If that weren’t reason enough, I also read this post on author J Washburn’s blog. The part that really caught me: "I think [J.K.] Rowling is leagues beyond me in her characterization. (And I include BACKSTORY as part of that.) But I think I could outdo her in plot." I don’t know if he was referring to ECKSDOT when he wrote that (he has other books in the works), but I have been burning with curiosity ever since.
Curiosity didn't kill this cat, since I was able to snag a copy for free.
I like Nate as a main character. Throughout the book, I was conscious of his age as well as challenges and restrictions associated with his youth. He has parents, just like any kid. He has to go to school. He has a secret crush on a cute girl. He has a playground nemesis. He shares a room with his brother. He has a wonderful imagination. Overall, he is a very relatable character.
The title character Ecks, or Ecksdot, is harder to describe. For a long time, I didn't really know what was going on with Ecks. I thought it was weird how he seemed to be narrating, but he constantly addressed Nate as “you”. Of course, the reason for this became apparent about 3/4 of the way through the book.
I'm still a little unsure as to how drawing a continuous line on his body enabled Nate to see another dimension. Similarly, I wish the "butterfly lady" had a larger role. She helped Nate become a Nexus, but (like I said) I'm still not sure how that even happened.
I liked the illustrations dotted throughout the book. Toward the beginning of the book, some of the descriptions were a little lost on me, so the illustrations were helpful.
Most of the other-worldly rules and such were introduced a little at a time, making it easier to digest.
The chapter headings drove me crazy. One or two letters in gray, the rest in black (e.g. Chapter 3: Danny’s Nonsense, o in gray). I’m positive it means something, but I don’t know what.
ECKSDOT is the first in a series. I didn’t know that going in, so I was looking for a more complete ending. As it happened, I turned the last page before I found out there that will be a sequel.
I think this book is well-suited to pre-adolescent and adolescent boys, especially ones with big imaginations. Fitting, since this is a YA (young adult) book.
Subsequent books might prove to be more intriguing, but this one rates average for me.
On to next month! My book choice for August is
by The Arbinger Institute
This pick, funny enough, is inspired by J Washburn. Every year for his birthday, J invites his friends to read The Anatomy of Peace. His birthday, like mine, is in July. As such, he usually asks that friends and family read The Anatomy of Peace during the month of July. I'm a little late to the party, but I'm issuing a similar invitation.
My birthday is tomorrow. As a gift to me, I invite you to read The Anatomy of Peace during the next month.
I have read this book before, and I was impressed enough that I bought it. I haven't gotten back to it in a few years, so this will be a good refresher for me.
From Goodreads: Written as an engaging story, this book shows how mistaken views can cause people to misread situations and exacerbate the issues they wish to improve. Arguing that it is only after they understand themselves and get their internal house in order that they can correctly confront external conflicts, the book shows what can be done to make that happen, and how to make inner peace a potent tool for achieving outer satisfaction.
This book is sort of a prequel to Leadership and Self-Deception, which was also written by the Arbinger Institute. Leadership and Self-Deception is a wonderful book. It focuses on interpersonal relations within the workplace. The Anatomy of Peace deals with a similar topic, but with wider application.
From Publishers Weekly (as found on Amazon.com): The premise of this follow-up to Leadership and Self-Deception is simple: people whose hearts are at peace do not wage war, whether they're heads of state or members of a family. In this semi-fictional narrative ("inspired by actual events") illustrating the principles of achieving peace, the setting is a two-day parent workshop at an Arizona-based wilderness camp for out-of-control teenagers, but the storyline is a mere setting for an instruction manual. Workshop facilitators Yusuf al-Falah, a Palestinian Arab whose father was killed by Israelis in 1948, and Avi Rozen, an Israeli Jew whose father died in the Yom Kippur War, use examples from their domestic lives and the history of their region to illustrate situations in which the normal and necessary routines of daily life can become fodder for conflict. Readers observe this through the eyes of one participant, a father whose business is in nearly as much trouble as his teenage son. The usefulness of the information conveyed here on how conflicts take root, spread and can be resolved more than compensates for the pedestrian writing.
I hope you choose to read with me :-)
No comments:
Post a Comment