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Sharp North #1
Sharp North
Mira lives quietly in a remote community in Scotland - until one day she witnesses a stranger running for her life through the forest. Shot and killed in front of her, the woman's body is quickly removed, the only clue to her death a crumpled piece of paper, and a spot of blood in the snow. Mira discovers the paper contains a list of names, including her own, with another name she recognizes and the word 'watcher' alongside it. Shocked, Mira suddenly begins to view her community with suspicion - and what she discovers throws her whole world into confusion...
448 pages, Paperback
First published November 7, 2005
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589 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
July 14, 2011
This book had the potential to be amazing, but left me feeling extremely short-changed.
The main problem that I had was that characters were killed off much too quickly, before they had the chance to be fully developed. This was a shame, as some of them had the potential to be really interesting and it felt like Cave was taking the easy way out by killing them off. There were also relationships between characters which could have been developed further, but were cut off for no apparent reason.
The ending really bugged me too. I won't give any details, but basically, one of the main characters has died, except you don't know which one until the very last page, and another of the main characters has just disappeared, without any explanation of where they went or if they're even alive. Much of the story is left competely unexplained. If there's one thing that I hate in a story, it's loose ends, and this story is full of them.
I loved the setting of this book, and the characters had huge potential. But it seems like Cave didn't really know where the story was going whe he wrote it, and just left subplots unanswered and killed off characters whenever it seemed like too much hassle to develope them fully. A huge letdown.
The main problem that I had was that characters were killed off much too quickly, before they had the chance to be fully developed. This was a shame, as some of them had the potential to be really interesting and it felt like Cave was taking the easy way out by killing them off. There were also relationships between characters which could have been developed further, but were cut off for no apparent reason.
The ending really bugged me too. I won't give any details, but basically, one of the main characters has died, except you don't know which one until the very last page, and another of the main characters has just disappeared, without any explanation of where they went or if they're even alive. Much of the story is left competely unexplained. If there's one thing that I hate in a story, it's loose ends, and this story is full of them.
I loved the setting of this book, and the characters had huge potential. But it seems like Cave didn't really know where the story was going whe he wrote it, and just left subplots unanswered and killed off characters whenever it seemed like too much hassle to develope them fully. A huge letdown.
April 8, 2013
Sharp North by Patrick Cave is a dystopian novel with a futuristic view on Britain, and what the world would be like if everyone was replaceable. Mira the main character goes on an intense and riveting journey not just physically but also emotionally. Mira had always lived a quiet life in the mountains in Scotland until one day she witnesses a stranger being shot and killed in front of her by strange men in grey outfits. The body is removed quickly and all that is left is a small piece of paper with her name on it and also the name of the lady who was just killed. This piece of paper reveals to Mira the malevolent forces that are shaping the world around her. She has been oblivious to violence such as this in her young teenage life. This revelation changes Mira in an instant. She realizes that everything is connected in such a peculiar way. The men in the grey outfits, the lady killed and the note all tie back to one idea, “perfection”. In Britain, climate has resulted in large amounts of flooding for most of the country. This tough climate change forces large sums of people into the big cites. In these crammed cities there are three groups, the scroats which are the regular people, visions who are genetically perfect and the clones. Clones were spares for the Great Families or the highest most rich and important families of the capital city. The Great Families were made up of visions. They relied on clones to keep the family in power therefore, making artificial genetics and reproductive technologies the backbone or most dependent system in the modern Britain society. Mira found herself to be the clone of Clarissa Saint, the daughter of one of the governors. She is found by Clarissa’s brother Kay Saint who brings them all together. Being a clone was a very dangerous task that a person would never dream of, seeing as the government was looking to hunt down all the clones and kill them off. The three team up to try to demolish the system and set Mira and the other clones free safely. One would appreciate the characters motivation and drive to override a system that is so morally incorrect. Being perfect isn't always beneficial for a society.
