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At Least the Cover Speaks to Me ...
Ugh. Describing the plot of Gifted by Karey White is difficult because, really, it has none. It's simply the tale of a child who changes everyone who comes in contact with her. The premise isn't bad at all, it's just not developed well enough to make a compelling novel. Add in flat characters, a meandering storyline and the author's preference for telling vs. showing and the book just doesn't stand a chance. Which is a bummer because the cover really speaks to me—unfortunately, it's the only thing about Gifted that does.
4 comments:
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I don't like books that have no real plot and just poke along.
ReplyDeleteMe neither. It's irritating, not to mention boring.
DeleteI have to completely disagree with you about this book not having a plot. It's hard to tell the plot without sharing spoilers but this book definitely had a plot. It came highly recommended to me from one of my fifth grader's moms and after I read it, I read it to my class. It crosses generations and had about half of my students in tears. When I had them write a paragraph about what they got from the book, they shared some very poignant feelings. I love that it was entertaining and that it prompted my students to want to improve the lives of those around them.
ReplyDeleteI know that much of book reviewing is subjective, but I find it unfortunate that there will be some who choose not to read this beautiful book because of your review.
My class and I loved it.
Actually, ALL of book reviewing is subjective. A book that speaks to a class of fifth graders and their teacher might not speak to me at all and vice versa. That's why I appreciate comments like yours, even when the opinions expressed aren't the same as my own (maybe ESPECIALLY when they aren't) because it helps give potential readers a more rounded view of the book.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I stand by my opinion of GIFTED. The writing, to me, seemed dull and lifeless, with stiff dialogue, (way) more showing than telling and a contrived plotline. All of these things got in the way of the message the author was trying to get across. I agree the moral of the story is a good one, but without dynamic writing, a book like this just comes across as preachy and sappy. That's my opinion, anyway :)