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alicebme's review against another edition
4.0
6. Personal Response: This book brought up lots of feelings in me, especially about baiter types, which I will keep to myself. [return]7. Connections: This could be in a library display about troubled forbidden teenage love or about big city new kids who come to town and the trouble they cause ;-)
dsuttles's review against another edition
3.0
I don't know if I really "liked" this book, but it did have heavy emotional impact. I cried straight through the last 50 pages. Even though I didn't really like Mike (and I hated Xanadu from the very beginning), I could see her character existing. She was believable - for a high school student, of course.
Maybe that's the charm of Julie Ann Peters. She writes YA novels well. She doesn't write perfect characters. She writes real characters. So even though I didn't necessarily "enjoy" my reading experience, I can respect her authenticity as a storyteller. And, as a member of the rainbow club, I also appreciate her contribution to our community's belles-lettres.
P.S. I will say this, though -- the rhetoric was very choppy. While sometimes it helped convey the teenage, 21st century colloquial voice, at other times it was just jarring.
Maybe that's the charm of Julie Ann Peters. She writes YA novels well. She doesn't write perfect characters. She writes real characters. So even though I didn't necessarily "enjoy" my reading experience, I can respect her authenticity as a storyteller. And, as a member of the rainbow club, I also appreciate her contribution to our community's belles-lettres.
P.S. I will say this, though -- the rhetoric was very choppy. While sometimes it helped convey the teenage, 21st century colloquial voice, at other times it was just jarring.
sidneyellwood's review against another edition
2.0
[review written 2011]
I read the book Far From Xanadu by Julie Anne Peters today. It was a good book, but not as good as Keping You A Secret. I’d write a more indepth review but I’m so tired I can barely keep my eyes open.
I read the book Far From Xanadu by Julie Anne Peters today. It was a good book, but not as good as Keping You A Secret. I’d write a more indepth review but I’m so tired I can barely keep my eyes open.
litagentsaritza's review against another edition
5.0
Really enjoyed this Gay YA book even though it had one of the factors I was trying to avoid reading in lesbian fiction: the not exactly happy, happy ending. I will say that I was actually glad the happy ending was an empowering one for the heroine and made me love Mike even more! This is one book I will encourage my daughter to read.
daisytee's review against another edition
3.0
Was hard to get into, I wanted to like it more but it was just ok.
khrb's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
decrepitshark's review against another edition
challenging
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
caedocyon's review against another edition
3.0
IIRC, I kind of skipped all the parts about Xanadu. The love story wasn't interesting to me, even though I was totally into Mike. Probably due for a reread at some point.