the girls made? And how? Are they robots or half robots or what? Why are they taught in that weird way of watching everything? What happened to Irene and Robbert? What happened to May and her boat before she got on the island? What about the supply boat? Who are the angry people? Why do they want to kill Robbert and Irene and the girls? Why are they scared of the girls? Why did Caroline dream if she was a robot? What were the songs supposed to mean? Why did I get the feeling Robbert was a bad guy? What the hell is up with the robot head and the red paint? what is the parrot metaphor about?? And so much more. AAAAAARGH.
Okay, you can leave some of the story up to your reader's imagination, but MAKE SURE there is at least most of the story that is clear in order to help readers answer questions in the first place!!
All this leaves us to believe there may possibly be a sequel, and although I want to know the answers, I don't want to suffer through another book of stoic sentences and people observing rocks and grass and bugs for 200-and some pages. Besides, if there will be a sequel, then it's just wrong to waste the whole first book on barely any action at all, without giving the slightest clue about any answers whatsoever.
And seeing as the book ends with some cliché kind of scene that is probably supposed to be deep, the author will probably just leave it that way and never answer our questions. He will just sit at his desk, feeling all superior to us, and philosophical and deep, thinking that his book is something too deep for most to understand, about individuality or what it is to be human or whatever. Or he wants us to feel like the confused robot chicks did about everything about life. I DON'T KNOW!!!! STOP ASKING, BRAIN!
And so he will sit there and read these reviews and snicker at poor, confused people like me while all his fans agree with him, and lie to themselves about the story having a meaning, in order to avoid the pain of the truth. THERE ISN'T. Or if there was, the author failed miserably at showing it.
Boring, pointless, weird, and UNCLEAR.
DON'T TRY TO FIND A MEANING! IT'S A TRAP!
There is none.
Pick up another book. Please. Don't torture your brain.
So. The first 2/3 of the novel was just the girls doing boring things and watching boring things and making observations about boring things and asking dumb questions.
Something like this (no, this is not an actual scene of the novel but it might as well be):
George saw a brown ant walking on the ground, carrying a piece of grass. ``Where is he going?`` said George. ``Why is he brown?`` asked Bob. ``Why is he carrying a piece of grass?`` said Elvis.
And then their guardian or parent or whatever will go ``Why do you think so?`` and they'll all give answers and discuss them. For at least half the book.
The writing style did not keep my attention at all. I was skimming through it, which I almost never do when I read, because I don't want to miss out on details. But this time I knew there was no important details TO read.
Short, cold sentences. I felt like I was reading from the point of view of a rock. I guess it was kind of what the author was trying to do, maybe, since Veronika is a robot.
Or is she??? How could she think or do anything she wasn't ``programmed`` for (like hide things from Irene and Robbert) if she was a robot? How could she feel love for Irene??
The whole book was just a blur. I HATE books like that, when I feel like the author is laughing at me because his story is a private inside joke with himself that I don't understand. Or that he is trying to be really deep and I'm here feeling stupid because I don't get it, and wondering if it's just me.
I read for fun, not to wrack my brain and torture myself...
I didn't care about any characters. May was annoying. She barely cared that both her uncles were dead and never tried to escape from the island... The 4 girls were.. well.. stupid robots that didn't understand anything and had no personality and were obsessed with hair colors. Irene and Robbert were just creepy and probably insane (which we'll never know since this book is a damn blur).
I thought there would FINALLY be something interesting in the end, I saw the sun shine through the clouds, for a brief moment, a few pages.
But no.
There WAS potential near the end. There WAS something there, buried in the pages of crap. I started to see the light. I was actually INTRIGUED and slightly anxious about getting to the end.
I actually read in reviews here that the ending was unsatisfying so I was kind of expecting it. But I was still mad at the end of the book. And I was still hopeful BEFORE I got to the end. If only I had known..
So yeah.. that false hope is why the ending of the story enrages me even more. HE COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING TO SAVE THE STORY! But he just sat there and let it DIEEEE!
No freakin questions are answered. Why were the girls made? And how? Are they robots or half robots or what? Why are they taught in that weird way of watching everything? What happened to Irene and Robbert? What happened to May and her boat before she got on the island? What about the supply boat? Who are the angry people? Why do they want to kill Robbert and Irene and the girls? Why are they scared of the girls? Why did Caroline dream if she was a robot? What were the songs supposed to mean? Why did I get the feeling Robbert was a bad guy? What the hell is up with the robot head and the red paint? what is the parrot metaphor about?? And so much more. AAAAAARGH.
Okay, you can leave some of the story up to your reader's imagination, but MAKE SURE there is at least most of the story that is clear in order to help readers answer questions in the first place!!
All this leaves us to believe there may possibly be a sequel, and although I want to know the answers, I don't want to suffer through another book of stoic sentences and people observing rocks and grass and bugs for 200-and some pages. Besides, if there will be a sequel, then it's just wrong to waste the whole first book on barely any action at all, without giving the slightest clue about any answers whatsoever.
And seeing as the book ends with some cliché kind of scene that is probably supposed to be deep, the author will probably just leave it that way and never answer our questions. He will just sit at his desk, feeling all superior to us, and philosophical and deep, thinking that his book is something too deep for most to understand, about individuality or what it is to be human or whatever. Or he wants us to feel like the confused robot chicks did about everything about life. I DON'T KNOW!!!! STOP ASKING, BRAIN!
