Abarat

Rating:
Summary: Sure to be a Fantasy Classic
Review: This book follows Candy, inhabitant of the most boring town in america, as she journey through the Abarat. She is the daughter of an uncaring mother and a drunkard father. She wishes for something more.

Then she meets the interesting John Mischeif. who has multiple heads. He's being chased. With her help they open of the way to the Abarat archipelago. Twenty Five Islands are what it is consisted of. One for each hour of the day. And the mysterious "Hour Out of Time."

Candy's adventures bring her to meet what will be many intersting friends as well as enemys. This is the first books of the Abarat series written by the master Clive Barker. He also includes illustrations which were oil paintings that he himself created.

This book, being written for young adults, can be read by both young as well as old. It is that good! If you want to get in on the next best thing (after this Harry Potter stuff) read this book. The start of an epic classic!

Rating:
Summary: this book is great and...
Review: and worth reading. It should have a sequal. The story can be read at different levels (but it is sometimes hard to tell) and can be read at different ages 9 and up. A 10th grade humanities teacher recommended this along with completely unrelated books (such as Catch 22) and he is a critical reader. It can be compared to other fantasy books, such as Harry Potter, but is not the same. Abarat, to me, is completely different. That doesn't mean if you like Harry Potter you wouldn't like this (or if you didn't that you wouldn't). Also not relating to the story, the pictures are amazing. This book desearves to be read.

Rating:
Summary: this is a great book...
Review: and despite what some of the other reviewers said it is worth reading. Parts of it where really funny and the pictures are awesome. My 10th grade teacher, who basically only reads classics, read this and recommended it. This teacher also recommended books like Catch 22, which is not at all similar, but that is off topic. It desearves a sequal, in my mind, and should be read. It can be compared to other well known fantasy stories but I say it isn't the same. This is a book where you can read it at many different levels, and while you can understand it at 9 it shouldn't be limited to that age. There is more behind the basic story that can be found as you read it multiple times.

Rating:
Summary: barker sells out
Review: clive barker is a brilliant writer. coming after coldheart canyon (which i believe to be his best book and a brilliant commentary on hollywood), abarat is just awful. it's no secret that barker was asked into the offices of disney and had a king's ransom thrown at him to create something equal to harry potter that could be marketed as movies, rides, etc. he came up with candy quackenbush - one of the lamest heroines i've ever had to read about. with a ridiculous "wizard of oz" pastiche plot and unsympathetic characters, my hope is that clive barker did this to screw the disney executives, but i fear that's not the case. more likely is that he tried to create something to fit an order and the muses don't like being made to work in sweat factories. if you see clive barker in LA, approach him and say hi. besides being a brilliant man, he is a very kind, generous man, but please clive - don't sell out to disney. go back to what you do best: sharing with us the worlds that exist inside of you rather than working at creating a fake one to pocket a hefty check.
abarat is not in the same league as harry potter. if you need more books in the potter vein, go for lemony snicket. abarat is a fast-food production. had it come from an unknown writer, it would have slipped under the radar. it's dry, tedious, repetitive, and lacks the elements that have made barker the unique voice he is. if this is your first visit to barkerland, please read any of his other works. they are all wonderful. abarat is undoubtedly his bastard child - albeit one that is making him rich.

Rating:
Summary: ?
Review: The pictures were really good; the book was a somewhat worthy read just because of them. The subplots were kind of interesting but obvious and the author does not develop the plot or the subplot enough, maybe waiting for the next book? The plot was the usual fish out of water quest fantasy, but by the end of the book I could have cared less about what happened to Candy. This was because Candy was such a poorly drawn character that it was hard to relate to her (a very important thing in Children's and Teen lit). She was so bland, which really stood out compared to all the vivid characters that populated the book. Everybody else, human and abaratian, had personality. I had to push myself to finish the book and that only happened because I had nothing else to read and no access to a library at the time. The only reason I would bother reading the second book is because he ended this one in such a frustrating manner, the princess subplot sounded like it might be worth something later on, and I am curious what happens to Candy's friends. The quotes and poems that introduced sections also were interesting if somewhat pretentious. The whole book is maddening, but it might be worth it if the next couple of books are better.

Rating:
Summary: Love ya, Candy!
Review: This was probably one of the best books that I have ever read! The length is great for speed-readers, and the plot is supremely interesting. It draws you into it's odd twists and turns, and you won't want to put it down! Clive Barker's amazing paintings greatly compliment the story.

Rating:
Summary: Literal Imagery
Review: I first picked this book up at Times, reccomended to me by my mother, who found it in the Children's Section. I was a neophyte of 11 years old, then, and knew nothing about who Clive Barker really was. I took one look at the cover and said, "Sure."

The prologue is the typical prologue, written in a fashion which gives you a peep show of what is to come. Strangely, the three witches (sorceresses, maybe) depicted there will only make an appearance until the ending chapters of the book.

