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reeyabeegale's review against another edition
4.0
It was unexpected, but beautiful. It had points and angles in life that brought change in my perspective of things as well.
ashley_choo's review against another edition
5.0
When I turned the last page, I had a very strange thought, "I kind of want to dissect this author's brain, I think it would be delicious.", and "If could marry a book..."
Both are kind of worrying, but OH MAN, did I love this book. It was crazy, funny, I fell in love with the brilliant characters, (my favourite character was Tommy) and I really, really want to read more about Philosophy and Greek legends and take a spontaneous roadtrip once I get my driver's license.
This was a fantastic book. I had to restrain myself from taking a pen to the pages and caressing the beautiful lines that somehow didn't feel pretentious but instead made a lot of sense? I've never willingly written or underlined anything in a book before, but reading this book felt like the first time I had churros. Each incredibly clever philosophical line of prose hit me like a lightning bolt, it was an almost painful shock of wonder and pleasure and now I'm just dazed and really happy, and sad that it's over.
Both are kind of worrying, but OH MAN, did I love this book. It was crazy, funny, I fell in love with the brilliant characters, (my favourite character was Tommy) and I really, really want to read more about Philosophy and Greek legends and take a spontaneous roadtrip once I get my driver's license.
This was a fantastic book. I had to restrain myself from taking a pen to the pages and caressing the beautiful lines that somehow didn't feel pretentious but instead made a lot of sense? I've never willingly written or underlined anything in a book before, but reading this book felt like the first time I had churros. Each incredibly clever philosophical line of prose hit me like a lightning bolt, it was an almost painful shock of wonder and pleasure and now I'm just dazed and really happy, and sad that it's over.
beths0103's review
4.0
If you liked GOING BOVINE by Libba Bray, I have a feeling you will like THE PARADOX OF VERTICAL FLIGHT. I especially loved the Hero's Journey aspect of the book despite the fact that I wouldn't entirely describe the protagonist as a hero. It's a fun, philosophical, yet humorous read. I quite enjoyed it.
heather4994's review against another edition
3.0
The VERTICAL PARADOX OF FLIGHT is not for the casual reader. It is filled with references to philosophers that, though I've heard of, I am unfamiliar with their ways of thinking about life and the universe. About time and infinity. About the existence of us all. PARADOX (I will shorten it to that for review purposes) is not a light novel, nor is it one that I think you can put down and pick up again. It is short which makes that easier, but once you get going in the novel and you're in the right mindset, you don't want to lose it by leaving the story.
Jack is contemplating suicide on his birthday. He is a student of philosophy. He is way too much in his head. I can identify with that. Over thinking is a huge flaw of mine so that I am usually frozen in place. Jack on the other hand, talks to his philosophers in his mind. He personifies them, first Socrates is his brother that never was, having been miscarried at 3 weeks and then he is the baby his ex-girlfriend has that he kidnaps from the hospital. Socrates, helps Jack in understanding the complexities of life, the questions he has, the meaningless existence he believes in, all in the form of a one day old baby.
It's an impulsive act, kidnapping his own child and Jack knows it's wrong and yet, on some level, because he's been denied his rights, he feels justified in doing so. The novel is a journey of three "friends" Jack, his best friend Tommy, and the ex-girlfriend and mother of Socrates- Jess, as they travel to Bob's house (Jack's grandmother). On the way, they muse about life, the repetitive cycles of it, losing touch with each other, love, and the meaning of life. Socrates acts as the voice of wisdom along the journey, not in a "you should do this, you should do that" kind of wisdom but in a philosophical wisdom way.
It's not a light read, with a heavy emphasis on philosophy, thoughts of suicide and unwanted pregnancy. But there are bright sides to it as well. Definitely this book will appeal to a more studious crowd and should be read by a more mature audience. It could be triggering for those with suicide issues in the past or present.
Jack is contemplating suicide on his birthday. He is a student of philosophy. He is way too much in his head. I can identify with that. Over thinking is a huge flaw of mine so that I am usually frozen in place. Jack on the other hand, talks to his philosophers in his mind. He personifies them, first Socrates is his brother that never was, having been miscarried at 3 weeks and then he is the baby his ex-girlfriend has that he kidnaps from the hospital. Socrates, helps Jack in understanding the complexities of life, the questions he has, the meaningless existence he believes in, all in the form of a one day old baby.