The character I found most intriguing throughout the novel was Kay Saint. The novel was partly told from his perspective. Kay lives in a privileged world being a part of the well known Saint family, but what the family does not seem to notice is that he is struggling internally to find his real identity in life. Kay is a drug addict and roams the streets of the city trying to keep away from his bodyguard. He is grateful for the life he has but feels as if he does not quite belong. The reason for this is that he is a scroat who is taken in by the Great Family. The Saint family is looking for the family greatness to evolve from Kay, but he knows that he doesn't have it in him. The worst thing in the world is disappointing the ones you love, so when Kay realizes he is unable to live up to the families standards he becomes disappointed in himself. This is how he became interested in the life of Mira. He averted his energy to something with less pressure on him but in the end takes on an enormous responsibility with the uprising over the system of cloning. I enjoyed watching Kay evolve as a character. He was one of the few characters who didn't become wrapped up in the idea of needing to be perfect; he was real and acted like it too.
This book had the potential to be very compelling and an amazing read, but it just didn't quite make the mark for me. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys dystopias or sci- fi thrillers. The main problem from my perspective was the author switched story lines far too quickly with little to no explanation on how they related. Therefore, I was confused for most of the story. The first 100 pages were intense and I was interested, but then when I started part two of the novel I had a hard time wanting to pick up the book and read. There was a vast lack of action and the events occurring left me confused on their importance to the plot. Also, I was unable to connect and relate to most of the characters in the novel because they were mentioned briefly and then killed off shortly after. The author didn't allow enough time for the characters to develop for the reader to become attached emotionally, therefore I felt uninvested when it came to the thoughts and feelings of those most important to the plot. Lastly, the ending was what bugged me the most about this novel. It left all of my questions unanswered and many of the conflicts or subplots weren't even brought up again to show that they were resolved. This book was painstakingly long for no reason needed which caused me to lose interest. To sum up, this book to me was very confusing and all over the place plot wise. I believe that some people may find this to be an interesting read but for me I didn't enjoy reading this book and wouldn't pick it up to read again for pleasure.
The character I found most intriguing throughout the novel was Kay Saint. The novel was partly told from his perspective. Kay lives in a privileged world being a part of the well known Saint family, but what the family does not seem to notice is that he is struggling internally to find his real identity in life. Kay is a drug addict and roams the streets of the city trying to keep away from his bodyguard. He is grateful for the life he has but feels as if he does not quite belong. The reason for this is that he is a scroat who is taken in by the Great Family. The Saint family is looking for the family greatness to evolve from Kay, but he knows that he doesn't have it in him. The worst thing in the world is disappointing the ones you love, so when Kay realizes he is unable to live up to the families standards he becomes disappointed in himself. This is how he became interested in the life of Mira. He averted his energy to something with less pressure on him but in the end takes on an enormous responsibility with the uprising over the system of cloning. I enjoyed watching Kay evolve as a character. He was one of the few characters who didn't become wrapped up in the idea of needing to be perfect; he was real and acted like it too.
This book had the potential to be very compelling and an amazing read, but it just didn't quite make the mark for me. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys dystopias or sci- fi thrillers. The main problem from my perspective was the author switched story lines far too quickly with little to no explanation on how they related. Therefore, I was confused for most of the story. The first 100 pages were intense and I was interested, but then when I started part two of the novel I had a hard time wanting to pick up the book and read. There was a vast lack of action and the events occurring left me confused on their importance to the plot. Also, I was unable to connect and relate to most of the characters in the novel because they were mentioned briefly and then killed off shortly after. The author didn't allow enough time for the characters to develop for the reader to become attached emotionally, therefore I felt uninvested when it came to the thoughts and feelings of those most important to the plot. Lastly, the ending was what bugged me the most about this novel. It left all of my questions unanswered and many of the conflicts or subplots weren't even brought up again to show that they were resolved. This book was painstakingly long for no reason needed which caused me to lose interest. To sum up, this book to me was very confusing and all over the place plot wise. I believe that some people may find this to be an interesting read but for me I didn't enjoy reading this book and wouldn't pick it up to read again for pleasure.
March 25, 2012
After the ice caps have melted from gradually increasing temperatures and many of the Earth's land masses have flooded, human population has dwindled and survival on this planet is threatened. The families in power have found a way to ensure longevity by cloning the best of themselves.
Mira lives in Great Britain where temperatures used to be somewhat moderate, but now is snowy and icy. She is not sure how she came to be, but a mysterious woman is gunned down in front her. This woman had a cryptic letter in her possession that had Mira's name and others on it. From that moment on, she is on a quest to find out her true identity. Little does she know that her journey will be filled with danger, treachery, deceit, and unspeakable findings.