And so he will sit there and read these reviews and snicker at poor, confused people like me while all his fans agree with him, and lie to themselves about the story having a meaning, in order to avoid the pain of the truth. THERE ISN'T. Or if there was, the author failed miserably at showing it.
February 3, 2013
Recently, I was lucky enough to receive a box full of advanced copy books from a local book store and this was among them. It was one of the first I chose to read because the premise intrigued me.
It didn't take much reading to discover that the girls were probably mechanized in some way although at first I wasn't sure if they were android or perhaps cyborg. This book did catch me and hold me (I read it in less than 24 hours) and I did enjoy it, but I was left with so many questions! I loved the way the girls were being taught to think, to question their surroundings, to really delve into it and how they interacted. But there were so few glimpses into the minds of their caretakers, let alone why they were there or why any of it happened at all. The girls overheard very little from the adults. I would have loved to have more insight into their minds, what they strove for by bringing the girls there, what precipitated the attack that killed the girls' parents, etc. I got the idea it was a dystopian world and it sounded like there had been a war, but there was just too little info to form any conclusions.
And May didn't quite interact with them in the way I expected her to. She brought no clarity to the picture, which I did expect. I guess I also expected her to inspire the girls to really start questioning their existence and perhaps teach one of them to think for herself, but one of them was already doing that before she even arrived.
Still, I did enjoy this, and it left me pondering things. Not just the story and what had happened but how I view the world so this was time well spent and if this is the start of a new series as I have heard, I look forward to reading the next installment.
It didn't take much reading to discover that the girls were probably mechanized in some way although at first I wasn't sure if they were android or perhaps cyborg. This book did catch me and hold me (I read it in less than 24 hours) and I did enjoy it, but I was left with so many questions! I loved the way the girls were being taught to think, to question their surroundings, to really delve into it and how they interacted. But there were so few glimpses into the minds of their caretakers, let alone why they were there or why any of it happened at all. The girls overheard very little from the adults. I would have loved to have more insight into their minds, what they strove for by bringing the girls there, what precipitated the attack that killed the girls' parents, etc. I got the idea it was a dystopian world and it sounded like there had been a war, but there was just too little info to form any conclusions.
And May didn't quite interact with them in the way I expected her to. She brought no clarity to the picture, which I did expect. I guess I also expected her to inspire the girls to really start questioning their existence and perhaps teach one of them to think for herself, but one of them was already doing that before she even arrived.
Still, I did enjoy this, and it left me pondering things. Not just the story and what had happened but how I view the world so this was time well spent and if this is the start of a new series as I have heard, I look forward to reading the next installment.
August 2, 2015
Truly an imaginative and mysterious piece of storytelling. I was hooked from the beginning. I still have a lot of questions, but I feel satisfied.
I really just like how the whole thing was constructed, put together, the way the robots are given life, personality and character. Really entertaining.
I really just like how the whole thing was constructed, put together, the way the robots are given life, personality and character. Really entertaining.
March 9, 2013
Originally Reviewed on The Book Smugglers
On a small tropical island in the middle of the ocean, Veronika lives with three other girls and two caretakers. The four girls are the exact same size and weight and age, distinguished by their different hair - Isobel with her lemon yellow hair, Caroline with her coconut brown hair, Eleanor with her black hair the color of wet tar, and Veronika with her rust red locks. Every day, Veronika and the other girls go on walks to observe and report back their findings to Irene and Robbert - two adults who look after the girls after their parents died in a plane crash - asking questions about what they've seen and learned. Every day follows the same pattern: wake up, go to class and ask questions, prepare dinner, sing, and sleep.
One day during her assigned walk, Veronika discovers something different - a girl lying in the sand that looks nothing like Veronica and the others. This mysterious girl has dark freckled skin and tangled long hair. As she wakes up, Veronika learns that this girl is the victim of a shipwreck and her name is May - and May is like Irene and Robbert with her soft skin and flesh and blood. May is different in other ways, too - she acts without thinking and considering, and she lashes out at Veronika and the others in fear and anger at times.
May's arrival means more for Veronika, the other girls, and their caretakers - others have discovered their island home and are coming for them all.
I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I started reading The Different Girl - the description makes the book sound like a familiar dystopian YA setup. Jaded as I am, I half expected this book to be about a group of (beautiful and innocent, of course) cloned girls, brainwashed and jolted into awareness of their prison by the arrival of an outsider (with a tepid insta-love romance thrown in there at some point). Thankfully, this is decidedly NOT the case.
Narrated in the stunning and perceptive first person point of view of Veronika, The Different Girl is, well...different. In a very, very good way. This is a true science fiction novel, about what it means to be alive - to be a "girl" - and the world in which these particular girls live. It's a challenging and refreshingly subtle read, filtered through Veronika's own focused and distinct observations. And because of this, it's the kind of book in which information is revealed very slowly, only gradually revealing the full picture. I'm trying my very best not to spoil, because this is the kind of read that depends on the reader making these observations and discoveries throughout - suffice it to say that when you start this book, it's best NOT to know too much about Veronika and her sisters.
