The Many Lives of John Stone

by Linda Buckley-Archer

A teen questions all she knows about aging when she encounters a set of journals that date from the present back to the reign of King Louis XIV in this “absorbing portrait of the court of Versailles” ( Kirkus Reviews ) from the author of the acclaimed Gideon trilogy.

Stella Park (Spark for short) has found summer work cataloging historical archives in John Stone’s remote and beautiful house in Suffolk, England. She wasn’t quite sure what to expect, and her uncertainty about living at Stowney House only increases upon what kind of people live in the twenty-first century without using electricity, telephones, or even a washing machine? Additionally, the notebooks she’s organizing span centuries—they begin in the court of Louis XIV in Versailles—but are written in the same hand. Something strange is going on for sure, and Spark’s questions are piling up. Who exactly is John Stone? What connection does he have to these notebooks? And more importantly, why did he hire her in the first place?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult, Time Travel, Fiction, Historical, Historical Fantasy

544 pages, Paperback

First published October 20, 2015

About the author

Linda Buckley-Archer is a London-based writer. Originally trained as a linguist and subsequently a scriptwriter, she became a novelist after writing a story for her son, who was a reluctant reader. That story became the first volume of the time-traveling GIDEON TRILOGY, which featured the dark side of 18th-century London as well as the French and American Revolutions. The trilogy was translated into ten languages. Her latest novel, THE MANY LIVES OF JOHN STONE, is published on 20th October, 2015.

Reviews

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Many Lives of John Stone is an unusual book. Told in multiple dimensions and through two main characters, it is a story unlike any other I have read.

With a very slow start and a writing style truly unique in voice, it took me a bit to get into it but once there, it wasn't hard to read on and want to know the rest of the story.

Sadly this was not a time travel story but rather you traveled back in time through the entries of a diary, and while somewhat disappointed at that, I did enjoy the diary entries.

It was fascinating to learn about court life in France and the history buff in me couldn't help but gravitate towards those entries more than anything else. Especially as the story unfolded and we really got to know who John Stone is.

While sometimes wordy in description, the story did have a unique take on the overall plot of the story and in the end, I did end up enjoying this more than I initially thought I would.

*An ARC Copy of this was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review also found at http://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/2...

** I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. The Expected publication date is October 20th**

I am really struggling with how to pen my thoughts on this story. It really is not like any others I have read and I have read a lot of books. It is a melting pot of genres which in my mind is really kind of cool. It is part historical fictions which we all know is my most favored genres, then we also have a YA element (although not a short light read) and part fantasy or paranormal or I am not so sure what to label it.

There really are no mysteries to solve in this story as the synopsis suggests. As the reader you know exactly what is going on and any questions are easily guessed or answered right away. Also some advice for those who wish to read this story. Be patient with it at first. It started a little slow and I questioned my decision to take on this story. It picks up speed and you are rewarded if you stick with it.

Given that the book synopsis does not give much of the story away, I feel I cannot as well. To discuss some of the plot and storyline would be to give spoilers which I do not do. Instead I will leave these parting thoughts

• This is a story that people are either going to love or hate. I don't see many people falling in the middle
• The historical fiction aspect was my favorite part and what made the story rewarding for me
• Although I say this is a YA read, it is not a light and fluffy story. I would only recommend it to YA readers who are serious about their books and enjoy a bit of history
• For everyone else I recommend

[Jeff]

I didn't really understand this one on a few levels. If it's trying to be a time travel/immortal mystery, it's just too quiet to be truly compelling. If it's trying to be a more mysterious historical fictiony-type thing, why introduce a minor weirdness that is almost too small to notice halfway through? And why on earth is this being marketed to teens? Age it up, give it some teeth, and you might actually have an interesting story here instead of a book for teens written in sometimes-arcane language that, in part, follows a grown adult doing grown adult things.

Just an overwhelmingly frustrating read that I gave more time to than I ultimately should have. So much potential that missed the mark entirely.

[Elevetha]

IT'S LABELED UNDER "TIME TRAVEL" ON THE SIMON AND SCHUSTER WEBSITE.



Possible description found here:

"When seventeen-year-old Spark takes a summer job working at a secluded house in England, organizing journals that span centuries and all written in the same hand, she discovers her true connection to the people who live there and the trait that makes them unique."