Sharp North is a frighteningly possible story which shows how medical technology and pursuit of survival at any cost can push people to extremes. This dystopian England and France is horrifying.
Mira lives in Great Britain where temperatures used to be somewhat moderate, but now is snowy and icy. She is not sure how she came to be, but a mysterious woman is gunned down in front her. This woman had a cryptic letter in her possession that had Mira's name and others on it. From that moment on, she is on a quest to find out her true identity. Little does she know that her journey will be filled with danger, treachery, deceit, and unspeakable findings.
Sharp North is a frighteningly possible story which shows how medical technology and pursuit of survival at any cost can push people to extremes. This dystopian England and France is horrifying.
January 21, 2008
This book was really cool. It's been a while since I've read (I leant it to a friend and never got it back) but I remember that it was really intense with great paicng and an interesting protagonist. I have the sequel and am trying to read it, but can't seem to get through it. I might need to re-read this to refresh my memory about the plot.
March 28, 2009
This is one of my absolute favorites!!! I just love the whole idea of the book. That Mira and her whole village in Scotland are clones and Mira pieces the puzzle together. What I didn't like was that Mira dies, but I wouldn't have the book any other way. Patrick Cave is an extraordinary author and I'm so glad that I had to read this book for English!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2015
I always seem to be picking up young adult books either about the supernatural or dystopias. Some of these are very, very good and then there's the outstanding ones like Sharp North.
The action kept you turning the page. There were believable characters, a fascinating future, and twists and turns galore. I will definitely read more of this man's work.
The action kept you turning the page. There were believable characters, a fascinating future, and twists and turns galore. I will definitely read more of this man's work.
July 8, 2018
Sharp North was one of my favorite books as a kid. I loved the fast paced adventure, the mild teen angst, and the sinister overtones that gave the novel this dark, foreboding feel. As an adult, however, the holes in Sharp North become glaringly apparent and its definitely harder to enjoy the story like I once did.
Sharp North is about a young girl named Mira who lives in the remote countryside of a futuristic Scotland, now covered in snow as the result of devastating climate change. When one day she witnesses the murder of a strange woman who was attempting to reach out to her, Mira's life is suddenly cast into doubt and suspicion as she questions everything she has ever known. In a desperate search for answers, Mira embarks on a grueling journey from her quaint homeland to the Capital in the south where she hopes to find the truth about who she is.
The story is promising and, as I said before, very fast paced and full of twists and turns. Rereading the book now though, I wish the moments had more room to breathe. So much takes place with little explanation, as Patrick Cave leaves the readers to make their own conclusions. In a similar fashion, characters are introduced, given minor backstories, and then abruptly disposed off without any kind of finite ending. It's as if they're simply introduced to move the plot along and then discarded of afterwards. The end of the novel felt especially rushed and there were so many plot holes left open that I never caught as a kid. I just discovered there's a sequel to this book but based off of reviews, it doesn't seem like Cave provided any more answers in that story either. It's a shame because I so enjoyed this book when I was young but now I have way too many questions about all the plot points and characters that Cave introduced and then abandoned.
Sharp North is about a young girl named Mira who lives in the remote countryside of a futuristic Scotland, now covered in snow as the result of devastating climate change. When one day she witnesses the murder of a strange woman who was attempting to reach out to her, Mira's life is suddenly cast into doubt and suspicion as she questions everything she has ever known. In a desperate search for answers, Mira embarks on a grueling journey from her quaint homeland to the Capital in the south where she hopes to find the truth about who she is.
The story is promising and, as I said before, very fast paced and full of twists and turns. Rereading the book now though, I wish the moments had more room to breathe. So much takes place with little explanation, as Patrick Cave leaves the readers to make their own conclusions. In a similar fashion, characters are introduced, given minor backstories, and then abruptly disposed off without any kind of finite ending. It's as if they're simply introduced to move the plot along and then discarded of afterwards. The end of the novel felt especially rushed and there were so many plot holes left open that I never caught as a kid. I just discovered there's a sequel to this book but based off of reviews, it doesn't seem like Cave provided any more answers in that story either. It's a shame because I so enjoyed this book when I was young but now I have way too many questions about all the plot points and characters that Cave introduced and then abandoned.