It's an impulsive act, kidnapping his own child and Jack knows it's wrong and yet, on some level, because he's been denied his rights, he feels justified in doing so. The novel is a journey of three "friends" Jack, his best friend Tommy, and the ex-girlfriend and mother of Socrates- Jess, as they travel to Bob's house (Jack's grandmother). On the way, they muse about life, the repetitive cycles of it, losing touch with each other, love, and the meaning of life. Socrates acts as the voice of wisdom along the journey, not in a "you should do this, you should do that" kind of wisdom but in a philosophical wisdom way.
It's not a light read, with a heavy emphasis on philosophy, thoughts of suicide and unwanted pregnancy. But there are bright sides to it as well. Definitely this book will appeal to a more studious crowd and should be read by a more mature audience. It could be triggering for those with suicide issues in the past or present.
marenkae's review against another edition
2.0
So. 2.5, I guess? There were some things I liked and some that I didn't. On the whole I felt... nothing about it. It was enjoyable enough to read but I also could have gone without it because I didn't gain anything in the end. I picked it up because I really wanted a light contemporary and it did an okay job filling that need for me. I think I would have liked it a lot more without all the philosophy... but then, if it didn't have that aspect then there'd really be nothing to this book at all... so.. hmmmm.
debchan's review against another edition
3.0
not bad for a debut book. lots of philosophical thought about life that made me skim through those bits. (yes, i do feel bad about that) i love the friendships between the three main characters — that was probably the highlight of the book.
story_sanctuary's review against another edition
5.0
I loved so many things about this book it would be hard to narrow it down to just one. The philosophy references and discussions were great. The banter between the characters was incredible. I'm a huge sucker for witty back-and-forth dialogue, and Ostrovski delivers it in scene after scene.
I also loved that this story tells the familiar tale of unexpected pregnancy aftermath from a largely unexplored voice: that of the baby's father. His connection with the baby (whom he names Socrates) and his emotional journey, realizing that it means so much to him to be a father, even for a few stolen hours, was so powerful. His relationships with his best friend and ex-girlfriend felt really genuine, too. And his grandmother! Aw, wow. His relationship with her and the fact that she has dimentia really underscored the sieze-the-day feeling throughout the book.
The reason I started reading this book is because the author's next book AWAY WE GO will come out in a few months, and I was curious to see what his writing was like. After reading the post on his blog about why he wrote THE PARADOX OF VERTICAL FLIGHT and what it means to him, I couldn't help reading it. I was not disappointed, either. I definitely recommend this book to readers who like contemporary fiction with witty dialogue, strong emotional journey, and memorable characters. LOVED IT.
I also loved that this story tells the familiar tale of unexpected pregnancy aftermath from a largely unexplored voice: that of the baby's father. His connection with the baby (whom he names Socrates) and his emotional journey, realizing that it means so much to him to be a father, even for a few stolen hours, was so powerful. His relationships with his best friend and ex-girlfriend felt really genuine, too. And his grandmother! Aw, wow. His relationship with her and the fact that she has dimentia really underscored the sieze-the-day feeling throughout the book.
The reason I started reading this book is because the author's next book AWAY WE GO will come out in a few months, and I was curious to see what his writing was like. After reading the post on his blog about why he wrote THE PARADOX OF VERTICAL FLIGHT and what it means to him, I couldn't help reading it. I was not disappointed, either. I definitely recommend this book to readers who like contemporary fiction with witty dialogue, strong emotional journey, and memorable characters. LOVED IT.
readingundertheradar's review against another edition
5.0
The review is also up on my blog - http://www.happybookloversblog.com
I don't know what I was expecting out of this. I loved the cover when I first saw it and thought, "Yeah, I have to read that!" Guys, this book was seriously awesome. It's hard to earn top marks from me, and this one nearly did it.
On page 2, the author referenced Kafka and "Metamorphosis," so I was already in love and super impressed that that made it into this YA novel. Then, as if it couldn't get more awesome on the scale of pop-culture references, he also managed to include Star Wars, the Wizard of Oz, Medal of Honor, Harry Potter, and old Greek philosophers. And it all made perfect sense. SO COOL.
The pacing was also spot on. The narrator was Jack, who stole his son at the beginning of the novel because he just couldn't bring himself to say goodbye on the spot like that. His narration constantly switched between telling the readers what was actually happening and his thoughts and imaginary conversations he had with his son, Socrates. These conversations were brilliantly hilarious. Jack imagines the baby discussing all sorts of philosophy and existential topics and is surprised that the baby doesn't respond back, so he makes up his responses. It was so witty and quick-paced I forgot it was supposed to be a baby talking, and then Jack would mention it, and it was hilarious again that he was having these imaginary conversations.
