The Last Story

Con questo libro concludo una trilogia iniziata qualcosa come venticinque anni fa. Il primo libro mi era stato prestato, mi era piaciuto tantissimo, e infatti ho voluto recuperarlo e rileggerlo, e anche alla seconda lettura il mio giudizio era stato positivo. Il secondo libro pare mi fosse pure piaciuto parecchio, almeno stando alla recensione che scrissi a suo tempo perché ora come ora non lo ricordo per niente! Questo terzo libro mi ha un po’ deluso. La storia non era particolarmente accattivante, la protagonista l’ho trovata un po’ sottotono, gli altri personaggi anche poco incisivi. Insomma, una lettura non spiacevole ma che non mi ha coinvolto più di tanto. Inoltre rispetto ai precedenti qui la componente gialla è show more inesistente, sì c’è un mistero, e c’è anche una sorta di indagine se vogliamo, ma non è neanche lontanamente la parte preponderante, né particolarmente accattivante. Nel romanzo Shari è una scrittrice di Young Adult, facendomi intendere anche questi romanzi sono pensati per quel genere, confermando quindi il fatto che non fa proprio per me.
Volendo concludere: questo romanzo è stato un po’ una delusione, specie viste le aspettative che avevo, però non è comunque tutto da buttare, alcune parti, come quelle riguardanti la meditazione oppure il racconto che Shari stava scrivendo, The Starlight Crystal, mi sono piaciute molto, quindi nel complesso si guadagna la sufficienza, e soprattutto sono comunque contenta di averlo letto per aver finalmente portato a termine la trilogia, e aver visto la fine della storia di Shari.
http://www.naufragio.it/iltempodileggere/22118 show less

Again, Spoilers. All of them.

So at the end of the last book (book two in a three-book series), Shari/Jean was pushed from a balcony by Peter/Lenny. But she survived. In this book, she's become a best-selling author, and is about to start shooting the film version of one of her hit books. She's still a Wanderer, and she's still getting guidance from mystical people from Southeast Asia, so that part’s still culturally appropriative.

What else. Well, here's the thing - there are some genuinely interesting parts of this book. And then there is another story within a story, which is totally out of place and not really what I'm interested in reading about. There are sharks and shark attacks, obvious villains, and a story about aliens show more attacking the Earth. Mr. Pike is trying to do too much, which ends up meaning he does none of it really well.

Also, he refers, repeatedly, to a character in a wheelchair as a cripple. Really? In what world is that acceptable?

This one, apparently. At least in Mr. Pike's version of it. I commented on this and my husband asked when the book was written, and I at least got an answer about why this book and book two seem so much ... worse, really, than the first book. The original book, Remember Me, was written in 1989. I'm guessing that there was no real plan to write a sequel; maybe Mr. Pike wanted to write something about the meaning of life and figured he'd just tack it onto this one? Unclear. But either way, book two wasn't published until 1994; this book was published in 1995.

I really don't think either needed to be published. As I said, there are parts that are okay, but mostly the book meanders and tries to tell more stories than the book can.

I think I'll still seek out some of the old Christopher Pike books to see if I really was deluded in thinking they were fun, entertaining books, or if more of them have the subtle bigotry, ableism and xenophobia I've seen in these books. show less

{my thoughts} - This book made me sad. Sheri finally was able to come to terms. To remember who she really was. She got her books published, she became a well known author. But other people on Earth didn’t like her because she was a wanderer and she didn’t really belong. Because of that her life was once again taken from her but this time she was able to leave the world with a feeling of accomplishment. I think she was a very bright character and that she had proven that she had potential beyond her own means. I really enjoyed reading this series and am sad to see it end. But I know that sometime in the future I will probably pick it up and read it again.

{reason for reading} - I read these books because a friend had recommended them show more based on the fact that I had enjoyed the {thirst series} and I was not disappointed. I found a love for {christopher pike’s} writing style. show less

Not Pike's best work, but far from unreadable. I didn't like the story within a story and felt that it took up too much space in the book. I still think that the first book was good as a stand alone novel and didn't need two more books.

{my thoughts} - This book made me sad. Sheri finally was able to come to terms. To remember who she really was. She got her books published, she became a well known author. But other people on Earth didn’t like her because she was a wanderer and she didn’t really belong. Because of that her life was once again taken from her but this time she was able to leave the world with a feeling of accomplishment. I think she was a very bright character and that she had proven that she had potential beyond her own means. I really enjoyed reading this series and am sad to see it end. But I know that sometime in the future I will probably pick it up and read it again.

{reason for reading} - I read these books because a friend had recommended them show more based on the fact that I had enjoyed the {thirst series} and I was not disappointed. I found a love for {christopher pike’s} writing style. show less

Not Pike's best work, but far from unreadable. I didn't like the story within a story and felt that it took up too much space in the book. I still think that the first book was good as a stand alone novel and didn't need two more books