From a stylistic and character perspective, I love Gordon Dahlquist's decision to tell this particular story from Veronika's point of view. The obvious narrative choice would be the newcomer May's viewpoint, and through her perspective we'd probably learn so much more (e.g. exactly WHAT Veronika and the girls are, the state of this post-apocalyptic world, etc) in point-blank fashion. In contrast, Veronika has only ever known the island and the routine she and the other girls undergo each day, the questions and tests she runs through each day, and the incomplete information about the past that she has been given by Irene and Robbert. May's arrival sparks something new and different within Veronika, and we see her thoughts and actions subtly change as she accommodates the new information brought in May's wake. I love the camaraderie that exists between Veronika and the other girls, the layered relationship between Veronika and her caretakers (Irene with her warmth, and in contrast Robbert with his frustrations and his demanding questions), and most of, the tension between Veronika and May.
While Veronika's narrative is stilted and focused on strange minutia, it's also wonderfully written and believable - I loved every second of Veronika's thoughts, we we readers glean little nuggets of information about her and her world as she learns. I love the tone of the writing, too, with its strange and stilted voice and Veronika's inherent unreliablility - she's not unreliable because she's lying to herself or to others, but because she is a very different kind of girl, and focuses only the information that she needs for the task or question at hand. I should also note that while we do get answers to some of the questions posed by the text and gradually see more of the larger picture, there are plenty of questions that are left unanswered - in my opinion, this is a good thing and I like the intentional vagueness and open-ended nature of The Different Girl (that said, your mileage may vary).
In short, I loved this book. The more I think about it, the more I love it. I love that this is a quieter novel about thoughts and characters, without much of a driving forward plot but plenty of food for thought. In many ways, The Different Girl reminds me of Genesis by Bernard Beckett (one of my favorite SF dystopian novels, ever) - both are shorter novels, but packed with ideas and challenging questions and complex relationships. The Different Girl is both a frustrating and rewarding read, and one that is refreshingly unique compared to the sea of bland softball sci-fi dystopia novels on the YA market today. Absolutely recommended - and in the running for one of my notable reads of 2013.
On a small tropical island in the middle of the ocean, Veronika lives with three other girls and two caretakers. The four girls are the exact same size and weight and age, distinguished by their different hair - Isobel with her lemon yellow hair, Caroline with her coconut brown hair, Eleanor with her black hair the color of wet tar, and Veronika with her rust red locks. Every day, Veronika and the other girls go on walks to observe and report back their findings to Irene and Robbert - two adults who look after the girls after their parents died in a plane crash - asking questions about what they've seen and learned. Every day follows the same pattern: wake up, go to class and ask questions, prepare dinner, sing, and sleep.
One day during her assigned walk, Veronika discovers something different - a girl lying in the sand that looks nothing like Veronica and the others. This mysterious girl has dark freckled skin and tangled long hair. As she wakes up, Veronika learns that this girl is the victim of a shipwreck and her name is May - and May is like Irene and Robbert with her soft skin and flesh and blood. May is different in other ways, too - she acts without thinking and considering, and she lashes out at Veronika and the others in fear and anger at times.
May's arrival means more for Veronika, the other girls, and their caretakers - others have discovered their island home and are coming for them all.
I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I started reading The Different Girl - the description makes the book sound like a familiar dystopian YA setup. Jaded as I am, I half expected this book to be about a group of (beautiful and innocent, of course) cloned girls, brainwashed and jolted into awareness of their prison by the arrival of an outsider (with a tepid insta-love romance thrown in there at some point). Thankfully, this is decidedly NOT the case.
Narrated in the stunning and perceptive first person point of view of Veronika, The Different Girl is, well...different. In a very, very good way. This is a true science fiction novel, about what it means to be alive - to be a "girl" - and the world in which these particular girls live. It's a challenging and refreshingly subtle read, filtered through Veronika's own focused and distinct observations. And because of this, it's the kind of book in which information is revealed very slowly, only gradually revealing the full picture. I'm trying my very best not to spoil, because this is the kind of read that depends on the reader making these observations and discoveries throughout - suffice it to say that when you start this book, it's best NOT to know too much about Veronika and her sisters.
From a stylistic and character perspective, I love Gordon Dahlquist's decision to tell this particular story from Veronika's point of view. The obvious narrative choice would be the newcomer May's viewpoint, and through her perspective we'd probably learn so much more (e.g. exactly WHAT Veronika and the girls are, the state of this post-apocalyptic world, etc) in point-blank fashion. In contrast, Veronika has only ever known the island and the routine she and the other girls undergo each day, the questions and tests she runs through each day, and the incomplete information about the past that she has been given by Irene and Robbert. May's arrival sparks something new and different within Veronika, and we see her thoughts and actions subtly change as she accommodates the new information brought in May's wake. I love the camaraderie that exists between Veronika and the other girls, the layered relationship between Veronika and her caretakers (Irene with her warmth, and in contrast Robbert with his frustrations and his demanding questions), and most of, the tension between Veronika and May.
While Veronika's narrative is stilted and focused on strange minutia, it's also wonderfully written and believable - I loved every second of Veronika's thoughts, we we readers glean little nuggets of information about her and her world as she learns. I love the tone of the writing, too, with its strange and stilted voice and Veronika's inherent unreliablility - she's not unreliable because she's lying to herself or to others, but because she is a very different kind of girl, and focuses only the information that she needs for the task or question at hand. I should also note that while we do get answers to some of the questions posed by the text and gradually see more of the larger picture, there are plenty of questions that are left unanswered - in my opinion, this is a good thing and I like the intentional vagueness and open-ended nature of The Different Girl (that said, your mileage may vary).