It was so impressive the sheer amount of stuff Ostrovski tackled. Between teen pregnancy, adoption, parental ties, and the idea of a ceiling on the Earth and religious/philosophical beliefs, it's a wonder now that I didn't get overwhelmed or bogged down. But the writing was so colloquial and it all flowed together so well, it was easy to breeze through while still questioning life along with Jack.
Definitely worth the read and purchase, especially for something light and summery but still with big-picture questions.
I don't know what I was expecting out of this. I loved the cover when I first saw it and thought, "Yeah, I have to read that!" Guys, this book was seriously awesome. It's hard to earn top marks from me, and this one nearly did it.
On page 2, the author referenced Kafka and "Metamorphosis," so I was already in love and super impressed that that made it into this YA novel. Then, as if it couldn't get more awesome on the scale of pop-culture references, he also managed to include Star Wars, the Wizard of Oz, Medal of Honor, Harry Potter, and old Greek philosophers. And it all made perfect sense. SO COOL.
The pacing was also spot on. The narrator was Jack, who stole his son at the beginning of the novel because he just couldn't bring himself to say goodbye on the spot like that. His narration constantly switched between telling the readers what was actually happening and his thoughts and imaginary conversations he had with his son, Socrates. These conversations were brilliantly hilarious. Jack imagines the baby discussing all sorts of philosophy and existential topics and is surprised that the baby doesn't respond back, so he makes up his responses. It was so witty and quick-paced I forgot it was supposed to be a baby talking, and then Jack would mention it, and it was hilarious again that he was having these imaginary conversations.
It was so impressive the sheer amount of stuff Ostrovski tackled. Between teen pregnancy, adoption, parental ties, and the idea of a ceiling on the Earth and religious/philosophical beliefs, it's a wonder now that I didn't get overwhelmed or bogged down. But the writing was so colloquial and it all flowed together so well, it was easy to breeze through while still questioning life along with Jack.
Definitely worth the read and purchase, especially for something light and summery but still with big-picture questions.
charmaineac's review against another edition
3.0
This was so quirky and pensive, ahh. The eccentricity of it all seeped into my bones. This felt like a heartwarming summer road trip tale. I connected with Jack, Tommy, Jess, and even Socrates. I rooted them on. Their moments at night in the boat were the kind of memories to last a lifetime. They were young and dumb, just going with the waves. Ostrovski is remarkable at capturing the human spirit.
There were also some pretty gaping plot holes, which I'd chalk up to inexperience. Many aspects felt too unrealistic to be real (like everything regarding the police chase and pregnancy). Jack's parents were strangely absentee, but not at the same time. Why would the police arrest him for taking his own son with him on a trip? How could they not hunt them all down (I mean, have you ever SEEN those crazy police chases on Youtube)?
Jack and Jess's relationship was on point though. They had trouble being vulnerable. They made mistakes, which they couldn't really overcome. They were never really at the same level. They were swept up by love (or perhaps, lust) and wound up with something unexpected.
I know Socrates represented Jack's inner monologue, but it got to be a bit much. As interesting I find philosophy to be, I felt like Ostrovski packed in a ton of concepts for the sake of it, and that made the book a little more pretentious and a little less grounded. Then again, if you want a whimsical flight of fancy to help you fly, this book is on point.
There were also some pretty gaping plot holes, which I'd chalk up to inexperience. Many aspects felt too unrealistic to be real (like everything regarding the police chase and pregnancy). Jack's parents were strangely absentee, but not at the same time. Why would the police arrest him for taking his own son with him on a trip? How could they not hunt them all down (I mean, have you ever SEEN those crazy police chases on Youtube)?
Jack and Jess's relationship was on point though. They had trouble being vulnerable. They made mistakes, which they couldn't really overcome. They were never really at the same level. They were swept up by love (or perhaps, lust) and wound up with something unexpected.
I know Socrates represented Jack's inner monologue, but it got to be a bit much. As interesting I find philosophy to be, I felt like Ostrovski packed in a ton of concepts for the sake of it, and that made the book a little more pretentious and a little less grounded. Then again, if you want a whimsical flight of fancy to help you fly, this book is on point.