I started and finished A Sense of Direction in one evening; I couldn't really stop thinking about it, so I couldn't put it down. I found it...
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I love Markus Zusak's writing style. He writes as his characters would think and talk. The book is written from the perspective of a 19 year old Australian boy who is trying to figure out his place in the world. He is a flawed character who makes mistakes, takes forever to act, and can retreat far into himself. His flaws make him human and his struggles make the reader think. This book challenges readers to think beyond a good story and to ask the tough ethical questions of the grey areas in life. As Ed Kennedy struggles to answer the questions of "who am I?" and "What the hell am I doing with my life?" the reader in turn asks the same questions. Ed is challenged in the story but at the same time, he challenges readers as well.
This book was very well written and had a great balance between present time and flashback. Often when I read books that have two main timelines I am confused but Ford goes between the World War 2 timeline and the present timeline seamlessly. I became invested in both stories fully and fully believed that they were related to each other. The story itself is a brilliant tale told in a unique perspective of a young Chinese boys life of Japanese persecution in World War 2 and the effect of it in his later years. It is heartfelt and powerful. The characters are so real that I felt I knew them on a personal level. All in all, I loved it.
This book is very honest about teenage boyhood, life as a Native American, tension between races, and much more. Sherman Alexie doesn't try to sugar-coat his characters but portrays them each as flawed individuals trying to figure out what the hell is going on their life right now. It is an amazing piece of work. It is full of light-hearted stories mixed in with raw and powerful emotions. Even though it is a young adult book, it is one of my favorite books to date.
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mizmeliss87 has commented on (3) products.
I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
mizmeliss87, January 1, 2012
I love Markus Zusak's writing style. He writes as his characters would think and talk. The book is written from the perspective of a 19 year old Australian boy who is trying to figure out his place in the world. He is a flawed character who makes mistakes, takes forever to act, and can retreat far into himself. His flaws make him human and his struggles make the reader think. This book challenges readers to think beyond a good story and to ask the tough ethical questions of the grey areas in life. As Ed Kennedy struggles to answer the questions of "who am I?" and "What the hell am I doing with my life?" the reader in turn asks the same questions. Ed is challenged in the story but at the same time, he challenges readers as well.Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
mizmeliss87, January 1, 2012
This book was very well written and had a great balance between present time and flashback. Often when I read books that have two main timelines I am confused but Ford goes between the World War 2 timeline and the present timeline seamlessly. I became invested in both stories fully and fully believed that they were related to each other. The story itself is a brilliant tale told in a unique perspective of a young Chinese boys life of Japanese persecution in World War 2 and the effect of it in his later years. It is heartfelt and powerful. The characters are so real that I felt I knew them on a personal level. All in all, I loved it.The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
mizmeliss87, September 1, 2011
This book is very honest about teenage boyhood, life as a Native American, tension between races, and much more. Sherman Alexie doesn't try to sugar-coat his characters but portrays them each as flawed individuals trying to figure out what the hell is going on their life right now. It is an amazing piece of work. It is full of light-hearted stories mixed in with raw and powerful emotions. Even though it is a young adult book, it is one of my favorite books to date.