Hexwood

Rating:
Summary: Different and unusual
Review: "Hexwood" is a very strange novel, but extremely rewarding. It's not much like other stuff Diana Wynne Jones has written; although there are humorous moments, it's decidedly not lighthearted, it's not written in a straightforward manner (as it's instead written in five sections), and the time-sense of the novel is rather skewed.

No matter. This is one of the few books I've read cover to cover, then turned back to re-read immediately. I did that for two reasons; Ms. Jones' use of language is extremely moving, especially when talking about Mordion and Vierran's halting romance, and I really wanted to figure out what this whole odd time sense thing was all about.

The main reason the novel is written in five parts is to keep you guessing; it's an intellectual puzzle that's almost impossible to describe. The simple stuff is that there really are people behind the scenes controlling everything on Earth (and in the galaxy as a whole), people called Reigners. They're not very nice people; Reigner One is particularly offensive. And they've co-opted many other, better people to act in their stead as enforcers, crippling them emotionally in the process.

I enjoyed figuring out the twists and turns of the most convoluted plotline I've ever read, while I reveled in how Ms. Jones managed to show people who were emotionally shell-shocked from years of abuse find love, laughter and meaning despite it all.

Five stars, highly recommended for anyone with a good amount of patience and a love for mysteries.

Rating:
Summary: Different and unusual
Review: "Hexwood" is a very strange novel, but extremely rewarding. It's not much like other stuff Diana Wynne Jones has written; although there are humorous moments, it's decidedly not lighthearted, it's not written in a straightforward manner (as it's instead written in five sections), and the time-sense of the novel is rather skewed.

No matter. This is one of the few books I've read cover to cover, then turned back to re-read immediately. I did that for two reasons; Ms. Jones' use of language is extremely moving, especially when talking about Mordion and Vierran's halting romance, and I really wanted to figure out what this whole odd time sense thing was all about.

The main reason the novel is written in five parts is to keep you guessing; it's an intellectual puzzle that's almost impossible to describe. The simple stuff is that there really are people behind the scenes controlling everything on Earth (and in the galaxy as a whole), people called Reigners. They're not very nice people; Reigner One is particularly offensive. And they've co-opted many other, better people to act in their stead as enforcers, crippling them emotionally in the process.

I enjoyed figuring out the twists and turns of the most convoluted plotline I've ever read, while I reveled in how Ms. Jones managed to show people who were emotionally shell-shocked from years of abuse find love, laughter and meaning despite it all.

Five stars, highly recommended for anyone with a good amount of patience and a love for mysteries.

Rating:
Summary: Diana Wynne Jones at her best
Review:

Diana Wynne Jones has always been one of my favorite authors, and this book I would decidedly place among her best. Her ability to create original, compelling worlds is at its apex in this book, and the characters are equally well- crafted.

It's difficult to summarize this book without either giving away everything or being confusingly taciturn, so I'm not going to try. I will say that Jones' penchant for plot twists is exercised here beautifully. The story structure experiments with non-linearity, and the result is stunning and engrossing.

This is a wonderful book, typical of Jones at her best. I recommend it to anyone ages third grade and up with a sense of wonder.

Rating:
Summary: CONFUSING!!!
Review: All right, to those of my fellow reviewers who seemed to love this book, I'm sorry but I have no idea what you mean. It's indecipherable! Somehow the heroine turns out to be not a twelve year old from Earth as she is originally portrayed but an extraterrestrial clothing department clerk employed by five tyrants who rule the universe! I was and am so frustrated by that BOOK! There is no sense of sequence, so every page or so you get jolted up out of the story with your mind one huge blank except for a giant blazing question mark.
You are swept along from inconsistency to inconsistency with little or no explanation, getting worked up for the big revelation at the end, which NEVER COMES! If anything, it's more confusion! Since it is Diana Wynne Jones, the book is not without merit- enough interest to keep you going back to the book, tempting though it is to burn it and vow never to read again-, but the only explanation I can think of for the truly horrible sequence is that she wrote a companion to it, explaining everything, which fell in the fishbowl, upon which she thought,"What the heck, bit of confusion'll do 'em good." And sent it off to be published anyway. Unfortunately, the net result was a lot of crazed people running around garbage dumps at midnight looking for the lost guidebook. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to join them.

Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: Although, to me the ending wasn't that good, this book is great! It's a must read. For those who like a pleasant mixture of sci-fi/fantasy this is the perfect book for you.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding, but overshoots the target audience a bit.
Review: As with all of Jones books I have read, this book instantly grips the reader and creates a solid bond with the main characters. But unlike most of her books, this is a very challenging read! For one thing, there simply is no solid timeline. The reader begins the book at a half-way point, but does not even begin to discover this until chapters and chapters later. Characters are not who, or even what, they seem, and shift without warning. But beyond this, there are deep references not only to Arthurian legend, but also Beowulf. And while it is still enjoyable without the frame of reference provided by knowledge of those times and tales, the reader without it cannot help feeling that they are missing something.

All of these tricks do serve to enhance and deepen the story - for the right reader. And that reader is a highly intelligent teenager or adult with an extensive reading background and a love of fantasy and/or science fiction.

Rating:
Summary: So good, Hexwood can only be read to be believed!
Review: Diana Wynne Jones is one of the best authors for young-adults (and adults). She mixes fantasy and science fiction into intricate, suspenseful and exciting novels. In my opinion, Hexwood is her best book, and most ambitious. It is the story of Anne, a girl from a country town in England who finds a 'monster' rising out of a metal box in the park near her house. From then on, Anne is drawn into what may sound like a strange, but delightful story - full of robots, castles, knights and aliens; which moves around, in and out of order, until the reader is almost totally consumed (or literally lost) in the story, before the masterful conclusion. It is in fact, an exciting fast-paced book that readers of all ages will have trouble putting down, after they get past the initial, slightly bewildering chapters.

The mix of genre hightens the magic plot twists, for which Jones is most famous for. Very worthy of being my most admired book for it's sheer ingeniousness (and favourite!)

Rating:
Summary: Impossible to describe...
Review: Hexwood was one of the most delightful books I've read in a very long time. I picked it up at the bookstore for two reasons: 1) It was a Diana Wynne Jones book, and 2) It looked strange. Despite these two excellent qualifications, I was nearly positive it wouldn't ever replace 'Dark Lord of Derkholm,' my favorite book by this author.

Well, it did. 'Hexwood' begins by dumping the reader smack into the middle of one of the most confusing, twisting plots ever created. Reading through the first couple of chapters gave me a sense of having been given a 1000-piece puzzle to put together, but discovering I only had 5 pieces to work with. Despite the utter confusion, I quickly became enthralled with the book and read it eagerly. Around the midway point of the book, Jones begins dropping more puzzle pieces to fit together, and I often found myself grinning in delight as the plot finally began to make sense.

It really isn't possible to summarize 'Hexwood' accurately. It is a wonderful blend of sci-fi, fantasy, and even the tiniest hint of romance, and to summarize it would be to destroy the joy of discovering the book's utter charm for yourself. Just read it.

(On an end note, what was with those comments about the book being too advanced for most teenagers? We don't all read at the fourth-grade level, as some people seem to think.)

Rating:
Summary: Impossible to describe...
Review: Hexwood was one of the most delightful books I've read in a very long time. I picked it up at the bookstore for two reasons: 1) It was a Diana Wynne Jones book, and 2) It looked strange. Despite these two excellent qualifications, I was nearly positive it wouldn't ever replace 'Dark Lord of Derkholm,' my favorite book by this author.

Well, it did. 'Hexwood' begins by dumping the reader smack into the middle of one of the most confusing, twisting plots ever created. Reading through the first couple of chapters gave me a sense of having been given a 1000-piece puzzle to put together, but discovering I only had 5 pieces to work with. Despite the utter confusion, I quickly became enthralled with the book and read it eagerly. Around the midway point of the book, Jones begins dropping more puzzle pieces to fit together, and I often found myself grinning in delight as the plot finally began to make sense.

It really isn't possible to summarize 'Hexwood' accurately. It is a wonderful blend of sci-fi, fantasy, and even the tiniest hint of romance, and to summarize it would be to destroy the joy of discovering the book's utter charm for yourself. Just read it.

(On an end note, what was with those comments about the book being too advanced for most teenagers? We don't all read at the fourth-grade level, as some people seem to think.)

Rating:
Summary: Despise all other authors...
Review: I actually *cried* at the end of this book. Not because of the plot, but because it was over and I still wanted more. And it being a Diana Wynne Jones, I knew I would have to wait 10 years for the next one. All her books are brilliant, but only a few reach this caliber. I love to read, but my expectations have been raised since Jones and now it's hard to find anything worthwhile out there.