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nightfalltwen's review against another edition
1.0
I didn't understand the plot or find myself caring about any of the characters. At all.
lhawk1's review against another edition
4.0
This book was amazing. I read it without stopping. I walked around the house, ate, did the laundry, all while holding this book in front of me.
The characters are so incredible, and the plot was constantly surprising me.
This is really the first book in a LONG time that I can actually describe as, well, inspiring. It starts out your typical everyday sci-fi type book, a girl with unusual powers that turn into torture. But then as Lindsay begins to discover others with the same abilities...well, it got inspiring, almost spiritual, without being preachy at all. Loved it.
I'm 14, and I highly recommend this book.
The characters are so incredible, and the plot was constantly surprising me.
This is really the first book in a LONG time that I can actually describe as, well, inspiring. It starts out your typical everyday sci-fi type book, a girl with unusual powers that turn into torture. But then as Lindsay begins to discover others with the same abilities...well, it got inspiring, almost spiritual, without being preachy at all. Loved it.
I'm 14, and I highly recommend this book.
njlbo1's review against another edition
3.0
Quick, fun read. What would you do if you could hear everything everyone said about you?
rach's review
3.0
For much of this book, I was annoyed with Lindsay Scott Kearns. She lives isolated from everyone around her, and refuses to stand up for herself, even when she is kidnapped. She lashes out in anger and pushes away people that want to help her. And when all of this is explained, by her mysterious "gift" of being able to hear what people say about her, it still doesn't make that much sense. And actually, her abilities themselves confused me. It didn't make sense how she got them, and to be honest, it still doesn't. The other thing that annoyed me is that there were people out there, like her Althea Goodman, and Mrs. Mullen, who knew what was happening to her, knew the hell she was going through, and did nothing about it, for 5 years. 5 YEARS. That is a long time to stand aside and let a teenage girl ruin her life. The fact that they came together at the end, to support Lindsay, to become a real family for her, is great, but why wait so long? If anything, that shows how much they could have done for her if they had stepped in sooner.
Add on top of that her strained and strange relationship with her father, who apparently knew all along about Lindsay's problems. And sure, he tried to help her as best as he could, researching to find a cure, moving her to a place where she could be safe. But he really didn't try to tell her about herself? How hard would it have been to have said, "I know you can hear things. Can I help?" Add to that the fact that he never told her anything about her mother, other than that she left - nothing about being in the mental hospital, nothing about her having the same hearing abilities. I am most sad for Mr. Kearns because he never got the chance to fix the mistakes he made.
Speaking of Lindsay's abilities, it does make more sense that it was perhaps passed down through the genes of family members, but for some reason, I still feel skeptical of something so magical happening in a book that feels like real life. I have no problem with characters in [b:Graceling|3236307|Graceling (The Seven Kingdoms, #1)|Kristin Cashore|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1293472419s/3236307.jpg|3270810] and [b:Fire|6001758|Fire (The Seven Kingdoms, #2)|Kristin Cashore|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1293472137s/6001758.jpg|6128277], which I was reading at the same time as this book, having the same sort of hearing/mindreading skills, but that was already a fantastical, magical world, where those skills were special, but didn't seem out of place.
So, what did I like about this book, then? I quite enjoy Haddix's writing style, which is descriptive, clear, concise, and real. And there were a few characters that I loved. Roz is the true strength and backbone of this cast of characters. She is the one who sat back and said, "Uh, something's not right with this girl, and we need to help her." Without Roz pushing her, Lindsay might have always lived in hermit-like seclusion, until the day she died. Toby is another of my favorites - a sweet, caring guy, going out of his way to help those in need, and really risking everything to do so. Lindsay is right when she says she doesn't deserve him. I'm happy with the way the book ended, though, and at least Lindsay is on the right path, looking forward into the future, and seems to have conquered and be in control of her hearing.
Add on top of that her strained and strange relationship with her father, who apparently knew all along about Lindsay's problems. And sure, he tried to help her as best as he could, researching to find a cure, moving her to a place where she could be safe. But he really didn't try to tell her about herself? How hard would it have been to have said, "I know you can hear things. Can I help?" Add to that the fact that he never told her anything about her mother, other than that she left - nothing about being in the mental hospital, nothing about her having the same hearing abilities. I am most sad for Mr. Kearns because he never got the chance to fix the mistakes he made.
Speaking of Lindsay's abilities, it does make more sense that it was perhaps passed down through the genes of family members, but for some reason, I still feel skeptical of something so magical happening in a book that feels like real life. I have no problem with characters in [b:Graceling|3236307|Graceling (The Seven Kingdoms, #1)|Kristin Cashore|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1293472419s/3236307.jpg|3270810] and [b:Fire|6001758|Fire (The Seven Kingdoms, #2)|Kristin Cashore|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1293472137s/6001758.jpg|6128277], which I was reading at the same time as this book, having the same sort of hearing/mindreading skills, but that was already a fantastical, magical world, where those skills were special, but didn't seem out of place.
So, what did I like about this book, then? I quite enjoy Haddix's writing style, which is descriptive, clear, concise, and real. And there were a few characters that I loved. Roz is the true strength and backbone of this cast of characters. She is the one who sat back and said, "Uh, something's not right with this girl, and we need to help her." Without Roz pushing her, Lindsay might have always lived in hermit-like seclusion, until the day she died. Toby is another of my favorites - a sweet, caring guy, going out of his way to help those in need, and really risking everything to do so. Lindsay is right when she says she doesn't deserve him. I'm happy with the way the book ended, though, and at least Lindsay is on the right path, looking forward into the future, and seems to have conquered and be in control of her hearing.
nutti72's review against another edition
4.0
Lindsay is a former child TV star who has been hidden away by her father in a small town in IL. Lindsay is being hidden for good reason, she can "hear" anything in the world people are saying about her. Her gift appeared quite suddenly & it's about to drive Lindsay mad. Things take a turn for the worse when two obsessed fans "kidnap" her. Haddix has written an interesting tale of what it means to be a teenager who's different and what that can do to those she cares about.
jkaynani's review against another edition
4.0
Claim To Fame is a great book. Haddix has this power to enthral a reader so they dont want to put the book down. In this book the main character,Lindsay, who I'm sorry to say bugged the living crap out of me, is a old child star who has a big secret, she can hear everything a person says about her any where in the world. Any where she goes she can hear voices. But of course theres a twist, in her house, in a little college town in the middle of nowhere, she is safe, she cant hear anything. But im not going to give away the book this time, so lets just say its a great book.
holtfan's review against another edition
5.0
Wow!! This book was really good. Perhaps the ending was a bit abrupt, but the plot flowed well (of course, I was reading it chapter by chapter whenever I got a chance to go to the library) Haddix either produces classics or problems, and this book is easily one of her best ones yet!
The only thing I *would* caution is her whole attempt to be reconciled with God...its interesting. Not bad, food for thought, but something to be looking for.
The only thing I *would* caution is her whole attempt to be reconciled with God...its interesting. Not bad, food for thought, but something to be looking for.
hezann73's review against another edition
2.0
Much as I love Margaret Petson Haddix, this was just OK. To be honest, not much ever happens. Give only to her die hard middle school fans.