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Shade's Children

Shade's Children

List Price: $6.99
Your Price: $6.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Great Read
Review: I barely ever read anything but when I had to read this book for a school project, I couldn't put it down. Every time you think you will stop reading, you can't. I highly recommend this book for any Science Fiction fans.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: dark and touching
Review: I don't usually like "dark" fiction, but this didn't bother me because the 4 main characters were such essentially likeable people (and because I had a feeling they'd be victorious in the end). I thought this was a great creative concept and a pretty good execution. My only complaint was with the last few chapters -- not the plot, which I thought was just right, but the writing. It just seemed to get flat and a little awkward, as if Nix had used all his writing skills on the exposition and then just wanted to get the grand finale over with. I also thought Shade's "personality integration" problems were a little clumsily handled. My other frustration is that we only learn in very vague terms who the Overlords are and how they pulled off their whole sick scheme. However, perhaps this is appropriate for a book told from the perspective of "children" (actually teenagers) -- their main concern is to turn back the Change, not to understand it. On the whole, an intriguing and touching book.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Fantastic Plot! Beware of Language!
Review: shades Children is one of the best science fiction books i have ever read. From the very first page you are locked into the world that Nix has created. The only reason this book is missing a star is because there were F-Words in it, which I thought took highly away from the pleasure of the book. I am in eight grade, and if swearing bugs you as much as it bugs me, i would reccomend reading this book with caution,however, the plot was fantastic.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: great book
Review: I read this book in the 8th grade after having heard about it the year before from my 7th grade English teacher. I picked it up and I couldn't put it down for the next week. If you like science-fiction then you'll love this book. This book is thoroughly enjoyable and got me back into reading.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Logan's Run meets The White Mountain
Review: Horror lite. Garth Nix is quickly becoming THE name to know in children's fiction. While reading Lee Galda and Bernice Culinan's book, "Literature and the Child" the author's mention that this book, "Shade's Children" is an important science fiction book for young adults today. Just the same, I was incredibly reluctant to pick up this book in the first place. The plot hinges on incredibly repugnant violence done to children in the near future. I'm not fond of the "children in peril" genre and this is probably the quintessential children in peril novel. That said, once picked up this book cannot be put down. Nix's writing shares a quality with that of the better known J.K. Rowling. Readability. In both cases, their books are well-paced adventure stories that many readers find near impossible to stop reading. In this particular book's case, I was put off by the nature of the subject, yes. But there is a lot to love in this novel, and the fact that I, personally, do not care for horror does not mean that this book is poorly written. On the contrary, there is a real care taken with the story and characters. The plot is simple. Beings from another dimension (Overlords) have removed all adults from the world. The remaining children are systematically farmed to create large bio-mechanical robots that serve to fight one another and catch more children for something called "The Meat Factory". The only one capable of defeating these creatures is computer created from a man's memories named Shade and his band of ragamuffin children. So there is blood and gore galore but there is also an intriguing storyline with a cast of characters you come to know and love. This is certainly not a book for young children but teens and pre-teens will undoubtedly (if they're horror fans) adore it. Much like Stephen King, Nix knows how to write a good scary story. He spots his text with Shade's archived videos, instructions, and recorded dialogue of his students. Characters have very realistic urges (if you don't care for sex talk, don't peruse this book) and they live with individual personalities. All in all, you can't help but respect the writing, if nothing else.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A very odd but good book!
Review: Hey, I had to read this book for school. After getting into it I discovered that it wasnet that bad. Although it has some VERY adult context and some seens that get a little to graphic for young minds, it is a great book. I sugest that if you like the gory, mixed up,weird,gross,and utterly insane stuff, this book is for you. But I warn you now.....If you dont like graphic books, dont read this one!!
bye bye



Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A great book
Review: This book had a lot of things going for it, but the one that struck me most was Shade's internal struggle. Shade is a man who, in an attempt to save his own life, uploaded his consciousness to a computer. He has the power to edid his own personality at will, but still has many questions such as:
Can he be alive without a body?
Does he still have feelings in computer form?
Has he edited away too much of his humanity?
Can he have pity?
Should he have pity?
Can he be alive without feelings?
all these questions, added to the solid adventure plot, make this book a great read.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Not Recommended
Review: When I read this book I found it only mildly entertaining. Generally, it's about some super-hero children trying to save the world, and off course they doand everything is happily ever after. All around, this book is unrealistic, dull, and contains gross content that is totally irrelevant to the plot and could be removed without taking away from the story. This is not one of Garth Nix's better books. If you want to read something decent by this author, try Sabriel, Lirael, or Abhorsen. But Shade's Children is just a waste of your time.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A frightening and intriguing book
Review: Nix, Garth. Shade's Children.
Summary: It is some time in the future, 15 years after "the Change", and life as we know it is over. After destroying all the adults, the "Overlords" keep children and use their brains and muscles to create creatures, which are used to fight ritualistic battles and also to hunt the children who manage to escape. Gold Eye, an escaped child who has narrowly eluded the hunters for years, is rescued by a group of survivors working to overthrow the intruders. They are directed and trained by Shade - a phantom, not really a man.
Evaluation: I read this book in one sitting - it was interesting and well written. The character development was lacking, but the plot made up for it. Even though it was shelved in the "young teen" section of the library, I would be careful when recommending such a violent and potentially scary book. The world that Nix creates is fascinating and imaginative - I was sorry when I finished it.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Sure it's disturbing. That's all the fun.
Review: Yes, this book is disturbing. All adults gone, kids harvested for parts, death everywhere. But that chill is the beauty of the work. While I read this book at when I thought i would be too old for the writing, I was still too young for the content. I have to admit practically crying at the end. This book moved me in such a way that I was freaked, yet inspired. Hey, that's good writing.


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