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In search of words
This word search puzzle book was created to challenge the mind as each puzzle is being solved. The print of the puzzles is large to facilitate an easier find which makes it suitable for all age groups from young adults to senior citizens. Solving word search puzzles is a great way to increase one's attention span, enhance creative thinking, and also help to increase one's vocabulary. Indulge in this word search puzzle book and enjoy all the benefits it has to offer.
Unknown Binding
First published September 1, 2014
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September 28, 2018
-deep breath-
This book has a lot of issues.
Like so many I'm probably going to end up not touching on them all because I'll just plain (hopefully) forget this book even as I type this review.
My first issue was with the writing style. I know in the blurb the book expresses the opinion of being 'Written for all ages...' but it really wasn't. The book was written in third person omnipresent with a heavy focus on our main character, Cedric. Cedric is 13 years old. Now, obviously there are exceptions to this next statement but GENERALLY, a book with a protagonist this age is considered a YA, and YA is typically writing in first person. Third person POV's are typically reserved for MG (middle grade) and Adult fiction. I'm going to assume this may be because most kids are easily scared and would therefore not benefit from being forced into a first person POV during a scary situation. Adults on the other hand are more judgemental and have also already gone through their 'crazy teenage phase', they probably have a harder time identifying with most adult fiction protagonists and would rather be witness to the drama than being forced to be a part of it through a first person narrative.
ISOW's contradictory third person POV is also knocked down another peg due to the author seeming to have chosen the wrong writing style. Usually for books, poems, or any base of fiction story telling is written using the Narrative Writing Style, but this style reads more as a text book. We later learn in the book that the story is actually a 'diary' (formerly a note taking book) written by Cedric's Godfather regarding Cedric's recovery. And unfortunately that is the only explanation that makes sense.
The tone of the book is consistently condescending - filled with unrealistic characters and facts seemingly made for the purpose of tainting the view of said characters. The reason why YA is written mostly in first person is to deter the author from writing in a way the comes off as looking down at teenagers (or their own teenage years) in a derogatory way that does nothing but alienate the teenage audience. ISOW alienates what you would think would be the target audience (teenagers like the main cast) by constantly viewing said characters as predictable, the not fun kind of edgy, and dramatic. Interspersed through this are little psychological quips and facts about the futility of teenage emotion.
At a point in the book it felt like a straight up mockery of how teenagers act. There's a random school trip thrown in for two chapters where the characters yeet off to a foreign country and help build a school. An equally random 'rule' or challenge is put forward that the kids should only communicate in sign language (not a real one, as none of the characters actually know sign language despite the main character being a mute). This leads to the idea that none of the locals can speak English. Insert two girls, described as beautiful, gorgeous, or 'exotic' -que shivering- in every other sentence. And some naughty one liners from boys who think these girls (twins too, oooh) don't understand them. They do. In fact the twins school and the current visiting school are down the road from one another:
"There was a noisy mix of 'wows', 'oh dear', and 'really?' amid various thoughts of hope, expectations, but probably more so, regret from the boys.
"We enjoyed every moment of..." All the female staff and pupils from Harborne were scoffing and jeering at their male counterparts. The remaining words of the young lady were totally ignored. This night would obviously become the most talked about historic events in the life of the school. There was now increased hope for some of the boys, as Malvern Heath Girls School was within an hour's journey to Harborne.
As the farewell programme began, the joyful mood returned. The twin sisters were now surrounded by young admirers."
The entire book is written this way. As if a compilation of half written notes. To be honest this is why I hate the idea that the book is actually the godfather's diary. Because then the writing style makes sense and whoop-dee-doo no one has to take responsibility for this style other than a fictional character.
The characters themselves aren't fully fledged yet. Their motives are clear - Cedric wants to recover his speech and piano ability, Allison wants to retain her singing ability and not die, Justin wants a signed baseball and Allison, and Weimin wants Cedric, I think. But the way they go about this is so windy and unnecessary. Like Allison and Cedric have a thing too I guess? And Justin, after appearing to be her dearly devoted husband of forty years is A-Okay with sharing her with Cedric? But like, not? And no body seems to tell Weimin about this. Despite the fact that she's also been married to Cedric for roughly the same time, apparently. Not really though that's just how they act. Like in one chapter we learn Justin has a crush on Allison, it's chill, they have never spoken to one another or appeared to have known of each other before but now they do (coz plot). And in the next we have Allison refer to Justin as her boyfriend... WHEN? Are there chapters missing or do teenagers no longer have the whole 'asking someone out' thing? Same happens with Weimin and Cedric, they like each other, only this time they meet but don't talk because "As Asians were usually more reserved when expressing their feelings, they looked at each other with sweet smiles, and the noise around them did not seem to disturb their intimacy." And then bang, bf and gf. That's how it goes now kids, stake your claim and never be questioned.
In all honesty its hard to relate to characters that are constantly referred to in the narrative as 'poor things' or 'highly unstable/emotional' or other condescending terms. As readers we want to feel strong and in charge but these characters seem purely reactionary, and not really ever proactive in their plot lines. This type of character type is most common in MG.
Is the whole 'written for all ages...' thing because the story takes from every category and uses their techniques willy nilly?
There were also some disgusting throw away sentences that belittled some very serious subjects, such a suicide, homicide, racism, sexism, and pedophilia. For no reason. It came off very childishly and gave the book an overall feeling of not being thought through properly.
I'm so tired of thinking about this book critically all I can say about the pacing was that it was whack and slow.