August 11, 2024
I read this book years and years ago, and I didn't remember much of it except for the beginning. Upon re-reading, it's clear why I forgot most of the plot. Part I of Sharp North is strong, in my opinion. It begins with something shocking and a harrowing tale of survival. But Part II brings in a plethora of new characters, all of whom give their perspectives, making the plot muddled and confusing.
Sharp North also suffers from some flat characters. We're told what Mira does and says, but I never felt any of her emotions. At times, it felt like she was on the fence of being a Mary Sue. She never made mistakes even when it would have made sense for her to do so. Or, if it seemed like she'd made a mistake, it always worked out for the best somehow. Kay was also a pretty flat character (who was weirdly attracted to his sister's clone, but that never goes anywhere, so I'll leave it alone). He didn't have a personality beyond trying to locate and save Mira - how he found out about her in the first place was never very clear to me.
I think there's a good concept here, but the execution was hindered by trying to include WAY too many POV's from characters whose perspectives we didn't need. I think Mira's and Kay's personalities could have been more fleshed out if the author had cut most of the POV changes in Part II. In Part III, a significant character APPEARS to die. It's never confirmed, though. There is a sequel to Sharp North, so it's possible that this character is alive and he shows up in the next book, but I'll never know since I don't intend to read it. We're also told that this character was tortured for information before he apparently died - told, not shown. A missed opportunity to make the reader feel something for the character. Overall, if that character is indeed dead, the author did him dirty by killing him off the page.
Part III ended with a pretty good twist. I won't spoil it, but it was a strong ending - just not strong enough to make up for the book's weaknesses or to make me want to read the sequel.
Sharp North also suffers from some flat characters. We're told what Mira does and says, but I never felt any of her emotions. At times, it felt like she was on the fence of being a Mary Sue. She never made mistakes even when it would have made sense for her to do so. Or, if it seemed like she'd made a mistake, it always worked out for the best somehow. Kay was also a pretty flat character (who was weirdly attracted to his sister's clone, but that never goes anywhere, so I'll leave it alone). He didn't have a personality beyond trying to locate and save Mira - how he found out about her in the first place was never very clear to me.
I think there's a good concept here, but the execution was hindered by trying to include WAY too many POV's from characters whose perspectives we didn't need. I think Mira's and Kay's personalities could have been more fleshed out if the author had cut most of the POV changes in Part II. In Part III, a significant character APPEARS to die. It's never confirmed, though. There is a sequel to Sharp North, so it's possible that this character is alive and he shows up in the next book, but I'll never know since I don't intend to read it. We're also told that this character was tortured for information before he apparently died - told, not shown. A missed opportunity to make the reader feel something for the character. Overall, if that character is indeed dead, the author did him dirty by killing him off the page.
Part III ended with a pretty good twist. I won't spoil it, but it was a strong ending - just not strong enough to make up for the book's weaknesses or to make me want to read the sequel.
February 12, 2017
The pacing of this book was a little peculiar. I felt that some of the characters could have done with some more exploration or development. The setting was interesting enough, but I felt a better balance of organically showing more details versus frontloading exposition could have been struck.
A number of situations are left either vague or unresolved by the ending, but I feel that it likely setting up for the sequel.
A number of situations are left either vague or unresolved by the ending, but I feel that it likely setting up for the sequel.
July 16, 2020
This is quite a thrilling and engaging story with a good plot. I have found the end a little but confusing though.
Also, I have read that this is classed as "Teen Fiction" whatever that means. It is not clear from looking at this book that it is Teen Fiction. I certainly enjoyed this book even though I am in my mid-fifties.
Also, I have read that this is classed as "Teen Fiction" whatever that means. It is not clear from looking at this book that it is Teen Fiction. I certainly enjoyed this book even though I am in my mid-fifties.
January 12, 2018
I read a quarter of this book , then scanned through the rest.
It just didn't grab my attention.
It's pointless carrying on when the story is not keeping me engaged, so best to move on to something else.
It just didn't grab my attention.
It's pointless carrying on when the story is not keeping me engaged, so best to move on to something else.
June 2, 2024
The book has an interesting plot and message and overall is a fine read. However, the story does get a bit repetitive, which makes reading the novel a bit of a chore. If the story were a but more concise and clear, then I would have rated it higher.
