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tchoupicalme's review against another edition
4.0
Un roman poignant et que j'ai dévoré. Au début, je ne comprenais pas vraiment pourquoi Fiona était présente, mais elle n'a pas pris la place principale de l'histoire, ce qui est très bien. J'ai apprécié le fait qu'on ait plusieurs point de vue, et surtout qu'on n'ait pas une fin 100% heureuse et magnifique. Ça retranscrit vraiment ce qu'il se passe dans le monde et c'est une bonne manière de montrer aux ados une partie de la réalité, sans forcément passer par un discours violent et sanglant à souhait. Ça change beaucoup des discours habituels où on parle de ce sujet en le survolant.
bansheecm's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
story_sanctuary's review against another edition
4.0
Before reading this book, I had never even heard of coltan. I feel a bit ashamed for admitting that, actually. One of the reasons this book sat on my to-read list for as long as it did was that I worried it would be a thinly veiled sermon trying to convince me to take some kind of global action with regard to the crises caused by mining coltan and factory conditions in which smart phones are manufactured.
While the story does contain some eye-opening information and does an excellent job humanizing the situations happening overseas, I found the story interesting for its own sake. I loved each of the characters and found it easy to invest in following their stories to conclusion.
I also liked that Stewart doesn't straight up preach about the issues. The story shows how smart phones can destroy lives but also how they can save them. I felt like the story had a respectful balance.
I was glad to see additional resources included that suggested some ways to be a more conscientious consumer. I felt like that was great follow-through. Stewart didn't just tug on our hearts by telling a great story, she also provided some pretty simple ways we can make a difference in our own lives. Bravo.
While the story does contain some eye-opening information and does an excellent job humanizing the situations happening overseas, I found the story interesting for its own sake. I loved each of the characters and found it easy to invest in following their stories to conclusion.
I also liked that Stewart doesn't straight up preach about the issues. The story shows how smart phones can destroy lives but also how they can save them. I felt like the story had a respectful balance.
I was glad to see additional resources included that suggested some ways to be a more conscientious consumer. I felt like that was great follow-through. Stewart didn't just tug on our hearts by telling a great story, she also provided some pretty simple ways we can make a difference in our own lives. Bravo.
littlewestfall's review against another edition
5.0
Un libro que deberían leer muchos jóvenes que viven en la ignorancia sobre la procedencia de sus aparatos electrónicos. Los testimonios de las tres protagonistas reflejan, aunque de una forma un poco más suave de lo que realmente es, lo que pasa tanto en el Congo como en la empresas chinas. 100% recomendado.
Aquí mi reseña completa: http://prettylittlehuman.blogspot.com.es/2015/12/resena-conexiones.html
Aquí mi reseña completa: http://prettylittlehuman.blogspot.com.es/2015/12/resena-conexiones.html
katsmiao's review against another edition
5.0
I just finished reading Blue Gold, and it's the first time since becoming a book reviewer that a book has left me speechless and made a deep and lasting impression on me.
The book is very well written, and explores the different lives of 3 girls: Fiona in Canada, living some high school drama and cyber bullying, Laiping in China, working (being exploited) in an electronics manufacturing factory, and Sylvie, living in the middle of the war torn DRC, directly affected by rape, murder and corruption.
The writing is so vivid that you can picture what each of these girls faces on a daily basis. It's shocking, eye-opening and deeply disturbing. Even though this book is fictional, everything could, and does, happen every day.
I found the afterword very important, and am glad the author added it.
The first thing I did after reading the last page was to download the buycott.com app, and then write this review.
The book is very well written, and explores the different lives of 3 girls: Fiona in Canada, living some high school drama and cyber bullying, Laiping in China, working (being exploited) in an electronics manufacturing factory, and Sylvie, living in the middle of the war torn DRC, directly affected by rape, murder and corruption.
The writing is so vivid that you can picture what each of these girls faces on a daily basis. It's shocking, eye-opening and deeply disturbing. Even though this book is fictional, everything could, and does, happen every day.
I found the afterword very important, and am glad the author added it.
The first thing I did after reading the last page was to download the buycott.com app, and then write this review.
daisey's review against another edition
3.0
I found this to be an interesting read. It does a great job of giving the reader a picture of just how technology and commercialism in one part of the world can influence other parts of the world, and often in very negative ways. It addresses some very harsh realities that most of us do not want to think about in relation to our own lives. The characters are believable and their stories (especially Sylvie and Laiping's) are heartbreaking.
The concept of interweaving the three girls' stories together was intriguing, but they just barely overlap so each alternating chapter jumps to a completely different setting from the previous one. I think this made it more difficult to develop an attachment to any of the characters. As soon as I started get settled into one setting and set of characters, it would switch to one of the others.
* I received an electronic copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review.
The concept of interweaving the three girls' stories together was intriguing, but they just barely overlap so each alternating chapter jumps to a completely different setting from the previous one. I think this made it more difficult to develop an attachment to any of the characters. As soon as I started get settled into one setting and set of characters, it would switch to one of the others.
* I received an electronic copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review.
coffeechug's review against another edition
4.0
A book that deals with some very heavy global issues of: child labor, cultural conflict, human trafficking, the price of technology, sweat shops, and digital responsibility. This book weaves the stories of three girls from three different continents and their lives which are all dependent on cell phones or more importantly a substance(coltan) used to make cell phones. What humans have done to either exploit or deny the real issues at hand are exposed in this book. I became quite intrigued to know more about all three situations and to educate myself on what is really going on in the world. The way in which the author addresses these heavy topics in a storyline that keeps a reader engaged is quite a feat. This book is one that would lead to some really fantastic book club discussions. I could not help but a project based learning unit around this book with a driving question of "Is the human price of technology worth the perks?"
soniacaillou's review against another edition
5.0
Wow.
De manière simple, mais pas simpliste, le récit nous emmène dans la vie de 3 jeunes filles qui tourne autour d'un smartphone. Une est au Canada, une autre dans un camp de réfugiés en Afrique centrale et la dernière en Chine. Le chapitrage est hyper malin et au fur à mesure du récit on comprend comment tout s'imbrique.
Un livre à mettre entre toutes les mains (je l'ai trouvé au rayon ados mais clairement, il mérite d'être lu par tous). Une postface explique un peu plus la documentation et les inspirations du livre.
De manière simple, mais pas simpliste, le récit nous emmène dans la vie de 3 jeunes filles qui tourne autour d'un smartphone. Une est au Canada, une autre dans un camp de réfugiés en Afrique centrale et la dernière en Chine. Le chapitrage est hyper malin et au fur à mesure du récit on comprend comment tout s'imbrique.
Un livre à mettre entre toutes les mains (je l'ai trouvé au rayon ados mais clairement, il mérite d'être lu par tous). Une postface explique un peu plus la documentation et les inspirations du livre.
misseli's review
5.0
This is one of my favorite books. It was an amazing read. It really makes you think about others in other parts of the world and not just think about yourself. I didn't want this book to end! I wanted to keep hearing the life of the three girls. Don't pass this book up! It's an eye opener.
thatlibrarynerd's review
2.0
Besides that...
It's not bad. It's not particularly special and while it seems to be struggling to become the teenage American Beauty ("look closer") it's more pedestrian than exceptional. Fiona's story is underdeveloped and obviously included to interest the average reader and the writing is often clumsy.