EDIT.

Oooh, yay, GR has a description up!

[Ruthsic · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stella Park (Spark for short) has found summer work cataloging historical archives in John Stone’s remote and beautiful house in Suffolk, England. She wasn’t quite sure what to expect, and her uncertainty about living at Stowney House only increases upon arriving: what kind of people live in the twenty-first century without using electricity, telephones, or even a washing machine? Additionally, the notebooks she’s organizing span centuries—they begin in the court of Louis XIV in Versailles—but are written in the same hand. Something strange is going on for sure, and Spark’s questions are piling up. Who exactly is John Stone? What connection does he have to these notebooks? And more importantly, why did he hire her in the first place?

First of all, this is not a time travel book and that blurb is misleading with regards to plot. Considering genres and blurbs are what usually get me into a book, I was a bit miffed on this point. Had I not known of this before going into the book, could my experience have been different? I doubt it. The plot revolves around John Stone, so much so that even in third person account, his full name John Stone is used in every sentence. I get it - it was the anglicized version of his French name, but it was a bit discomforting to the eye. So John aka Jean-Pierre, lived in the court of The Sun King, a time when being morally upstanding was perhaps not the best in a court full of manipulations. John being what he is (I will refrain from spoiling readers), he is considered an anomaly, but a curious one - something to keep as part of a collection. Most of the book chronicles his time in the court - which hardly has anything much to do with the current era, plot-wise. See, Jean was taught to keep his existence a secret, so he keeps it even in the current age, living with two other people of his kind, in seclusion, somewhere in Suffolk.

He is Monsieur Broody - that's how exhausting his recollection of his 'lives' have been (another way the title is misleading, along with the cover!). He hires Stella as an intern to organize his archives, but actually wants her to be their Friend, a confidant, based on the fact that he suspects she is his dead wife's daughter. And while he is on a deadline, he takes his own sweet time to letting her know of her heritage, rather than, I don't know - letting her de-crypt the archives and find out herself. No, she gets that at the end of the book, in the form of the notebooks which we read throughout the book. So while there could have been more interesting stories as to his 'family' pasts so that she can understand them better, he regales her with a long saga of his first love and time at the glorious court of Henry XIV.

And what was more frustrating was the slow pace of the book - I was constantly looking at the progress bar to see when it will end. There wasn't much in way of conflict, and the thing about the assassin was never resolved. Why exactly did the assassin strike? I thought there would be contemporary repercussions to it, but nada. The only conflict was a stubborn man's pride and unwillingness to depend on those close to him, but miraculously that is all resolved in a matter of sentences at the end of the book. Basically, this was exhausting for me to read.

Received a free galley from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers via Edelweiss; this does not influence my opinions or review.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most interesting and enjoyable books I have read in a long time. I picked it up to see if it would be a good choice for my teenage daughter, and couldn't put it down. The characters were well written and so interesting and the book was not predictable as I feel so many are. I think it is a terrific read for all ages, not just the YA audience.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very nice

I liked the difference in how things were presented in this book and the exploration of an idea of immorality. The ending is a bit sad, but what we were expecting the entire book. Definitely read if you like emotional turmoil and sweet thoughts.

[Kristine Asselin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quiet, but a lovely read. I especially loved the chapters in Versailles.

[Elaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review coming soon!

[Link Oberon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I felt that this book could have had a better climax. It had a really great set up, and I just feel that the author didn’t use the plot to their full advantage.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm...this one is a bit difficult to rate. Overall, I did enjoy reading the book even if it didn't quite live up to my hopes. I almost DNF'd because it is quite slow to get started, but I actually got into it as we went into the past and the story picked up and the writing language became beautiful. I think it will be easier to do a pros and cons list:

Pros:
-Wonderful (sometimes poetic) descriptive writing style, filled with unique metaphors/similes that would be easy to gloss over, but are truly amazing if you take the time to sift out the meaning and realize the accuracy.
-The overall concept of figuring out our purpose and meaning in life; even those who have lived rather long lives, struggle with deciding what they were meant to do in this life of joys and sorrows.
-The emotions and detail of the story line taking place in the past

Cons:
-I really wish we could have gotten a still detailed, but more condensed version of the entirety of the notebooks. There is such detail put into a short portion, but then we receive a brief summary of what happened between then and the present. The fact that we learn little to nothing about John's time with Therese was especially surprising and frustrating.
-Spark's reaction to the "secret" of John Stone's life was remarkably subtle. She accepted the truth of his life with little to no questioning.
-The biggest "surprise" of the book could be guessed very very early on by most readers, I would imagine.
-The ending seemed to be wrapped up quite quickly and didn't feel like a full, satisfying conclusion.

