Everything a great book should be
586579
This wonderful book is a must-read for anyone who loves an in-depth exploration of a fascinating character.  It explores history and it's influence on the life of a complex elderly American Jewish man living in Norway.  It is a suspenseful thriller on top of it all.
4600674
I love everything about this book.  It's well written, it's a great story, it got me invested in the characters, and I didn't want it to end.  I really appreciate what the author did with the title of this book.  Discovering the significance of the title and finding out that it's not at all what I expected it would mean was a very cool aspect of this book.  That in itself is a great reason to read it.
4561393
This is a truly great book. It is well written, the story is catching and it is about men, codes of honour and good versus evil in man. This theme might seem a tad old fashioned but it is just as relevant today as it was in former days. The author handles it brilliantly never going into "cheap" superficial sentimentalism and with a keen sense that literature that does not entertain as it treats big themes is irrelevant. For me the book developed into a page turner that spoiled my sleep.

It is high on my list of potential classics
255152
As a Sci-Fi lover, I can easily say that I loved this book. Every single page got me more and more interested in the story. It is an excellent book with amazing characters. There are too many adventures with a lot of dialogues well developed. I am pretty sure the author made a great job while writing this wonderful book. It gave me a fantastic experience as a reader, it also made me realized that there are some things which are important and that we don't really appreciate. I loved every single page of this book, but what I loved the most were the illustrations and the perfect dialogues between the characters. It would be a great book for kids, I recommend it. Once you start it you will not be able to stop reading it, every page is so full of thoughts that you will not skip and will make you think more than twice about them. I give it 5 stars.
4758090
How has this book not been reviewed previously?  This is the rare ebook that is actually extremely well-written with a great protagonist, plot, pacing, and ideas.  Clever, insightful, amusing, and just all around wonderful.  This is a book you do not want to miss!
607816
I first read this book probably in junior high, and have since read it several more times, enjoying it each time as much as the last.  It is such a great story of what family is and should be, and an incredible portrayal of a wonderful father who is loving yet firm.  I've read almost the entire series, and will be reading them to my children in a few years.
4136558
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is an altogether great book.  From the begining, you cannot put it down.  I like how much the characters have matured from the first one.  This book is already a classic, and I can't imagine anyone not enjoying it.  The book can be thoroughly enjoyed from anyone ages 8 to 80.  If you like fantasy books, you'll love this book.  Just as good as the first, the magic is altogther facinating.
1312268
This book really is terrific.  The words are perfect, the pictures brilliantly simple, and it all comes together to tell the stories. Anyone can relate to the author and her adventures.  You won't be sorry.
4800257
What can I even say, this book is a wonderful classic!
4275933
This book is just perfect, that is all that I can say! Buy it for yourself, buy it as a great gift, do not miss this!
4804154
I read every page of this book. Yes, it was that good. (I even found one ending that I missed because of an unfortunate page break in section 423, but I *think* I can forgive that.) In some ways it's better than its prequel&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/To-Be-or-Not-To-Be/dp/0982853742/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">To Be or Not To Be</a>&nbsp;(TBONTB). First, the branching narrative structure is more internally consistent. You can tell that great attention was paid to the concurrent Romeo and Juliet timelines to make sure that the two of them match up temporally. Some of the choices are temporally dependent too; unlike the text-based computer games of old where you can go back and forth between points A and B in an infinite loop indefinitely and it will take zero time, in this book if you take too long (in book time) to make a choice, dire consequences can ensue! It's very clever, and if you are feeling nostalgic for the aforesaid text-based computer games there's an entire subadventure in the book for that too!

How else is this better than TBONTB? Well, TBONTB has only *one* book-within-a-book, and this book includes *at least* three. It's also more self-referential and more meta than TBONTB. And--surprisingly this is an important factor--the physical book itself is lighter, which makes it easier to flip back and forth among alternate paths. This brings me to the one feature I wish the book had, which is some way to go backwards, since it's so easy to get lost. Just some way to resolve problems like "I'm at 132 and forgot how I got here, how do I go back?" would be great.

Of course TBONTB was an amazing book to begin with, and all the good stuff from that book is still here in this one: awesome illustrated endings, half of them involving deaths *that you look forward to*; smart, modern commentary on Shakespeare (and sometimes on life and love); and, of course, fancy-vs.-plain versions of famous passages from Shakespeare that enhance your appreciation of Shakespeare's poetry (one of them in slideshow format!).

