Sophie Talbot

I was really disappointed when I found out this book was not a “choose your own adventure” book, but merely a novel written in the second person. I was so disappointed that I had to stop reading, to stew/pout/sulk over my disappointment. I was expecting to have at least some interaction within the novel.Thankfully the second person narration wasn’t as distracting as I thought it would be, but I still think the story would have been more effective told from a first person perspective. Okay, so maybe I’m still bitter about it not being a “choose your own adventure” novel, but I was really excited about choosing my own adventure.The plot itself was interesting, although I found it to be slow at times. The most action happens in the last twenty pages or so, making the ending fly by for me. The writing itself was excellent, I was really impressed. Good characters, check. Eerie mystery, check. Entertaining, check. Despite my lackluster review, I’ll most likely be picking up the second novel in this series.… (more)

You’re a foster kid who somehow manages to get a full ride plus expenses to Trumbell Woodhouse, the most exclusive boarding school in the nation. You hope you’ll fit in despite your secret: you get visions of the past, present and future that you can’t control. But even weirder, once you get to the school, you begin to suspect that the campus holds a secret as mysterious as yours and that someone’s out to get you…

That’s right, YOU are the main character of this story which is written entirely in second person. It’s a conceit that actually worked well for me – reading this book made me feel like I actually was attending this glamorous school. I picked up my brand new laptop, visited my mysterious advisor, did a difficult Greek translation and made some nice new friends.

I was really impressed with the writing. The dialogue and inner monologues were snappy and hip without resorting to the kind of pop culture name dropping that ages a book all too quickly. The supporting characters were painted with just enough brush strokes to make them distinguishable and memorable. Case in point: Emily, your friend from back home. When you’re applying to schools and start getting rejections she suggests she burn them to make you feel better, even though she’s not allowed:

“Emily got in trouble for starting fires at recess. She was burning up her exams marked lower than a B-. Ever since, she has had to fight a pyromaniac rap.
She led you to the backyard and lit the letter and envelope with a match. She did seem to get a gleam in her eye while the paper burned. Actually, over the next week, she got that gleam five more times when she burned five more rejections.”

Many mysteries are brought up during the course of the novel but only one is really solved by the end. I guess this means I’ll have to read the sequel. It will be my pleasure.… (more)

The first book in this "The Adventures of You" series you are an orphan who gets into one of the best boarding schools around. Trumbull Woodhouse is your only option, your newest set of foster parents don't even want you anymore. You've been tossed around from foster houses to state run homes all your life. So being accepted--and getting a full scholarship--to this school is the best thing that could have happened to you.
The reason you were moved around so much was because you have gotten "shimmers", or visions of the future, your whole life, and didn't find out until you were older that this should have been kept a secret. But when you go to Trumbull Woodhouse you find it hard to keep this secret, the campus and people are covered in mysteries. And you find out someone is trying to sabotaged you, and get you kicked out of the school things get crazier than you ever could have imagined.

This book is supposed to be told through the readers point of view, as in "You just got into Trumbull Woodhouse". It was kind of hard to see myself as the main character, she's an orphan who starts going to a prestigious boarding school. I think it would have been easier to fit into her roll if they used less details, but that would have made the storyline very flat, and this book was anything but.
It must be hard writing about a character with no set name, but Sophie Talbot does it flawlessly. All of the characters are extremely well written. I loved the plot and the characters.
Although the major selling point of this book is it's told about you that was my least favorite part.
I loved this book and i can't wait for the other books in this series.… (more)