In short, I loved this book. The more I think about it, the more I love it. I love that this is a quieter novel about thoughts and characters, without much of a driving forward plot but plenty of food for thought. In many ways, The Different Girl reminds me of Genesis by Bernard Beckett (one of my favorite SF dystopian novels, ever) - both are shorter novels, but packed with ideas and challenging questions and complex relationships. The Different Girl is both a frustrating and rewarding read, and one that is refreshingly unique compared to the sea of bland softball sci-fi dystopia novels on the YA market today. Absolutely recommended - and in the running for one of my notable reads of 2013.
February 23, 2013
I won the "bound galley" edition of The Different Girl in a Goodreads giveaway. What a treat to receive a free book. However, reading The Different Girl was not such a treat. While, Mr. Dahlquist's prose is simple and suited to a tale of science-fiction, his story is ultimately unsatisfying.
The tale begins with a confusing narrative; to be fair, as the story builds momentum, some of the murky details see the sunshine. Unfortunately, not all of the obscure elements ever make sense to the reader. Also, his ending of his story is entirely unsatisfying.
Who were Irene and Robbert? And how were they related to the "parents" of the four girls? Were the girls completely android? Or were they cyborgs? How did the populace's distrust of school lead to the creation of the girls? What was the goal of the scientists? And what will the girls and Mary do now?
My final objection is the book lacked focus. What point was being executed? What was the goal of the story? I was disappointed.
The tale begins with a confusing narrative; to be fair, as the story builds momentum, some of the murky details see the sunshine. Unfortunately, not all of the obscure elements ever make sense to the reader. Also, his ending of his story is entirely unsatisfying.
Who were Irene and Robbert? And how were they related to the "parents" of the four girls? Were the girls completely android? Or were they cyborgs? How did the populace's distrust of school lead to the creation of the girls? What was the goal of the scientists? And what will the girls and Mary do now?
My final objection is the book lacked focus. What point was being executed? What was the goal of the story? I was disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. Imagine living alone on a small island with three other girls who look just like you (except the color of their hair) and your two teachers. Then one day while taking a walk, you find an injured girl washed up on the beach who is very different from you. What will you learn about life and the questions to ask from this girl who is very different from you? Like the book implies on the back cover, "You will have many questions. You will receive some answers. You will learn to think differently," only some of my questions were answered. This is one book I'd like to rewrite the ending for. Either that, or maybe Dahlquist has a sequel planned. I hope so!
I did like the idea of being able to go to sleep just by pushing a button near your ear. Wouldn't that be great for those restless nights when you can't fall asleep!
I did like the idea of being able to go to sleep just by pushing a button near your ear. Wouldn't that be great for those restless nights when you can't fall asleep!
April 10, 2013
In Gordon Dahlquist’s new novel The Different Girl, Veronika, Caroline, Isobel and Eleanor are four young girls who live on a small island with their two adult caretakers Irene and Robbert. The girls are completely identical aside from the color of their hair: one is blond, one brunette, one red, and one black. They don’t know exactly why they’re on the island; all they’ve been told is that their parents died in a plane crash so Irene and Robbert are raising them there. Each day passes more or less like the last: the girls wake up, do a number of learning exercises under the guidance of the adults, help with meal preparation, and go to bed.
Everything changes when a different girl arrives on the island under mysterious circumstances. She looks different, she speaks differently, she knows and says things the other girls don’t understand. Gradually everything begins to change as the four girls learn more about their true nature and their origins.
Read the entire review on my site Far Beyond Reality!
Everything changes when a different girl arrives on the island under mysterious circumstances. She looks different, she speaks differently, she knows and says things the other girls don’t understand. Gradually everything begins to change as the four girls learn more about their true nature and their origins.
Read the entire review on my site Far Beyond Reality!
March 8, 2013
So I picked this book up for three different reasons:
1. The cover art
2. The interesting sounding plot
3. It looked short enough, I though I could finish it pretty quickly.
Boy was I wrong about that third one. This book was so frustrating and I could only read about a chapter or two at time because I kept putting it down. I could not read through it straight. There are so many questions through this book and none of them seemed to get answered. Obviously the girls are some sort of robot, but that is never 100% confirmed. What are Irene and Robbert to them? Why are they hiding on the island? Why does Caroline 'dream'? What is up with these 'schools' they keep talking about? Where does May fit in? What happened to her boat? What was up with the angry people at the end? Ugggh. All my frustration. The only reason I kept reading this was because I hoped to get some answers by the end. But no, all I got was annoyance at this non-existent plot. Let me tell you, this book was no way Sly or Unsettling and I am hugely disappointed.
1. The cover art
2. The interesting sounding plot
3. It looked short enough, I though I could finish it pretty quickly.
Boy was I wrong about that third one. This book was so frustrating and I could only read about a chapter or two at time because I kept putting it down. I could not read through it straight. There are so many questions through this book and none of them seemed to get answered. Obviously the girls are some sort of robot, but that is never 100% confirmed. What are Irene and Robbert to them? Why are they hiding on the island? Why does Caroline 'dream'? What is up with these 'schools' they keep talking about? Where does May fit in? What happened to her boat? What was up with the angry people at the end? Ugggh. All my frustration. The only reason I kept reading this was because I hoped to get some answers by the end. But no, all I got was annoyance at this non-existent plot. Let me tell you, this book was no way Sly or Unsettling and I am hugely disappointed.
