2013 Hub Reading Challenge discussion

I just finished reading this today and was tickled but really not that surprised at the ending. (Although I admit I did kind of mentally hold my breath at certain points and was shaking my head and silently saying No! No! No! a lot of the time.) It was interesting to read this not long after reading Alif the Unseen . Alif was nominated for the Alex, but did not end up being a winner. Personally, I preferred Alif, so I'm very curious about other folks' thoughts about this book, especially those who have read both Alif and Penumbra.

I read both Alif and Penumbra and I agree with you. I think I connected more with the characters in Alif then I did with Penumbra. The fairy tale elements were really great and I think the Mid East vibe made even the normal, every day life stuff seem fantastical.

But I did really like Penumbra. I liked the San Francisco setting and the people who inhabited the book. The romance felt like the weakest plot element, but the use of technology really worked for me.

I really enjoyed this book! I loved the intersection of history and technology.

The whole time I was reading it, though, I kept thinking it would be a good entry in the dreaded "New Adult" category. Although, frankly, I would like that category more if it were just called "Quarter-Life Crisis."

I really enjoyed this one, too, especially with the San Francisco setting. I agree that this would fit well in a "new adult" category, as I don't see it appealing much to teens in general.

I was a little thrown off by the change in location