May 26, 2020
Absolutely terrible the ending was confusing there was no coherent storyline and everyone got killed off way to quickly
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June 25, 2024Couldn’t get past the 3rd chapter. The language was hard to understand at times and I was so confused with how people were introduced that I couldn’t get myself to keep reading
June 10, 2017
Usually when I pick up a book, I'll head over to the book's page to see what the reviews are like. This book has been on my to-read list for YEARS, so imagine my confusion when I saw that it's reviews were ACTUALLY TERRIBLE. Why had I been planning on reading this for so long?? What a dilemma: should I slug through this book that had managed to eek through countless revisions to my to-read list over the years, despite all the trusty Goodreaders who had warned me away? I'm not one to back down from a challenge, even if it is 500 pages long. Foolish? Yes. Misguided? Probably. I clung to the handful of 5 star reviews this book had and read all 500 of those confusing, confusing pages.
I had NO IDEA what was happening through about 60% of this book.
Friends, I am a seasoned reader and like to think I am at least moderately intelligent. Patrick Cave made me question this hypothesis over and over again as I realized for the umpteenth time that I didn't know which character was speaking, what they were trying to say, or how they fit into the story.
To the book's credit, the beginning was pretty good. I was a little put off by the awkward and stilted language of the frat few chapters, but I can deal.
The middle was a mess. It picked up a little speed about 3/4 of the way through, enough for me to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
There were several things that bothered me about the plot.
This book had so much potential. A very cool idea, but really similar to The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer (which is much better written). If you're interested in reading about "spares," I'd recommend that instead of this.
The way in which it was written was meant to be a puzzle, each piece slowly revealed as the book went on. There are ways to do that without completely confusing your readers and forcing many to just give up and move on.
This gets two stars because in all honesty, it did keep my interest. Sure, most of the time I was guessing about what was happening, but I was curious enough to keep going.
I had NO IDEA what was happening through about 60% of this book.
Friends, I am a seasoned reader and like to think I am at least moderately intelligent. Patrick Cave made me question this hypothesis over and over again as I realized for the umpteenth time that I didn't know which character was speaking, what they were trying to say, or how they fit into the story.
To the book's credit, the beginning was pretty good. I was a little put off by the awkward and stilted language of the frat few chapters, but I can deal.
The middle was a mess. It picked up a little speed about 3/4 of the way through, enough for me to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
There were several things that bothered me about the plot.
This book had so much potential. A very cool idea, but really similar to The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer (which is much better written). If you're interested in reading about "spares," I'd recommend that instead of this.
The way in which it was written was meant to be a puzzle, each piece slowly revealed as the book went on. There are ways to do that without completely confusing your readers and forcing many to just give up and move on.
This gets two stars because in all honesty, it did keep my interest. Sure, most of the time I was guessing about what was happening, but I was curious enough to keep going.
April 30, 2013
Terrible ! I hated this book, I have never hated a book so much in my life, the way I hated this book........ I mean I have read a couple of books of this genre,and this is definitely the worst book ever read.. This story starts off where these people are in Britain, and they are seeing it from the point of view where they are viewing the world as if they were living in a world where people are substituted for something else.... It's like they are looking at the world as if everything was changed. This girl named Mira is one of the type of people who don't really do much, because she lives in a quiet world, she is living in the mountains, and throughout the book, you see her journey and the life she is living. You see that she will discover new things, as she is living in Great Britain.
So, this book doesn't deserve a good rating because all of the characters were dying. They were dying left and right. I think that the plot was just extremely quick for a whole 400 something page book. I don't like books that go too quickly. I think the author started off with a good start, but he just started running out of things to say. I felt like he just wanted his characters to all die quickly. I really just wanted to put my book down, but I couldn't because I must finish the book before the school year ended. This book was so terrible that I wanted to put this book down, because everything was just getting ridiculous and blown out of proportion. I thought that the ending was annoying because it was unanswered.... I had to ask so many questions, I had to read the beginning again before I even finished the book. This was just a book that had missing holes, I DON'T RECOMMEND THIS BOOK.