Now obviously (looking at some of the other reviews) this book isn't for everyone. If you don't like Dinosaur Comics you probably won't like the style of this book. Are some of the endings ridiculous and silly? Yes, but that's the whole point. Me, I literally laughed out loud every other page. There's also something very satisfying about telling your friends that you're reading Romeo and/or Juliet and you're stuck at a section where you have to get them past ninjas.

P.S. The unlockable character totally and completely puts the book over the top. I would give 5.5 stars if I could!
762903
If I could review this book in only one word: FANTASTIC. This book was truly a pleasure to read. The story is easy to understand at the beginning, but it is obvious that the author has many plans for his characters in the future. The characters are also well thought out, and definitely likeable. It seems as if the main characters are different aspects of the author's personality, and it shows. I also thoroughly enjoyed the book's numerous references to pop culture, as well as other things that have clearly influenced the author. The main weapon in this book, called a "sworb", is a unique weapon that I personally think has a lot of potential. But really, what is a novel worth without a good story? I was pleasantly surprised by how natural the story expanded throughout the adventure. I sincerely hope that this book has many sequels, as I am compelled to buy each and every book this author churns out. Don't miss this book!
2876248
A great book for all ages, fast paced, little trivial details, every word important for the story.  Subtle humor and the view from a teenage boy make the story distinctive from most "light' mysteries.  Can't wait for the next installment in Theodore's life and adventures.
3386419
I wished for such a long time to get this book, and I was thrilled when my wish came thru, I was given this book as a gift. I had high expectations, and hopes which is natural for something you looked forward to. Still this book managed to trump everything I had hoped for. Its simply magically wonderfull.
The characters you meet, both human and other are vivid, complex, and has the imperfections that makes them viable, likable and easy to relate to. The story is magnificent, magical, and exciting, twists and unforseen things makes things highly alluring and intriguing.
It is one of those books that won't be going out of fashion when popularity directs trends in books, It has the allure that only can be found in books that is creating the very core of this eras classical books. As well as bygone eras have their classical masterpieces, this era has as well, and this is without a doubt one of them.
A Deep courtesy and appreciation to this author for writing this magical book.
4689374
It's pretty simple. This is a wonderful book.

There's so much out there for adolescents and teens to read these days. That's good. Much of it is indistinguishable. Or silly. Not good. Don't get me wrong; I don't think a book needs to be intellectually exhausting or tear-jerking in order to be seriously valuable. I love the Hunger Games, just about everything by Meg Cabot, and think Jo Rowling deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for getting the world to read again. The Tragedy Paper hits all the happy-making points. It's smart *and* entertaining. And, it must be said, it made me cry.

Elizabeth Laban has managed the incredibly rare YA trifecta: real and relatable characters, a catchy storyline (with suspense, no less), and really lovely prose. I loved it. My 13-year-old son loved it (his go-tos are Stephen King and Sherman Alexie), and a copy is winging its way to my mom.

It's very simple. This is a wonderful book.
2822526
This book is all it should be and more. I realize a book of 1,000+ pages is not for everyone. It's a lot for a reader to keep in mind, so if you are looking for a book you can read cover to cover nonstop, this may not be the book for you. But that's the very thing that makes me love this particular area of Sanderson's Cosmere. This writing invites you to think, and to pay attention to events that may not seem relevant at the time, but become so later in the experience of Roshar.  The character arcs are masterfully written and the unexpected turns in the story delight imagination and build expectation. As to some of the one- and two-star comments I've read, I feel obliged to express my opinion: when you have written 3,000 pages of fiction, you may be qualified to nitpick this one. Of course the story has flaws. Show me a book that doesn't. But don't blame the author for the reader's short attention span, and don't ignore the brilliance of this storytelling because you don't like the plot structure. I acknowledge this book is not for everyone, but for those of us who get it, it's Radiant in all it's varied applications. I'm impressed by the relevance to current global conditions and I'm hoping there will be a Book 4.
3846566
This book is a modern classic and I advice anyone to read it regardless of his age. This book is filled with great characters and a well-developed world. This book is filled with fabulous action scenes and humorous ones as well.