This was lent to me on audio which was a mistake - not the lending the having to listen. I was looking forward to this book because it just sounded cute. Not to mention the cover looked interesting. (yes I know.. reading a book for the cover is like trying wine for the label/bottle - dicey at best) The story started out well then fell apart. By the end it felt like the author had gotten a phone call about the deadline and went uh.. ok we'll do this and this and ok done! and popped it in the mail. *sigh* That isn't even going into the plot entrails that never got off the ground or resolved. But what really made this a chore to get through was the narrator. I kept turning this off just to get a break from the voice.

Heads up to the audiobook industry - there are people with lovely voices who have taken the time to train those voices and are amazing at doing audio work. PLEASE USE THEM. Please do not use this woman again or I will have to come down to your offices and explain exactly why this is a bad business decision for your company in person. As a bonus I'll bring audio and powerpoint presentation - there will not be cookies.

Gee.. wasn't this a cheery review. ( )

Good silly fun. ( )

This book is an odd one -- but plunging into the quirky world building and sudden, unexpected slang of another place is always entertaining. New Avalon, and it's obsessive schools (this one for sports), and it's luck-fairies, and the verbal play reminds me of the Flora Secunda books. The only thing to do is dive right in.

On the whole, I enjoyed it. I was frustrated at the cardboard cutout adults, and the fact that even when she was being physically kidnapped Charlie didn't bother to ask for help. It went too far! She shouldn't have to handle stuff like that on her own! It's stupid and dangerous, and she chose to go with a stupid and dangerous way of handling it and there were no real repercussions. C'mon now, that's a crappy message to send. But it's a funny book, and a light book, and I guess that makes it ok? ( )

I didn't realize this was a young adult novel into I was into it. At first the Australian young adult jargon was confusing but they do have a glossary in the back of the book. An interesting take on life. ( )

I wanted more from this book than it gave me.

I wanted super seekrit conspiracy theories about the Ours and creepy, big brotheresque, drugs-in-the-drinking-water, evil mind rays that affected the east and west coasts’ perceptions of one another.

I wanted fairies to be a government cover-up for weird military related drug trials.

I wanted Larbalestier (whose blog I love) to stop using words like doos and doxhead and pulchy because it made me want to punch characters in the face, and violence is wrong. You can’t see me, but I just nodded sagely as I typed that.

I wanted more. Clearly.

But I’m giving it two stars because maybe if you don’t want all those things it’s a better novel. I am too biased by my need for deep dark secrets to judge it fairly. ( )