So, this book doesn't deserve a good rating because all of the characters were dying. They were dying left and right. I think that the plot was just extremely quick for a whole 400 something page book. I don't like books that go too quickly. I think the author started off with a good start, but he just started running out of things to say. I felt like he just wanted his characters to all die quickly. I really just wanted to put my book down, but I couldn't because I must finish the book before the school year ended. This book was so terrible that I wanted to put this book down, because everything was just getting ridiculous and blown out of proportion. I thought that the ending was annoying because it was unanswered.... I had to ask so many questions, I had to read the beginning again before I even finished the book. This was just a book that had missing holes, I DON'T RECOMMEND THIS BOOK.
August 20, 2015
It read like a poorly written fanfiction by a girl with rape fantasies. The book was made needlessly longer by paragraph after paragraph of wordy descriptions that didn't really paint a picture of the scene.
The main character started out strong and weakened as the story progressed as if the author was trying to prevent her from being called OP due to how fast she adapts to any situation.
Very disappointing read that doesn't really accomplish anything in the world it's set in.
One more thing, the French usage and when the author chose to translate it was really inconsistent. I took French in high school and understood it for the most part, but I was reading it with my boyfriend and he was like... what the heck? If you're going to throw another language into a book, translate or don't, but pick one and stick to it....
The main character started out strong and weakened as the story progressed as if the author was trying to prevent her from being called OP due to how fast she adapts to any situation.
Very disappointing read that doesn't really accomplish anything in the world it's set in.
One more thing, the French usage and when the author chose to translate it was really inconsistent. I took French in high school and understood it for the most part, but I was reading it with my boyfriend and he was like... what the heck? If you're going to throw another language into a book, translate or don't, but pick one and stick to it....
February 25, 2010
This book was good, but I have definitely read better cloning/dystopia books. For one thing, it was very confusing at times and things seemed to move awfully fast for a YA novel. Characters dropped in and out of the book at random with no further explanation for their purpose in the plot.
The story is set in future Britain, where climate change has resulted in massive amounts of flooding for most of the country, driving people into the big cities. There are three groups of people: Scroats ("regular people"), Visions, and the clones. I was pretty confused by what Visions are, since they were never fully explained. I assume they are humans genetically altered according to their parents' preference. In any case, the government has been replaced by corrupt "Great Families" that want to fill the country with Visions and clones and completely eliminate regular people to ensure that society will be "perfect".
It was a cool concept, and I did enjoy reading it. But like I said, I would have to do a second and third reading to fully understand everything, and even then I think it would be a little too over my head. Overall, I think it was worth the time and effort though.
The story is set in future Britain, where climate change has resulted in massive amounts of flooding for most of the country, driving people into the big cities. There are three groups of people: Scroats ("regular people"), Visions, and the clones. I was pretty confused by what Visions are, since they were never fully explained. I assume they are humans genetically altered according to their parents' preference. In any case, the government has been replaced by corrupt "Great Families" that want to fill the country with Visions and clones and completely eliminate regular people to ensure that society will be "perfect".
It was a cool concept, and I did enjoy reading it. But like I said, I would have to do a second and third reading to fully understand everything, and even then I think it would be a little too over my head. Overall, I think it was worth the time and effort though.
June 22, 2012
This book had the potential to be good..... but it really wasn't.
I found myself wishing for it to be over so I could be done with it already and move on to a better book.
I'm not one to complain about the length of a book. If I am really enjoying a story, I often feel cheated when it's over and wish the author would have found some way to make it even longer so I could indulge in it even more. Not with this one. It was painstakingly, unnecessarily LONG.
The end of the book was ridiculous. It left me with so many questions.. Literally NONE of the things I was wondering about were answered.
And don't even get me started on the fact that he just randomly kills off the main character who I was beginning to really like, and whom the story pretty much revolved around. -___- WTF????
I only gave this 2 stars because for awhile I did enjoy reading it and in my opinion, it is a pretty well written book.
However, the plot is full of holes, the characters are not correctly developed (AND they are randomly killed off) and the end leaves you wondering what the hell even happened to this world and these people.
Total disappointment. At 513 pages... I really would NOT waste your time.
I found myself wishing for it to be over so I could be done with it already and move on to a better book.
I'm not one to complain about the length of a book. If I am really enjoying a story, I often feel cheated when it's over and wish the author would have found some way to make it even longer so I could indulge in it even more. Not with this one. It was painstakingly, unnecessarily LONG.
The end of the book was ridiculous. It left me with so many questions.. Literally NONE of the things I was wondering about were answered.
