Scan barcode
robynedexter's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. I probably would've given it four, but I was confused for a chunk of the middle of it. I like the way Christopher writes, even though it did kind of bother me at first (soooo descriptive). The characters are built well, and the story itself is interesting. Glad I read it.
UPDATE from the week after reading: I've pinpointed how I feel about this book, or at least how I see Christopher going about writing it. He had so many great ideas (for characters, for themes, for events), but he put them all in one book when there's enough great ideas for four or five. All the little sub-plots, different character stories, weird situational things.. All could be great as standalones, yet often they felt rushed. Sometimes it felt like he felt the need to cram into 300 pages. They could be developed awesomely and beautifully in his style (which I think I love). He paints visuals beautifully, and I dunno.. Maybe I just wanted more out of the little things like the supporting characters and sub-plots.
UPDATE from the week after reading: I've pinpointed how I feel about this book, or at least how I see Christopher going about writing it. He had so many great ideas (for characters, for themes, for events), but he put them all in one book when there's enough great ideas for four or five. All the little sub-plots, different character stories, weird situational things.. All could be great as standalones, yet often they felt rushed. Sometimes it felt like he felt the need to cram into 300 pages. They could be developed awesomely and beautifully in his style (which I think I love). He paints visuals beautifully, and I dunno.. Maybe I just wanted more out of the little things like the supporting characters and sub-plots.
sswinn's review against another edition
5.0
My best friend loaned me this book. It was just the dose of magic I needed at that time.
dfmjr's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 Stars
My first venture into a book by [a:Nicolas Christopher|3956|Christopher Hitchens|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1222684074p2/3956.jpg] produced a very good, if slightly confusing read.
Leo meets Veronica on a snowy night in Manhattan where Waverly place intersects itself. She leads him through a labyrinth of places and events in an effort to save her illusionist father. Her father has been sucked back in time and has communicated about his return. Leo is the savior of the family.
Leo’s first person narration is very well used in this book. The confusion he feels is absolutely portrayed to the reader. And that confusion, especially in the first hundred pages or so, can be off putting. It is really worth riding it out though. The book blends literary realism and New York’s grittiness and romantic qualities very well. Christopher’s prose is very poetic and lyrical. The chapters are very short and this lends itself to the poetic feel. The story moves into a fantastical realm and mystery feel all at once. This blur of literary writing and fantasy really worked for me. I like the poetic feel, I liked the characters, I even really liked the confusion that was in the early part of the book.
I mean this when I say this, Nicolas Christopher has impressed me. [b:A Trip to the Stars|14967|A Trip To The Stars|Nicholas Christopher|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166669092s/14967.jpg|16921] is on my very soon to read list as a result. It is considered his best. I am looking forward to reading more of his work.
My first venture into a book by [a:Nicolas Christopher|3956|Christopher Hitchens|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1222684074p2/3956.jpg] produced a very good, if slightly confusing read.
Leo meets Veronica on a snowy night in Manhattan where Waverly place intersects itself. She leads him through a labyrinth of places and events in an effort to save her illusionist father. Her father has been sucked back in time and has communicated about his return. Leo is the savior of the family.
Leo’s first person narration is very well used in this book. The confusion he feels is absolutely portrayed to the reader. And that confusion, especially in the first hundred pages or so, can be off putting. It is really worth riding it out though. The book blends literary realism and New York’s grittiness and romantic qualities very well. Christopher’s prose is very poetic and lyrical. The chapters are very short and this lends itself to the poetic feel. The story moves into a fantastical realm and mystery feel all at once. This blur of literary writing and fantasy really worked for me. I like the poetic feel, I liked the characters, I even really liked the confusion that was in the early part of the book.
I mean this when I say this, Nicolas Christopher has impressed me. [b:A Trip to the Stars|14967|A Trip To The Stars|Nicholas Christopher|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166669092s/14967.jpg|16921] is on my very soon to read list as a result. It is considered his best. I am looking forward to reading more of his work.
lychling's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
joannavaught's review against another edition
2.0
i gave it 50 pages, during which i just kept thinking: "yes we get it, she's magical, WHAT OF IT." so i moved on to something else.
divinav's review against another edition
The plot happens TO the character, and I do not foresee this changing for the rest of the book.
celestialwillow's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
This felt like Book Two, as if I’d missed something about how this world works, or how magic works in this world. Perhaps that was the point.
I couldn’t feel engaged to any of the characters, and wasn’t at all concerned that ‘bad things’ might happen.
Not inspired to read anything else by this author, although my husband thinks he’s wonderful! 🤷🏼♀️
I couldn’t feel engaged to any of the characters, and wasn’t at all concerned that ‘bad things’ might happen.
Not inspired to read anything else by this author, although my husband thinks he’s wonderful! 🤷🏼♀️
milola's review against another edition
1.0
I was completely enthralled with Trip to the Stars. Though there were moments of intrigue and beauty in Veronica, i found the reading experience to be disjointed and shallow.
karolinatx's review against another edition
4.0
I picked up a used copy of Veronica based solely on the praise found on its cover, knowing nothing about the novel or the author. I was pleasantly surprised by the book, and can honestly say that it was like nothing I've ever read before. I do read a bit of fantasy, but Veronica is different in that the plot is grounded very firmly in New York City. It's what happens in the city to Leo, an innocent bystander who gets caught up in a whirlwind of magic and time-travel, that's the fantastic part. Though I found the novel to be innovative and the plot intriguing, I found Mr. Cristopher's writing style a bit repetitive and forced. I don't want to spoil the book for anyone who might be wanting to read it, but the ending leaves one wondering what exactly happened to Veronica and Leo -- it's one of those endings I'm dying to discuss with someone else who's read the book. A fun, yet thoughtful, escape from reality.