I'm done, I can't think about this book anymore. Props to the author as this is his debut novel and his day job is an accountant but I would suggest (if this line of career is further pursued) that some swift research on story telling and techniques (at the very least) be done.
This book has a lot of issues.
Like so many I'm probably going to end up not touching on them all because I'll just plain (hopefully) forget this book even as I type this review.
My first issue was with the writing style. I know in the blurb the book expresses the opinion of being 'Written for all ages...' but it really wasn't. The book was written in third person omnipresent with a heavy focus on our main character, Cedric. Cedric is 13 years old. Now, obviously there are exceptions to this next statement but GENERALLY, a book with a protagonist this age is considered a YA, and YA is typically writing in first person. Third person POV's are typically reserved for MG (middle grade) and Adult fiction. I'm going to assume this may be because most kids are easily scared and would therefore not benefit from being forced into a first person POV during a scary situation. Adults on the other hand are more judgemental and have also already gone through their 'crazy teenage phase', they probably have a harder time identifying with most adult fiction protagonists and would rather be witness to the drama than being forced to be a part of it through a first person narrative.
ISOW's contradictory third person POV is also knocked down another peg due to the author seeming to have chosen the wrong writing style. Usually for books, poems, or any base of fiction story telling is written using the Narrative Writing Style, but this style reads more as a text book. We later learn in the book that the story is actually a 'diary' (formerly a note taking book) written by Cedric's Godfather regarding Cedric's recovery. And unfortunately that is the only explanation that makes sense.
The tone of the book is consistently condescending - filled with unrealistic characters and facts seemingly made for the purpose of tainting the view of said characters. The reason why YA is written mostly in first person is to deter the author from writing in a way the comes off as looking down at teenagers (or their own teenage years) in a derogatory way that does nothing but alienate the teenage audience. ISOW alienates what you would think would be the target audience (teenagers like the main cast) by constantly viewing said characters as predictable, the not fun kind of edgy, and dramatic. Interspersed through this are little psychological quips and facts about the futility of teenage emotion.
At a point in the book it felt like a straight up mockery of how teenagers act. There's a random school trip thrown in for two chapters where the characters yeet off to a foreign country and help build a school. An equally random 'rule' or challenge is put forward that the kids should only communicate in sign language (not a real one, as none of the characters actually know sign language despite the main character being a mute). This leads to the idea that none of the locals can speak English. Insert two girls, described as beautiful, gorgeous, or 'exotic' -que shivering- in every other sentence. And some naughty one liners from boys who think these girls (twins too, oooh) don't understand them. They do. In fact the twins school and the current visiting school are down the road from one another:
"There was a noisy mix of 'wows', 'oh dear', and 'really?' amid various thoughts of hope, expectations, but probably more so, regret from the boys.
"We enjoyed every moment of..." All the female staff and pupils from Harborne were scoffing and jeering at their male counterparts. The remaining words of the young lady were totally ignored. This night would obviously become the most talked about historic events in the life of the school. There was now increased hope for some of the boys, as Malvern Heath Girls School was within an hour's journey to Harborne.
As the farewell programme began, the joyful mood returned. The twin sisters were now surrounded by young admirers."
The entire book is written this way. As if a compilation of half written notes. To be honest this is why I hate the idea that the book is actually the godfather's diary. Because then the writing style makes sense and whoop-dee-doo no one has to take responsibility for this style other than a fictional character.
The characters themselves aren't fully fledged yet. Their motives are clear - Cedric wants to recover his speech and piano ability, Allison wants to retain her singing ability and not die, Justin wants a signed baseball and Allison, and Weimin wants Cedric, I think. But the way they go about this is so windy and unnecessary. Like Allison and Cedric have a thing too I guess? And Justin, after appearing to be her dearly devoted husband of forty years is A-Okay with sharing her with Cedric? But like, not? And no body seems to tell Weimin about this. Despite the fact that she's also been married to Cedric for roughly the same time, apparently. Not really though that's just how they act. Like in one chapter we learn Justin has a crush on Allison, it's chill, they have never spoken to one another or appeared to have known of each other before but now they do (coz plot). And in the next we have Allison refer to Justin as her boyfriend... WHEN? Are there chapters missing or do teenagers no longer have the whole 'asking someone out' thing? Same happens with Weimin and Cedric, they like each other, only this time they meet but don't talk because "As Asians were usually more reserved when expressing their feelings, they looked at each other with sweet smiles, and the noise around them did not seem to disturb their intimacy." And then bang, bf and gf. That's how it goes now kids, stake your claim and never be questioned.
In all honesty its hard to relate to characters that are constantly referred to in the narrative as 'poor things' or 'highly unstable/emotional' or other condescending terms. As readers we want to feel strong and in charge but these characters seem purely reactionary, and not really ever proactive in their plot lines. This type of character type is most common in MG.
Is the whole 'written for all ages...' thing because the story takes from every category and uses their techniques willy nilly?
There were also some disgusting throw away sentences that belittled some very serious subjects, such a suicide, homicide, racism, sexism, and pedophilia. For no reason. It came off very childishly and gave the book an overall feeling of not being thought through properly.
I'm so tired of thinking about this book critically all I can say about the pacing was that it was whack and slow.
I'm done, I can't think about this book anymore. Props to the author as this is his debut novel and his day job is an accountant but I would suggest (if this line of career is further pursued) that some swift research on story telling and techniques (at the very least) be done.
May 3, 2019
A very interesting book that had a simple yet emotional storyline. The book was very relatable and you could understand why the characters were feeling a certain way when they did. a tad bit slow in some small areas both other than that, the book was a great read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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