And don't even get me started on the fact that he just randomly kills off the main character who I was beginning to really like, and whom the story pretty much revolved around. -___- WTF????
I only gave this 2 stars because for awhile I did enjoy reading it and in my opinion, it is a pretty well written book.
However, the plot is full of holes, the characters are not correctly developed (AND they are randomly killed off) and the end leaves you wondering what the hell even happened to this world and these people.
Total disappointment. At 513 pages... I really would NOT waste your time.
February 1, 2010
It's hard to figure how to categorize this amazing read as it touches on some many different themes but still stands uniquely on it's own. Set loosely in Great Britain's future, Sharp North is set in a world where environmental disaster has reshaped the land and a few key families use their financial wealth to control and dominate, Mira is a girl who lives in relative isolation until a stranger who looks strangely like her comes to her village. Drawn in by the similarities and a desire to figure out who this stranger is, Mira leaves all that she knows behind in search of the truth, but instead she encounters a world corrupt and twisted beyond belief. And that's just the first few chapters...
I plowed through this exciting book and then was delighted to find out the next chapter arrives later this summer.
I plowed through this exciting book and then was delighted to find out the next chapter arrives later this summer.
September 9, 2011
I really didn't like this book as much as I thought I would, but it is better than its sequel/prequel. There were parts that were very interesting. I think the concept and setting were good. I like the future world and I think Cave did a fairly decent job of world building. He didn't necessarily do a very good job of explaining everything about the world (what the visions were I still don't know), but I understand what happened to make it what it became. I think the characters and plot are where the story came apart. Plot most of all. The plot was slow. There were times where I really wanted to skip ahead because it was just moving so slow. And there were some characters that I had no idea why they were doing what they were doing (Kay for instance). Didn't make for the most interesting read. Yet I read the sequel/prequel.
April 20, 2013
An interesting look at how 'global warming' will affect society, much being pretty well what futuristic writers have being saying for many years, even prior to the 'global warming' crisis of today. This does stand out for it's portrayal of a bleak future, it's tense unfolding narrative kept me eager to see how the future of the main characters turned out. Somehow though, despite numerous hints that there were big changes to come for society as portrayed, the story seemed to peter out as if the writer had lost interest and just wanted to end with some bland hope for at least one character. Maybe the author had a film series in mind and the future changes have yet to come...? I still feel rather let down, I like to feel satisfied when a book is finished, maybe even looking forward to the next in the series. Not left as if I'm watching a soap opera...next episode...I won't be reading it.
July 14, 2015
I think I read this when I was maybe 14 or 15. I remember hating more than anything and even now I remember why. I remember it being boring. I remember being confused and having to reread chapters because i didn't understand what was going on. I didn't understand why the main character killed one of her friend so early into the story. But the one thing I remember being the most angry about was the fact that the main character was killed off in the end. I'm pretty sure this was the first book other than Anne Frank's diary that I had ever experienced the main character dying. It was a foreign concept to me and it made me so angry that it happened in this book. So yes, that was my immature 15 year old opinion of this book. Since then, as this is the only book that I've ever disliked, I always put this book down as my least favorite book when people ask me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2012
To rate a book I barely could understand? Tje beginning started out slow but made me understand the world Mira lived in HOWEVER this is where it got confusing... She travels to the South to find out who or what she came from. She becomes a Scroat a derogatory title given to those that are NOT a GREAT family member. Okkk this is what I understood: Kay takes a "liking" to this Scroat (mira) why? Who knows! He gives her stuff(why? Who knows) hates being in a Great Family.. You guessed it! Why?... ;-). Kay wants to be with Mira, cloned mother? Sister? Wth? Ancestor? Who are the men in gray?? Lets blame it on the wine I consumed while trying to "get" this book. I read 38 chapters nope! Didnt even finish it. Anyone care to fill me in on wth this book was please do :)
August 25, 2012
Maybe this book just had bad timing for me.
I've read quite a few books with the same concept. I think they set a standard (or maybe once you've read one, you've read them all concept?!) - but I enjoyed the first few books about it better.
This one just seemed like a never ending drama - although the drama never got interesting enough to hold me. I really liked the main character, Mira and Kay. I would have enjoyed it more had their personalities and interactions been more flushed out. Instead, it seemed in many many areas that things just drug out. That we could go whole chapters with very little other than food gathering happening. It just lost my interest.