Candy Quackenbush is a loveable character, although I found her prelude antics a dab cliche. She's the typical town child, bullied by her parents and teachers alike, with a tyrant for a father. Clive made her well, though. I found I could relate with her to a certain extent.

For me, I read to page 70+, where the Yebba Dim Day is portrayed, alongside beautiful oil paintings. Sadly, I was not convinced. Due to the lack of real action, I left the book on the proverbial dusty bookshelf. For the next six months.

Only when I got better accuainted with the world of book publishing, did I realise that Clive Barker was the Enfant Terrible of horror fiction. I picked up the Books of Blood to have a look-see, and I wasn't dissapointed. But I realised something. His style, although still flanked with magnificant description, has been forced to change and comply to the ardours of Children's storytelling. It has taken a blow.

The book is bolstered from a 3 star to a 4 star because of the wonderfully done and well-placed oil paintings, which does wonders to the imagination. Although the climax was mediocre, Clive maintained a sense of tension throughout the book, and is a perfect set-up to the books to come.

This book cannot compete with other children's books, such as Harry Potter and Artemis Fowl. The form of magic and science in them are perhaps more popular than creative fantasy to this dynamic generation of young readers. But the plot clicks, the characters clicks, and I'll love to buy the next one in the series.

(p.s. If you see the book in the libary, take it in your hands and turn the cover upside down. Genius.)

Rating:
Summary: A wonderfully intriguing fantasy novel
Review: I received a copy of "Abarat" for Christmas, and I've read it three times over. It really is an excellent book, a terrific and refreshing start to the planned quartet of books (hear that before you make any sudden judgements!). Where do I begin on explaining why I loved it...

First off, the hero and main character, Candy, is from Chickentown, Minnesota. Hear that, the hero of this wonderful series is a native Minnesotan! I come from this state myself and it's great to see that someone actually had the thought to write a book where the hero is from a less-known state. Most of the book heroes I've read about are either from England or New York...

Secondly, the characters are wonderful. I took to John Mischief and his nagging brothers almost instantly, Mendelson Shape and Christopher Carrion were wonderful villains; they had depth and personality, Malingo was just plain cute, and the three creators of the Abarat are women, and very strong-willed and intelligent women, at that. The creatures--from the horribly grotesque mires to the jokey-type sea skippers--were creative and well planned out.

Thirdly, the writing style is certainly lovely. The words flow without too much detail; you can see what's happening, even without the aid of the brilliant oil paintings inside the book (drawn by the author himself). Yet it isn't in the choppy picture book fashion that does not state the actions well at all and leaves you bitter and uninterested. It's also divided into four different parts, complete with a prologue. I usually read one part at a time, and because of its layouts I rarely lose my place.

Yes, I am certainly satisfied with this book, and I'm going to make sure to keep an eye out for the second one when it comes out. So just try and stop me.

Rating:
Summary: Out of the Ordinary, and into the Abarat...
Review: "Abarat" is the first book in an otherwise unreleased series titled "The Books of Abarat." And if its followers prove to be just as creative and different, I think Clive Barker's quartet will be sure to earn a place among the other great fantasy series. The story has its humble beginnings in Chickentown, Minnesota, where a teen named Candy longs to get away from her boring town, oppressive parents, and the possibility of a future spent working in a chicken factory. Adventure finds her more suddenly than she ever could have expected though, as she walks through the grasslands surrounding Chickentown. There, she meets John Mischief and his team of "brothers," who whisk her way to the islands of the Abarat, where time is a place. Each of the 24 islands represents a different hour of the day, save for the 25th Hour, which remains a mystery to even those who inhabit its sister lands. While in the Abarat, Candy meets a colorful cast of creatures and characters, and a strange connection between her and the unusual kingdom becomes apparent, although Candy cannot explain it.

In addition to the story, the illustrations are also something to be praised. Clive Barker created over 100 original paintings just to illustrate his book, and they are as colorful as the characters they depict. What a talented guy! So hurry up, Clive! I can't wait to find out what happens next!

Rating:
Summary: An Amazing Book for Teens
Review: Wow! I recieved this book as a Christmas gift and I wizzed though it in a considerbaly short amount of time (considering how long the book actually is). The story tells about a young girl named Candy who, by chance, finds a way out of her boring hometown (Chickentown) and ariving in the magical world of Abarat, which contains 25 islands, 24 for the 24 hours of a day, and the 25th isle as the "mysterious" island that no one enters. Clive Barker does an incredible job using intracte detail, sharp wit, and a quick moving plot (which contain sub- plots in itself). I was extremely glad that Mr. Barker actually made you think to recieve the point the book tries to put across. With characters that stay imprinted in your mind, and a sequal on the way, this whole series is bond along the road as a hit. Also, a rumor is running around that Disney has agreed to produce a movie...