A Ring of Endless Light

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Summary: Medleine L'Engle's Book Shines
Review: A book which deals with the gifted Austin family, A Ring of Endless Light shines with its handling of growing up issues: death, first love, and discovery of your purpose in life. A completely different book from A Wrinkle in Time, but has the same magical quality. Recommended along with A Wrinkle in Time, The Gifted Girls Series, and The Chronicles of Narnia Series.

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Summary: WARNING WARNING WARNING
Review: DO NOT I repeat DO NOT read this book if you are NOT a girl under 16 years old. I am a 35 year old man and I read this book and thought it was a parody but it isn't. If you are some kind of sicko and like books marketed to the secret adolescent sensuality of girls in the school of things like unicorns and horses, then buy all means, read this book and then seek professional help. Otherwise take my advice and stay far far away.

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Summary: This book is an old friend
Review: I first read this book as a teenager. As an adult, I still re-read it whenever I need to be uplifted or comforted. It is among my favorite books. It is very definitely young-adult fiction, but it has appeal for adults as well, though it will almost certainly appeal more to women than men. This is a book about triumph and tragedy, pain, loss, love and growing up. It is life-affirming even though it deals with sadness and anguish - a trademark of L'Engle's work. Vicky is a heroine everyone who ever was, is or will be a teenage girl can relate to - particularly anyone who has ever lost someone to death or betrayal. Beautifully written, as all of L'Engle's work is, but this one stands out as something special. It is one of my two all-time favorites of L'Engle's work, and that is saying something because I have read most of her work and virtually all of her novels (the only one I don't own is virtually impossible to find). There is an element of the "supernatural" in that Vicky has the ability to communicate telepathically with dolphins, and it was originally written long enough ago that some of the pop culture references are a bit dated, but other than that, this book is as real as it gets when it comes to dealing with first love, friendship, death, tragedy, anguish and growing up.

I was extremely disappointed in the movie, so I will add my voice to those who have said that if you've seen the movie, don't expect the same from the book - the book is infinitely better and completely different. In my view, the movie both missed the point and gutted the story of the book. Some change is necessary when adapting a book, but this was one of those cases where, with the exception of a handful of character names, a poem, the title and maybe half a dozen lines of dialog, the book and the movie bore no relationship to one another - and the movie suffered for it. It was a perfectly adequate movie, but it was NOT "A Ring of Endless Light" and they ought not to have called it that - though if it gets kids who saw it to read the book, I suppose some good can come from it. If you liked the movie - read the book to find out what REALLY happened to Vicky, Adam & Zachary (oh and that guy they left out of the movie entirely - Leo). And if you haven't seen the movie - skip it and read the book!

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Summary: A Beautifuly Written Book
Review: I first read this book when I was in middle school, and recently re-read it for a 400-level college course on children's literature. When I read this book for the first time, I wasn't overly enthralled with it, but I loved Vicky and felt the pain that she was going through with all the death around her.

When I re-read this book, I was astonished at how moving it was. The writing style is superb and the language is like poetry. The pace of the book, while it may be a little slow to younger readers, truly makes you lose yourself in the story. I believe this is a must-read for any age.

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Summary: This was the BEST book I've EVER read. ever.
Review: I have read almost every one of Ms. L'Engle's Books, (i am her #1 fan, my ultimate goal is to read them all, which will be a challenge) and this one, A Ring of Endless Light, is my favorite, i liked it even more than A Wrinkle in Time. I am a ravenous reader and i have read a million and two books, and this one is my FAVORITE OF THEM ALL. I cried at the end of this book because IT WAS OVER, thats how good it is. You MUST read this book if you are a L'Engle fan, it is AMAZING.