February 21, 2013
Intriguing but incomplete. This book was all subtext, with no actual plot or conclusion. Some of the narrative, told from the POV of someone () with very limited theoretical understanding of the world, was genius, but I might have to make a "wtf it's just over?" shelf for this book. You never really learn what's going on. Stuff is happening in the background but it doesn't make any sense. There are only questions with no answers. The ending is more of a beginning. It would make a really interesting book club book for discussion with teenagers, and it's worth a read, but I would have preferred this as a short story that raises provocative ideas without needing to rely on the framework of a novel, where I expect more follow-through. More later.
April 10, 2013
Veronika has lived on an island for as long as she can remember, with three other girls, Caroline, Isobel and Eleanor. Their teachers are Irene and Robbert. They observe thing. They are warned to never, ever go near the water. One day, pieces of a shipwreck wash up on shore, and along with them a girl, May. With May's coming, Veronika realizes just how different she and the other girls are, and how dangerous the outside world can be.
This was...whoa. There is no way to talk about this without lots of spoilers, so just be aware that there are lots of spoilers.
It doesn't take very long to figure out that Veronika, Caroline, Isobel and Eleanor are not quite...normal. They are not regular girls. Their attention to detail is so focused. The questions that Irene and Robbert ask them are so specific. They take "naps," which seem to happen whenever Irene and Isobel and Robbert need to attend to other things. They don't eat.
What was interesting about the framing of the book is that as the reader, you never know more than Veronika does. Ever. Not even at the end. It is completely through Veronika's perspective, which is, of course, a very analytical one, devoid of unnecessary emotion. The term "robot" is never used. Neither is "artificial intelligence" or anything like that. It's not clear if Veronika is completely mechanical. I think so? We don't know how the girls were made, because Veronika does not know. We don't know how they function, because Veronika doesn't know. It was frustrating at times, not knowing. I wished for an omnipotent narrator who could answer my questions, but I never got one, and a lot of my questions didn't get answered at all.
The pace of the book is very slow. Veronika and the other girl's lives revolve around observing and telling others what they have observed. And that's what much of the book is. May shows up, and is frustrated with the slow pace of life. She doesn't have the patience to sit and observe and then explain in detail what she's seen for hours. The plot very, very slowly unfolds, and while there is a dramatic, and in many ways, unsatisfying conclusion, even that part felt slow, deliberate, like the lives of the girls.
Toward the end, Veronika is able to learn more about where she came from than she ever has known before, but even that information is sketchy and full of holes. And by the end of the book, there is no one to ask, and the girls must figure out how to carry on and care for themselves. And then it ends.
In many ways, totally unsatisfying. In other ways, totally fascinating. Give it to your kids who like to think about things and ponder life's many questions.
This was...whoa. There is no way to talk about this without lots of spoilers, so just be aware that there are lots of spoilers.
It doesn't take very long to figure out that Veronika, Caroline, Isobel and Eleanor are not quite...normal. They are not regular girls. Their attention to detail is so focused. The questions that Irene and Robbert ask them are so specific. They take "naps," which seem to happen whenever Irene and Isobel and Robbert need to attend to other things. They don't eat.
What was interesting about the framing of the book is that as the reader, you never know more than Veronika does. Ever. Not even at the end. It is completely through Veronika's perspective, which is, of course, a very analytical one, devoid of unnecessary emotion. The term "robot" is never used. Neither is "artificial intelligence" or anything like that. It's not clear if Veronika is completely mechanical. I think so? We don't know how the girls were made, because Veronika does not know. We don't know how they function, because Veronika doesn't know. It was frustrating at times, not knowing. I wished for an omnipotent narrator who could answer my questions, but I never got one, and a lot of my questions didn't get answered at all.
The pace of the book is very slow. Veronika and the other girl's lives revolve around observing and telling others what they have observed. And that's what much of the book is. May shows up, and is frustrated with the slow pace of life. She doesn't have the patience to sit and observe and then explain in detail what she's seen for hours. The plot very, very slowly unfolds, and while there is a dramatic, and in many ways, unsatisfying conclusion, even that part felt slow, deliberate, like the lives of the girls.
Toward the end, Veronika is able to learn more about where she came from than she ever has known before, but even that information is sketchy and full of holes. And by the end of the book, there is no one to ask, and the girls must figure out how to carry on and care for themselves. And then it ends.
In many ways, totally unsatisfying. In other ways, totally fascinating. Give it to your kids who like to think about things and ponder life's many questions.
January 15, 2013
In the beginning of this book, the reader is introduced to four girls, identical except for hair color, who live on an island with a man and woman who adopted them. They only know that the plane they were on with their parents crashed on the island, and the man and woman have been raising them. Later on, another girl washes ashore. But she's different from the first four. The original four try to figure out why she's so different from them.
This book had a lot of potential - I would have enjoyed the story if things had been altered a bit. If we had overheard the humans talking or read some of their data entries or had been given some confirmation of what we were sure we knew - that the girls were robots or androids. But we don't get that. We don't know why they were created, why someone shot down their plane, who these people are who are raising them, why they stayed on the island, why the girl who crashes there has crashed or where she's from or why she thinks the android girls are scary.
