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A review by ltg584
Kaleidoscope by Kevin Berry
4.0
4.5 stars
Kaleidoscope continues the story that began in Stim. While it is able to stand alone, I would highly recommend beginning with Stim, just so you can get to know Robert better. He doesn’t have much of a role in this story, and I found that I really missed his inner monologue.
Chloe was a favorite character from Stim, but it wasn’t until I started reading Kaleidoscope that I really had an awakening. She had always seemed so put together. She was able to help Robert adjust to his surroundings, and she had a firm grip of NS (non-spectrum) behavior and expectations. It wasn’t until I got a peek into her mind that I realized how in turmoil she was. It’s all about perspective. From this end of things, Robert seems much more relaxed and calm. He’s the one who has it all put together.
Kevin Berry’s writing style is phenomenal. In the first book, he wrote very much in Robert’s voice. It was sharp and clean, and often lacked contractions. Now, he is writing as Chloe and it reads in a completely different way. While it is similar to Stim, in that the main character has Asperger’s and is struggling with medication imbalances, it is a completely different story. Chloe is hit unexpectedly hard by the earthquake, and isn’t prepared for all of the dramatic changes that occur in her life. And once one thing goes wrong, it’s like a domino effect. I almost feel like someone said the dreaded words “It can’t get any worse” and then Murphy decided to prove them wrong. Some of the most bizarre things happen to poor Chloe! Life is stranger than fiction… or rather… Fictional life is stranger than fiction.
The earthquake hit Christchurch in February of 2011. It devastated the whole city, destroying lives for years to come. I had thoroughly prepared myself for the emotional impact of reading this story, when in fact, I wasn’t ready at all. At the first mention of the Christchurch Cathedral, I misted up. I’ve already explained my connection with Christchurch, but the cathedral itself is a new story. We watched in horror from Canada as the earthquake struck at our friends homes. A friend of my mother’s was working in the cathedral that day, when the spire toppled. It was torturous waiting to hear from her. She was tremendously lucky/fated/blessed to have been standing by a window at the exact moment of the quake and she made international headlines as “the woman in the window”.
Kevin has done an outstanding job shining a spotlight on this tragedy. The destruction of the buildings is an obvious side effect of the earthquake, but it is the flooding, the lack of water and electricity, the rampant crime, that people rarely think of. I really hope the story will continue in a third book. It would be a great way to not only check back on the characters, but to also see how Christchurch is adjusting.
A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
"The way I see things is like through a kaleidoscope – disjointed and broken, ever-changing, yet somehow beautiful in a structured way."
Kaleidoscope continues the story that began in Stim. While it is able to stand alone, I would highly recommend beginning with Stim, just so you can get to know Robert better. He doesn’t have much of a role in this story, and I found that I really missed his inner monologue.
Chloe was a favorite character from Stim, but it wasn’t until I started reading Kaleidoscope that I really had an awakening. She had always seemed so put together. She was able to help Robert adjust to his surroundings, and she had a firm grip of NS (non-spectrum) behavior and expectations. It wasn’t until I got a peek into her mind that I realized how in turmoil she was. It’s all about perspective. From this end of things, Robert seems much more relaxed and calm. He’s the one who has it all put together.
Kevin Berry’s writing style is phenomenal. In the first book, he wrote very much in Robert’s voice. It was sharp and clean, and often lacked contractions. Now, he is writing as Chloe and it reads in a completely different way. While it is similar to Stim, in that the main character has Asperger’s and is struggling with medication imbalances, it is a completely different story. Chloe is hit unexpectedly hard by the earthquake, and isn’t prepared for all of the dramatic changes that occur in her life. And once one thing goes wrong, it’s like a domino effect. I almost feel like someone said the dreaded words “It can’t get any worse” and then Murphy decided to prove them wrong. Some of the most bizarre things happen to poor Chloe! Life is stranger than fiction… or rather… Fictional life is stranger than fiction.
The earthquake hit Christchurch in February of 2011. It devastated the whole city, destroying lives for years to come. I had thoroughly prepared myself for the emotional impact of reading this story, when in fact, I wasn’t ready at all. At the first mention of the Christchurch Cathedral, I misted up. I’ve already explained my connection with Christchurch, but the cathedral itself is a new story. We watched in horror from Canada as the earthquake struck at our friends homes. A friend of my mother’s was working in the cathedral that day, when the spire toppled. It was torturous waiting to hear from her. She was tremendously lucky/fated/blessed to have been standing by a window at the exact moment of the quake and she made international headlines as “the woman in the window”.
Kevin has done an outstanding job shining a spotlight on this tragedy. The destruction of the buildings is an obvious side effect of the earthquake, but it is the flooding, the lack of water and electricity, the rampant crime, that people rarely think of. I really hope the story will continue in a third book. It would be a great way to not only check back on the characters, but to also see how Christchurch is adjusting.
A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.