In this book, Vicky Austin is visiting her grandfather on Seven Bay Island, somewhere of the coast of New England. Her grandfather has Leukemia and it is consistently getting worse. She also, for the first time in her life, finds herself the center of attention for 3 boys. Adam, a friend of her brothers who she is working with on his projects with dolphins, Leo, an old friend who wants more and all Vicky wants is friendship. Then Zachary, a troubled rich boy, who Vicky wants to help, but shes not sure how. This book is complex and GREAT! A MUST buy for teen fiction readers. ENJOY!

Rating:
Summary: A Ring of Endless Light
Review: I read a book called A Ring of Endless Light. This book is one of the many books by Madeline
L??? Engle. This book goes along with the Disney movie called A Ring of Endless Light.

I read this book after I saw the movie. Everybody should read this book because it is a great book because it has dolphins and I love dolphins. I also love horses. A character in the book, Vicky, can communicate with the dolphins. She is visiting her grandfather on Seven Bay Island. Vicky Goes to Second Bay Stables to ride horses. It is a Newbery Honor Book.

In this book one person dies, and a female dolphin gives birth to her first pup (a dolphin baby). One of the characters can talk with the dolphins so they can communicate. All in all A Ring of Endless Light is a good book, but I thought it was very boring.

If you like Madeline L???Engle I would suggest you read it, but I if have never read a book by her should read A Wrinkle in Time, first.

Rating:
Summary: A Ring of Endless Light
Review: I read a book called A Ring of Endless Light. This book is one of the many books by Madeline L' Engle. This book goes along with the Disney movie called A Ring of Endless Light.

I read this book after I saw the movie. Everybody should read this book because it is a great book because it has dolphins and I love dolphins. I also love horses. A character in the book, Vicky, can communicate with the dolphins. She is visiting her grandfather on Seven Bay Island. Vicky Goes to Second Bay Stables to ride horses. It is a Newbery Honor Book.

In this book one person dies, and a female dolphin gives birth to her first pup (a dolphin baby). One of the characters can talk with the dolphins so they can communicate. All in all A Ring of Endless Light is a good book, but I thought it was very boring.

If you like Madeline L'Engle I would suggest you read it, but I if have never read a book by her should read A Wrinkle in Time, first.

Rating:
Summary: a lyrical, beautiful story
Review: This book is unquestionably my favourite in the Austin series. The other books in the series are The Twenty-Four Days Before Christmas, Meet the Austins, The Anti-Muffins, The Moon by Night, The Young Unicorns, and Troubling a Star. A Ring of Endless Light contains some of my favourite poetry, as well as being written in clear, natural, effortless prose. The issues it deals with, such as faith, life and death, and the nature of God, are never oversimplified, and there is a refreshing absence of a narrow, didactic viewpoint. This book clearly deserved its Newbery Honor Book status. Ever since I finished reading this book, I have wanted to swim with a dolphin, and was encouraged to read Henry Vaughan's poetry for the first time.

One thing I really wish is that Disney hadn't ruined this story by turning it into a 'save the dolphins' teen flick, totally changing the themes and content of the story. If you have seen the t.v series please read the book as well before making up your mind about the story.

Rating:
Summary: A teenage coming of age book with depth
Review: This is just in response to another review that mentioned the Disney remake of this book. It was horrendous and unrecognizable. Disney slashed characters and trivialized the entire book. The powerful impact of Vicky's inner turmoil about her grandfather and life in general is replaced with a stupid boy interest that doesn't come close to the Adam in the book.

Side note: I've reread this book countless times and it remains one of my all-time favorites. It never fails to brighten my mood. Great characters and a family that seems too-good-to-be-true and real at the same time.

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Summary: This is my Favourite Book!!!!
Review: This is my favourite book (hence the title). I have read it 3 times already and it never losses its wonderfullness. It is about a girl called Vicky who has to deal with her grandfather who is dying and she also had 3 very different boys wanting her attention. Even though she is confronted with many conflicts, she learns to deal with them with the help of her dolphin friend, Basil, whom she can communicate with. In the end the conflicts are resolved and she looks on life with a different outlook, and i think that if you read this book you will too!