So, yes, there are more cons than pros. However, I don't regret not DNF'ing. I would probably have given 2 stars, but the author's writing and way with words made me bump it to a 3.

[Karina Babcock · Rating 4 out of 5]

CONTAINS SPOILERS. The Many Lives Of John Stone by Linda Buckley Archer. 4/5. The Many Lives Of John Stone is a novel that revolves around the concept of longevity and people that are sempervivum. But to the extremist of the extreme of circumstances. Protagonist Stella Park (Spark) is hired to organize notebooks at a man named John Stone’s house in Suffolk, England. Two other people live there, named Martha and Jacob, and the description of odd fits them both pretty well. To her surprise Spark finds these notebooks span from modern times all the way back to the sixteen hundreds - and they are all written in the same handwriting and written by someone named Jean-Pierre who lived in the seventeenth century. Stowney House is a peculiar place, and the more she learns about it, the more she realizes she doesn’t know about the place, its people and the secrets that all of it has in hiding.
This novel took the concepts of longevity and being a sempervivum to a whole other ball game. The owner of the Suffolk Estate, called Stowney House, is a sempervivum. His name is John Stone; but he’s also Jean-Pierre. This was a book unlike any other I’d ever read before - it had narration in a unique format, too. Part of was narrated by Spark, and parts were copies of John Stone’s notebooks, his diaries going all the way back from when he worked in the Sun King Louis XIV’s palace in Versailles. It was interesting to see the historical input that Jean-Pierre/John Stone had as he grew up a few hundred years ago, and the impact that it had on his life and the lives of others in the modern day.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buckley-Archer, Linda The Many Lives of John Stone, 529 pgs. Simon and Schuster, 2015. $11.99 Content: Language: PG (1 swear); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG.

Spark has been hired to catalog old manuscripts at a remote estate in England. The man who hired her, John Stone, has written his very long life story in notebooks, and has kept his ancestors notebooks as well. He hopes that Spark is the person he can trust with his family’s secret of a long life, but as John Stone’s own life starts to catch up with him he realizes that Spark means more to him that he thought.

This book had a slow and disconnected beginning, but once the story started to come together, I couldn’t put it down. It flashes between John Stone’s life during the 1680’s in Versailles, and Spark’s life in current day England and I found myself so involved in whichever story I was in I didn’t want it to switch. I was disappointed in the ending because I felt like it had a couple of loose ends. It’s quite a lengthy book and although I enjoyed it I’m not sure young adults would stick with the slow beginning.

MS, HS – OPTIONAL. Reviewer, C. Peterson.
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017...

[Stephanie A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a CHONKER, but at least the font is decently-sized. And, to be fair, it's really two books in one, a great portion being given over to the memoir of Jean-Pierre's youth at Versailles in the court of Louis XIV.

I'm honestly pretty impressed by the scope of this saga, the fantasic amount of research poured into it, and the author's take on quasi-immortality as a genetic quirk. I admired John Stone in the present, ached for Martha (Jacob can take a header from the trees for all I care), and loved the descriptions of the beautiful, isolated Stowney House. Honestly thought there would be a little more to Spark's archival job before she gets spooked out for a while, but that's a mild complaint.

I also admired the author's determination to include present-day chapters from Stone's point of a view, and to divide them almost equally with Spark's, in fine and rare form for YA.

For the record, this is a positive 3-star rating. It's not an above average read for me personally because I don't love third-person present tense, am not overly enchanted by French history, and probably won't read this one again. But I was nevertheless engaged the whole way through, so if the premise interests you, definitely pick it up.

[Camille Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello, wonderful people here on Goodreads. Here is what I thought of the book.

