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aggressive_nostalgia's review against another edition
Not quite sure what I thought of this. Honestly, it was very difficult to get into, which surprised me since I read and enjoyed both Heaven and The First Part Last. I was bored by this; I struggled just to finish it (and it's a short, small book, too), but I can't put my finger on precisely why...I think maybe Shoogy's personality just grated on me. I found her narrative voice hard to flow with and follow. And the plot was a little bit confusing, too; I constantly felt like I was missing details and I had to backtrack a fair bit in the second half of the book.
akublik's review against another edition
4.0
Angela Johnson's writing, as always, is spare, beautiful, and evocative.
sc104906's review against another edition
3.0
Shoogy has left her parent's cold and constricting home to live with Curtis. The two find kindred spirits in each other. While Shoogy deals with the baggage her parents have given her, Curtis copes with life after being in Iraq.
I wasn't as connected to this book as I was to the others in the series. I felt that more could have been developed and added to story. I found myself confused by parts of the story because Shoogy seemed to be an unreliable narrator...though really she wasn't. The words were beautiful and there was potential to this story, but it didn't knock it out of the park like the others, for me.
I wasn't as connected to this book as I was to the others in the series. I felt that more could have been developed and added to story. I found myself confused by parts of the story because Shoogy seemed to be an unreliable narrator...though really she wasn't. The words were beautiful and there was potential to this story, but it didn't knock it out of the park like the others, for me.
suzannedix's review against another edition
3.0
It's obviously foolish to jump into a trilogy with book 3 and expect to understand the backstory but the author uses such a paucity of descriptions that I was longing for more. I wanted to feel more invested in Sweet's story but there just wasn't enough there.
Grades 10 and up.
Grades 10 and up.
heykellyjensen's review against another edition
2.0
The writing is really nice, poetic, touching. But you need to read books 1 and 2 to not be completely lost.
Bummed.
Bummed.
thebooksupplier's review against another edition
3.0
After reading what some other users wrote, I found out that much of the protagonist's backstory comes from the first book in the series (the only one of the three that I haven't read). I think that was part of my confusion about her motivation for doing the things she did, and why some of the secondary characters seemed so flat. I'll have to add the first book to my to read list and see how that adds to my understanding of this story. Preview at the (book) supplier: http://wp.me/p1D93k-sz
librarykristin's review against another edition
4.0
an odd, beautiful book...it will stay with me. Don't know who I'd recommend to, it doesn't have the same appeal as "The First Part Last."
niaforrester's review against another edition
Lyrical and wonderful as always. I am going to read EVERYTHING this author writes. I'm going to soak up all I can. Hope to learn from her minimalist approach.
dairyqueen84's review against another edition
3.0
Sweet or Shoogy left home or was kicked out by her parents because no one really understands her. But Curtis does. She doesn’t really like school and she and Curtis like to be alone together. This is the third part of a trilogy, Heaven (1998) and The First Part Last (2003), but it is not entirely necessary to read the earlier books, though some of the same characters show up in this installment. Curtis lives in a small cabin on the shores of Lake Erie away from the town of Heaven and he is in the Army Reserves having served one tour of duty in Iraq. He is also in college and has books lining the walls of the cabin. He does not want to go back to Iraq and may have gone AWOL and the tragic ending is foreshadowed by the Prologue. As Sweet and Curtis fall in love, she struggles to give him space but cannot figure out how to help him. The story unfolds slowly with beautiful, evocative prose but despite its short length will not appeal to reluctant readers. It is more appropriate for sophisticated readers who like ambiguity and cryptic, spare writing. Buy this if Heaven and The First Part Last are popular in your library. Positive review in Booklist and starred Kirkus.
kevinhendricks's review against another edition
2.0
This is the third in a trilogy of loosely connected stories in a town called Heaven. They're all short, quiet reads, though this one feels even shorter and quieter. I didn't feel as pulled into this story as I did with the others.