It's interesting to have a book narrated from the point of view of an android, but there's too much information that's left out, and I had more questions than answers by the end of the book. A great idea, but quite unsatisfying.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley for the purposes of review.
This book had a lot of potential - I would have enjoyed the story if things had been altered a bit. If we had overheard the humans talking or read some of their data entries or had been given some confirmation of what we were sure we knew - that the girls were robots or androids. But we don't get that. We don't know why they were created, why someone shot down their plane, who these people are who are raising them, why they stayed on the island, why the girl who crashes there has crashed or where she's from or why she thinks the android girls are scary.
It's interesting to have a book narrated from the point of view of an android, but there's too much information that's left out, and I had more questions than answers by the end of the book. A great idea, but quite unsatisfying.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley for the purposes of review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2013
3.5/4
My favorite so far of the cyborg/clone books. And guess what? There is NO romance. NONE at all in this book. Which leads me to think that marketing drastically screwed up the cover.
The story is told from 1st person POV by one of four clones.
What I liked best about this book is how well the author was able to give a voice to what is basically a machine. How, even though Veronika never acknowledges that she is not human, you eventually figure out that not only is she a robot...she's a rather clunky one with very little dexterity. That, though she is capable of human thought and even some emotions, Veronika is not interchangeable with a real girl. She is something completely different. That she is capable of friendships, but definitely sees the world through different eyes.
IF we must acknowledge the gigantic breadth of clone/cyborg books that have been published this year, then this one is the best.
HOWEVER, I think it will be a tough sell. The lack of romance may very well turn off most girl readers. And the cover and female first person POV will turn off most boy readers. And in truth, I can't say that I really ENJOYED reading this book......but I enjoyed thinking about it afterwards. Does that make sense?
My favorite so far of the cyborg/clone books. And guess what? There is NO romance. NONE at all in this book. Which leads me to think that marketing drastically screwed up the cover.
The story is told from 1st person POV by one of four clones.
What I liked best about this book is how well the author was able to give a voice to what is basically a machine. How, even though Veronika never acknowledges that she is not human, you eventually figure out that not only is she a robot...she's a rather clunky one with very little dexterity. That, though she is capable of human thought and even some emotions, Veronika is not interchangeable with a real girl. She is something completely different. That she is capable of friendships, but definitely sees the world through different eyes.
IF we must acknowledge the gigantic breadth of clone/cyborg books that have been published this year, then this one is the best.
HOWEVER, I think it will be a tough sell. The lack of romance may very well turn off most girl readers. And the cover and female first person POV will turn off most boy readers. And in truth, I can't say that I really ENJOYED reading this book......but I enjoyed thinking about it afterwards. Does that make sense?
December 31, 2012
What grabbed my attention about The Different Girl was definitely (and obviously) the cover. I was intrigued by the plot and I even grew to love the characters. At one point in the story (I won't say which), I couldn't help but gasp out loud (on an airplane) out of love for a character. Dahlquist did a great job of making the giving just enough information in regards to the characters and whether or not they could be trusted. I give him an A+ for character development for sure.
I will say that the exposition of the story, while necessary, did seem to drag on and I felt a bit like I was constantly waiting to find out where the story was going to go. Like many firsts of a new series, this book set up a great premise, plot, and setting but didn't really take it anywhere until the last 100 pages. The biggest disappointment for this book was that I was SO intrigued by the setting and Dahlquist provided an amazing assortment of clues and sneak peeks into what sort of society we were dealing with - but I never got more than a very vague glimpse. Is it a futuristic society? Dystopian? Post-apocolyptic? But perhaps this was done on purpose because I'm very intrigued.
I will say that the exposition of the story, while necessary, did seem to drag on and I felt a bit like I was constantly waiting to find out where the story was going to go. Like many firsts of a new series, this book set up a great premise, plot, and setting but didn't really take it anywhere until the last 100 pages. The biggest disappointment for this book was that I was SO intrigued by the setting and Dahlquist provided an amazing assortment of clues and sneak peeks into what sort of society we were dealing with - but I never got more than a very vague glimpse. Is it a futuristic society? Dystopian? Post-apocolyptic? But perhaps this was done on purpose because I'm very intrigued.
January 16, 2013
I like books that make me think. And this one left my mind reeling! Some other reviewers have pointed out that they feel their questions were unanswered, but I think that's part of the point of the book. Just like the characters had to discover answers and put together bits of information, the reader has to deduce what has happened and what will happen. The author gives you just the right amount of information to be able to draw your own conclusions.
In this book, a set of four girls live on an island with two adults. Their past has been a secret--until now. A new girl has washed ashore with a shipwreck, and she makes the other four girls question what they know about who they are and why they exist.
Even though this is listed as a young adult novel, I would also recommend it to adults.
Read it!
In this book, a set of four girls live on an island with two adults. Their past has been a secret--until now. A new girl has washed ashore with a shipwreck, and she makes the other four girls question what they know about who they are and why they exist.
Even though this is listed as a young adult novel, I would also recommend it to adults.
Read it!
April 26, 2013
The yellow hair is cool but Isobel was so not a featured character, sup with that cover? This book forces you to think about every detail of life and how you can walk the same path over and over again but experience something new. I was waiting for something cool to happen the whole time. I did keep flipping the page thinking, "this is going to get better." I feel "The Different Girl" would be a good book for Middle School students to read and write a report about. There are a lot of things to discuss but no real point. Robots good or evil?