The only downside, as another reviewer mentioned, is that the beginning is a tad slow. The reader is bombarded with many unclear terms and scenarios that are explained as the book continues. With that said, continuing to read was one of the best decisions I've made in a while.

One of my pet peeves in novels is when the author switches from a past and present perspective, so having the past perspective in a diary form was very helpful for me, and provided all the clarity I needed.

Lastly, I want to mention how beautifully executed the character development of Isabelle is. I found myself nearly crying out in protest when John throws Isabelle's necklace in the water, and blowing a kiss at her portrait along with him.

Overall, this is an emotional read, and an unconventional love story of sorts.

[Jenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

An intriguing concept, but a rather tedious delivery. I did enjoy the general writing style, and rhythm of the dialogue, but the alternating points of view (from Spark's, John Stone's, and the anonymous author of the French historical notebooks) made it difficult to truly delve into their minds. Had it been from only Spark's viewpoint, we would've been intrigued, curious, and shocked when the final revelations actually do come up. Instead, all I felt was "finally!!"

This is not a time travel story. It simply takes place in different time periods...

[Allie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like other reviewers have said, the book is very slow. I gave it 200 pages but then started skimming over many of the chapters. While some of the writing is lovely, the lack of engaging plot really hurt the novel overall. Pretty much every important plot point is obvious or revealed to the reader before it is to Spark, so most of the book’s action is merely us watching her piece together what we already know. There’s almost no suspense, which is tough to take in a 500-page book. I’m glad I skipped most of the middle because I don’t feel like I missed anything. Overall I wouldn’t recommend it.

[Celeste · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was really slow at first, but then I got sucked in and really enjoyed the story. The characters are interesting, but not necessarily easy to relate to. The only reason I give it 3 instead of 4 stars is because after reading 530 pages I wanted a better ending and I felt like there were a few plot lines left open. (Around the Year Challenge: a dual-timeline novel) Also reviewed on kissthebook blog

[Taylor · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was so slow I couldn't finish. I stopped about halfway through and skimmed the last few chapters. All the problems were also solved way too easily like your sick? Did you try the doctor? And then the prescription works so it's basically just any trip to the doctor. I was also not really interested in a child who was like I can't be immortal because I love a girl I barely know. He's basically Romeo for the first half of the book.

[Corinna Lumbard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a solid 3.5 star read for me.

I had low expectations coming in to this one, as I find most of my YA reading disappointing. This story follows two main plot lines, one in modern day, and one in Versailles under the Sun King’s rule. The book explores life and longevity, power and politics, first love and the meaning of family. It’s a lot to pack into a book but for the most part it is done well.

Unfortunately there were some rather large story threads that were never resolved by the novels end. I’m fine with open ended but this veered into plot hole territory. I still enjoyed the experience of reading this book even if it wasn’t able to reach its full potential.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very engaging read. There were areas that were slow, and there were bits that were predictable, but overall it was fun and made me not want to put it down. I liked the mix of history and modern. I think this would be a good book for anyone who liked Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly as well as a good book for fans of Doctor Who.

[starlitpages.sya · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me it felt nostalgic reading this book, absorbingly atmospherical. The characters, their stories, their journeys, just reminded me of life in general, of humans in general - in a bittersweet way. The book wasn't perfect, I had some "why not?" and "what if" moments but they weren't problems. Loved it. 4 stars.

[Brenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I actually didn't finish this book. It had such an interesting premise, but it was very slow. I found myself putting it down and not really feeling motivated to pick it up. I enjoyed what I did read, but I have other books that I do actually want to read so I decided to discontinue reading this book about half way through.

[Joe Holman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an interesting "what if" when it comes to living super long. Would that be a blessing or a curse. As the book unfolded, I could envision multiple endings. I'm glad the author chose that ending.

[Erin Corley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little slow at the start, but once you start making connections it is a beautiful story. I loved the ending so much.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but super long

[Whitney · Rating 2 out of 5]

This really was a 2.5, and would probably have been higher, except that it didn't add anything new to a well-worn drama.

[Edelweiss · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really interesting read, and a study in cultural contrasts. I enjoyed it, and probably will try to give it away if I can find a prospective reader.

[Rena Del · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is 10/5 stars possible? This was fun innovative and I didn't know what would happen next which kept me spellbound for all 500+ pages of this fiction.