I wasn't invested with any of the characters and the plot just seemed to spread out to hold me.
I've read quite a few books with the same concept. I think they set a standard (or maybe once you've read one, you've read them all concept?!) - but I enjoyed the first few books about it better.
This one just seemed like a never ending drama - although the drama never got interesting enough to hold me. I really liked the main character, Mira and Kay. I would have enjoyed it more had their personalities and interactions been more flushed out. Instead, it seemed in many many areas that things just drug out. That we could go whole chapters with very little other than food gathering happening. It just lost my interest.
I wasn't invested with any of the characters and the plot just seemed to spread out to hold me.
February 18, 2015
I really really wanted to like this book but it was sooo confusing. I was totally lost through most of it. The ending got a lot better but with 500+ pages a few good chapters made the book hard to rate above a 2 star for me. This book would have been awesome if the author had taken some time to explain a few things in the first couple of chapters. I realize the intention was to build interest and suspense. But this is a long book and with that much reading, at least for me,I like a little taste of what's cooking. I would like to know how things turn out but,uugghh, I dunno, I'm not sure I could endure the next book in the series. So for right now, based off this book, the first in this series, I can't give a recommend.
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April 2, 2009This is the way a cretin begins a book review, but I can't help it. My main response to Sharp North is: This book was long. Very, very long. It was an interesting read, but seemed to take me forever.
Sharp North is about Mira, who strikes out from her remote village when she realizes that her adoptive parents and the neighbors she has grown up with are hiding terrible secrets from her. What these secrets are, Mira (and the reader) only learns far, far into the book. The genetic intrigue make this a possible recommendation for readers who are interested in dystopian society, genetic engineering, and (spoiler!) cloning.
Sharp North is about Mira, who strikes out from her remote village when she realizes that her adoptive parents and the neighbors she has grown up with are hiding terrible secrets from her. What these secrets are, Mira (and the reader) only learns far, far into the book. The genetic intrigue make this a possible recommendation for readers who are interested in dystopian society, genetic engineering, and (spoiler!) cloning.
June 28, 2010
This book kind of made me mad. It was really good in parts but it is just too long and some of it was confusing (not well explained). In the end, I liked it better until I read the author's notes at the end and realized that he truly believes this stuff will happen one day (global warming to the point the Europe will freeze over, human cloning for the rich, and so on). That bugged me, to me that is all science fiction and pretty far fetched. The book, to him, was a political statement----one that I do not buy into. I wish I had not read his notes!!! But, even so, I did like the book enough to finish it want to know what the ending was. It was just way too long!
December 8, 2012
Ugh. I had a horribly hard time finishing this. The first 100 pages were pretty good. Got me interested. Then, once Part Two started, it lost nearly ALL the momentum.
Further, the social structure of the society, involving Visions, Scroats, and Saints, was never completely explained. I can deal with unanswered questions in a book, but there are critical items which must be laid out in order for the reader to get what's going on.
Sequel? No. And that's a big thing for me. I generally like to see a series through. I kept reading because I really hoped it would pick back up. It didn't.
Bleh. Just....bleh.
Further, the social structure of the society, involving Visions, Scroats, and Saints, was never completely explained. I can deal with unanswered questions in a book, but there are critical items which must be laid out in order for the reader to get what's going on.
Sequel? No. And that's a big thing for me. I generally like to see a series through. I kept reading because I really hoped it would pick back up. It didn't.
Bleh. Just....bleh.
July 25, 2017
I loved this book! Read the first half over a couple days, then was so engrossed I literally couldn't put it down until I finished it, four hours later (at 4 a.m.).
The main character, Mira, learns that she is part of a mystery and sets out to find the truth about herself. What ensues is one action-packed scene after another, written in such vivid detail that I wonder that someone hasn't picked this up to make a movie yet. The characters are all well-fleshed out, the scenes and scenery vivid and realistic.
The main character, Mira, learns that she is part of a mystery and sets out to find the truth about herself. What ensues is one action-packed scene after another, written in such vivid detail that I wonder that someone hasn't picked this up to make a movie yet. The characters are all well-fleshed out, the scenes and scenery vivid and realistic.
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