Not my reading style but wasn't a waste of time.
Also, tons of typos. Poorly edited.
Not my reading style but wasn't a waste of time.
Also, tons of typos. Poorly edited.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2013
"You will have questions. You will receive some answers. You will learn to think differently."
Ummmm. Yeah, I have to questions.
No, I did not receive enough answers.
Think differently? More like turn my brain to mush!
Such a cool idea: computer-type girls who evolve and learn.....
But, what was the point? I'm left with too many unanswered questions!
Odd. Very odd. I'm not saying this was bad.... but, it's very strange and I could have gotten past that had enough been explained. Maybe that was the authors point, to figure out all the holes yourself???
2.75 stars
Ummmm. Yeah, I have to questions.
No, I did not receive enough answers.
Think differently? More like turn my brain to mush!
Such a cool idea: computer-type girls who evolve and learn.....
But, what was the point? I'm left with too many unanswered questions!
Odd. Very odd. I'm not saying this was bad.... but, it's very strange and I could have gotten past that had enough been explained. Maybe that was the authors point, to figure out all the holes yourself???
2.75 stars
November 23, 2015
The different girl is a different kind of book that is too sci-fi for my liking. I can see what the writer is trying too hard to tell. Too many words to describe things that could use with less words. Too many unresolved things at the end of the page. Makes you wonder why bother reading if there's no end and beginning but a concept of human conditioning.
September 23, 2018
This was ok. I really liked the concept and was looking forward to reading this. Leaves the reader with more questions left unresolved. Maybe if it was a little longer and it didn't feel like there was such an abrupt ending, I might have enjoyed it more.
December 17, 2017
A human girl is stranded on an island with a few AI girls and their maker. It’s a neat little read that will have you pondering the nature of friendship, and wondering even more about the enigma that is AI.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2016
Problems are meant to be solved, questions are meant to be answered and differences are made to be fixed, though what if some differences can’t be controlled? The book The Different Girl written by Gordon Dahlquist has built in many questionable factors which make the reader think differently. I have never been a big believer in science fiction novels but there are many people who are and would love this book.
The narrator Veronica lives on an island with her three sisters (Caroline, Isobel and Eleanor) along with their two caretakers, Irene and Robert. Once a day all four girls are sent to go on walks with the obligation to observe their surroundings while learning to think clearer and more in-depth. One day Veronica finds a strange shape hidden in the grass, and it turns out to be a human girl who washed up on shore during a storm, her name is May. At first, May was terrified of Veronica and her three sisters and was even afraid to look them in the eye. Though as the book progresses May’s true self is exposed as a hot-tempered, enthusiastic person that makes the girls question everything they are told by their caretakers on this island.
The author Gordon Dahlquist wrote this book with many questions and difficulties to be left unanswered, one of them being humanity. Out of the four Caroline and Veronica have acquired some human qualities that make them different from Isobel and Eleanor, though they are being taught to be one and think as one. Since they almost have the same physical appearance with only their hair color dividing them this task seems easy enough, right?
I do have to say there were some moments in this book when my heart started to race, though overall I didn’t really like the story. For me, the book was somewhat slow pace and I didn’t fully understand what the writer wanted to say at some parts. I figure that Gordon wanted to give the reader a story about differences of humanity and personality but for me, it was weird and confusing. The narrator Veronika “spoke” slowly and she didn’t understand many of the things May was trying to say, so there wasn’t a deep connection between the two - which I was hoping there was going to be. While I was reading there were too many things going on so I couldn’t understand the full meaning of the book.
Gordon Dahlquist is a good writer and he has written other amazing books in the past. I believe that this is a good book for someone who loves science and technology, but for those who love a good mystery or a thrilling fantasy, this will not be the book for you.
The narrator Veronica lives on an island with her three sisters (Caroline, Isobel and Eleanor) along with their two caretakers, Irene and Robert. Once a day all four girls are sent to go on walks with the obligation to observe their surroundings while learning to think clearer and more in-depth. One day Veronica finds a strange shape hidden in the grass, and it turns out to be a human girl who washed up on shore during a storm, her name is May. At first, May was terrified of Veronica and her three sisters and was even afraid to look them in the eye. Though as the book progresses May’s true self is exposed as a hot-tempered, enthusiastic person that makes the girls question everything they are told by their caretakers on this island.
The author Gordon Dahlquist wrote this book with many questions and difficulties to be left unanswered, one of them being humanity. Out of the four Caroline and Veronica have acquired some human qualities that make them different from Isobel and Eleanor, though they are being taught to be one and think as one. Since they almost have the same physical appearance with only their hair color dividing them this task seems easy enough, right?
I do have to say there were some moments in this book when my heart started to race, though overall I didn’t really like the story. For me, the book was somewhat slow pace and I didn’t fully understand what the writer wanted to say at some parts. I figure that Gordon wanted to give the reader a story about differences of humanity and personality but for me, it was weird and confusing. The narrator Veronika “spoke” slowly and she didn’t understand many of the things May was trying to say, so there wasn’t a deep connection between the two - which I was hoping there was going to be. While I was reading there were too many things going on so I couldn’t understand the full meaning of the book.
Gordon Dahlquist is a good writer and he has written other amazing books in the past. I believe that this is a good book for someone who loves science and technology, but for those who love a good mystery or a thrilling fantasy, this will not be the book for you.
July 28, 2014
“At Eleanor's feet lay a fresh smear of dirt and grass, which might have come from Irene's sandal or Robert's sneaker if it hadn’t been topped by the dusty dots of small round toes.”
Eleanor, Veronika, Caroline, and Isobel - one blond, one brunette, one redhead, and one with hair black as tar but otherwise identical girls, live on an island with Irene and Robert who with teach them and take care of them. Each night Irene puts them to sleep by pushing the spot behind their ears with a click.
One day there is a storm and all types of things wash up on shore including a girl, wounded but alive. Robbert and Irene take care of her. They try to keep Eleanor, Veronika, Caroline, and Isobel away from her and vice versa. It doesn’t work and soon the girl is included in classes and daily life with Eleanor, Veronika, Caroline, and Isobel. Her name is May and she is a different kind of girl than they are.
The author, Gordon Dahlquist's plays Messalina and Delirium Palace were both awarded the Garland Playwriting Award. His debut novel, The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters, a science fiction fantasy set in a Victorian era type period, made the New York Time best selling list. The sequel to The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters, The Dark Volume, was published in 2008, and in March 24, 2009, then a third volume, The Chemickal Marriage was published in 2012. The Different Girl was published in 2013.
The Different Girl is amazing.The writing is superb.Fresh and unique...you don't won't to miss this one.This young adult book is suitable for ages 12 to 112. Just Read it.
Eleanor, Veronika, Caroline, and Isobel - one blond, one brunette, one redhead, and one with hair black as tar but otherwise identical girls, live on an island with Irene and Robert who with teach them and take care of them. Each night Irene puts them to sleep by pushing the spot behind their ears with a click.
One day there is a storm and all types of things wash up on shore including a girl, wounded but alive. Robbert and Irene take care of her. They try to keep Eleanor, Veronika, Caroline, and Isobel away from her and vice versa. It doesn’t work and soon the girl is included in classes and daily life with Eleanor, Veronika, Caroline, and Isobel. Her name is May and she is a different kind of girl than they are.
The author, Gordon Dahlquist's plays Messalina and Delirium Palace were both awarded the Garland Playwriting Award. His debut novel, The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters, a science fiction fantasy set in a Victorian era type period, made the New York Time best selling list. The sequel to The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters, The Dark Volume, was published in 2008, and in March 24, 2009, then a third volume, The Chemickal Marriage was published in 2012. The Different Girl was published in 2013.
The Different Girl is amazing.The writing is superb.Fresh and unique...you don't won't to miss this one.This young adult book is suitable for ages 12 to 112. Just Read it.
January 20, 2013
This is what I wait for. This is why I slog through YA series after series, author after author, mundane retelling after mundane retelling: to find a story that makes me go "SQUEE!!!" (That's an overexcited happy sound to those of you who have never owned a guinea pig or chinchilla.) Oh my, oh my. The Different Girl by Gordon Dahlquist had me so confused I was writhing in literary anticipation. I got the gist of what was going on only after I got over my pig-headed determination that the "different girl" would not be one of the four gals I had already decided upon. Even after the soft reveal, I wanted more. I wanted to know everything. I don't know how to say it without giving it away! I wanted to stop in the middle of the story, call the author, and ask him for more details, more back story, more more MORE!!! I am not saying that the author left too much out, he just revealed it so casually and slowly that I was thirsty for more right away. One reveal got my mind spinning and rethinking everything I had already read only to have another one pop up a little while later. (See what I mean? SQUEE!!!) 5 out of 5 mustard-less sandwiches to Gordon D. Great story if you like sci-fi that is not out of this world and just creepy enough to contain a grain of truth.
February 5, 2013
THE DIFFERENT GIRL by Gordon Dahlquist is a fantastically unique science fiction tale. The mystery that surrounds the entire story and its characters is addicting and we found ourselves unable to put the book down!
Four girls, Veronkia, Caroline, Isobel and Eleanor, live on an island with their caretakers, Robbert and Irene. The girls are seemingly identical in every aspect of their lives. They look the same – except for a drastic difference in their hair colors – do the same things, and think the same way. They live life peacefully and have never questioned their routines.
All that changes however, when May washes ashore. She’s different than the others and is not so willing to accept things the way they are. She is fueled with anger and her questions are never ending.
Her presence isn’t well received on the island, Robbert and Irene flee after catching sight of her, and there is a mysterious aura about the different girl.
Gordon did a fantastic job of building his characters’ emotions. For example...[READ THE REST ON MISS LITERATI]
Four girls, Veronkia, Caroline, Isobel and Eleanor, live on an island with their caretakers, Robbert and Irene. The girls are seemingly identical in every aspect of their lives. They look the same – except for a drastic difference in their hair colors – do the same things, and think the same way. They live life peacefully and have never questioned their routines.
All that changes however, when May washes ashore. She’s different than the others and is not so willing to accept things the way they are. She is fueled with anger and her questions are never ending.
Her presence isn’t well received on the island, Robbert and Irene flee after catching sight of her, and there is a mysterious aura about the different girl.
Gordon did a fantastic job of building his characters’ emotions. For example...[READ THE REST ON MISS LITERATI]
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