| Title | : | Reincarnation |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0545013232 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780545013239 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 304 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2007 |
From prehistory to the present, theirs was a love for the ages. It starts with a fight in a cave over an elusive green jewel . . . and then travels over time and lives to include Egyptian slaves, Greek temples, Massachusetts witch trials, Civil War battlefields, Paris on the eve of World War II, America in the 1960s . . . and a pair of modern-day teenagers. For readers who believe that love is stronger than time or death, this is an unforgettable novel from a wonderful storyteller.
Reincarnation Reviews
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From the moment they first meet, this young man and woman have a powerful connection. But circumstance will not allow them to stay together; a fight for a green jewel ends both of their lives. However, their bond is so strong that it surpasses the boundary between life and death and they continue to be born into new bodies until they can finally be together.
Reincarnation is quite a unique story, and I have never quite read anything like it. Each story of these two lovers connects back to the previous ones in obvious ways, so it is easy to tell which character was reincarnated into which new character, although this was a little confusing when the girl became a guy. The easiest way for me to recognize who was who was with the details that carried over from setting to setting. For example, the main young woman always had a pet cat named Baby, a hurt ankle, and a great singing voice, and the main young man always had headaches and a skill in archery. I really enjoyed how all the characters were interconnected and also the various historical settings. A lot of research must have gone into this novel, and I am nearly positive that it is all accurate.
The idea behind Reincarnation is a philosophical question, and Suzanne Weyn attacks it head on. I really liked how she incorporated many major religions, according to their region, and their views on death and the afterlife. However, I found it kind of ironic how the two lovers were never reincarnated as people in India, which is where the two main religions believing in reincarnation, Buddhism and Hinduism, originated. But this can be forgiven since the characters read many books on Buddhism in the novel.
The ending of the story was bittersweet for me, because I did not feel that the story lived up to its full potential. Suzanne Weyn leaves a lot of the story up to interpretation, which is good for making the reader think about the concept of reincarnation, but it did not leave me with a sense that the young lovers would stay together in love for all of eternity. The one redeeming point was how the other two characters that are also reincarnated get together.
All in all, I was a little disappointed with Reincarnation, but it was a beautiful story nonetheless. I do recommend it, because it is a highly unique and thought-provoking read, and I hope that other readers will find it as sweet a love story as I did.
reposted from
http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com -
Reincarnation is about two spirits, or whatever, that meet again time after time, until eventually they can be together (because stuff, like death, usually keeps them apart).
Where to begin? First off, there was WAY too many stories in this book. We are barely introduced to the characters and circumstances before we are whisked away to another story. And in between each story is a vortex of confusion and shit, where the 'Wheel of Rebirth' is mentioned, and a whole bunch of seemingly meaningless POVs are shown. Too confusing.
On the one hand, I liked the similarity between the stories (girl that sings and has bad ankle, boy in slavery who writes songs, jealous boy with aching jaw, jealous girl with red hair, the green jewel that changes everything) because between the confusing bits, I knew what was going on, I knew who each character was supposed to be. On the other hand, the stories got a bit old after a while, and predictable. It would have been tons better if there only was, say, four stories, and not ten.
There were several scenarios where I found the love to be a bit weird, and totally unrealistic. And the cover of two white people almost kissing is totally inaccurate, because the two characters are rarely of the same race, let alone white.
This story presents the ONLY scenario where instalove is acceptable. It still stinks, but the way the reincarnation worked and how the spirits had already met and loved each other before made it okay.
There were several historical inaccuracies (Athena wasn't the matronly goddess, Hera was; no one was burned in the Salem Witch Trials, all the victims were hung; etc.) that I could easily pick out, and it took away from the story. If an author writes historical fiction (and this was) the least he/she can do is make sure it is historically accurate.
In conclusion, the book wasn't the best out there, but it kept me somewhat engaged, so it wasn't THAT bad. -
For people who enjoy books set in historical times and romances, this one is for you. This book goes forward in time historically following two souls through their many lives. There are also secondary characters who accompany them and a few unifying themes to help readers follow which soul is in which body.
In a book where little could happen as destiny seems to be stronger than free-will, Weyn does a good job making the characters still seem in charge of elements of their lives. The book touches on issues of race and gender but is not overly preachy.
I found this to be a quick, enjoyable read. The cover is steamier than the material inside the text. Overall, the middle section is a tad muddled, and the end is maybe a bit too neat. Even so, I had fun reading it and did not feel engulfed in fluff. I could see recommending this book to both middle and high school students -
About halfway through this book became an eye roller with each page that is read. The idea of the book is neat - that's why I read it. I thought the author did not execute the idea as well as she should have....
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It was an okay book.
While it bothers me that I can't call the characters by name since it changes and not by gender because it switched once, the fact that their past lives influenced their present life was good because without that I would just have assumed they never switched genders.
To me, it was basically a simple love story cut into pieces and each piece put in a different time period.
But the ending seemed a little too easy to me. -
This book is going in to my very own entry in to the list of "books with so much potential but only if some one was wise enough to uncover it". "Reincarnation" is the kind of book you could have loved but only ended up liking in the end. It is not so much that it lacked interesting ideas or innovative concepts but it is the lack of focus that damaged this book. Personally I believe that the author could have created a much more captivating book if she had reduced on the number of past lives and increased on their length. Instead the number of past lives that the characters are put through leads to a very confusing read and gives the book the feel of a collection of short stories regardless of the fact that it is the very same characters that we are reading about.
The story begins in the prehistoric times when a Neanderthal man encounters a Cromagnon woman while they of trying to steal a green emerald ultimately leading to their death. Then the story moves to ancient Egypt where they are reborn as an Egyptian singer and a slave who find comfort in each other. The mysterious green emerald makes an appearance in this story also. From there on their tale takes us through ancient Greece, the Incas, Salem Witch trials, America during World war I, The Jazz age in France before World War II and many more life times in the end settling into the modern era with the characters being a couple of teenagers. Though the book takes up through different time periods it has not done justice to any of it. One of the reasons being the length, the stories are too short which makes a bit difficult to capture the essence of the time period. The second reason being you never feel any real love between the characters other that the fact that the writer keeps on insisting that they are soul mates. The characters don't fall in love in their first life. They fall in love in one of their later lives and after that in every other life they meet they fall for each other mainly due to the reason that they feel like they have known each other for ever. It kind of goes on to say what the characters feel in their past life becomes a part of their soul and is carried on to their next life. This was especially true for some of the secondary characters that gets reincarnated with the main characters. But special points have to be given to the author for not shying away from reversing the gender or colour of her main characters. The linking of the present life characters with their past life characters by blood was something that could have been avoided because it ultimately ended up making the story more complicated.
The high points in the story however is the changing mythological beliefs. From the great bird that come down to lead the souls to the after life to the Egyptian's pyramidal afterlife followed by the boat ride through River Styx ending up finally in the pearly gate of St Michel. Which each death the souls take a different path to the after life with the changing beliefs of the people which kind of feels that the like after life is a figment of one's belief. The changing ideology of the great mother from Isis to Athena to Virgin Mary all accounts for a compelling read. This book appeal to those interested in theology and spirituality, for those interested in history would not find this book to their taste. I would recommend this book to those who don't mind constantly changing view points with a little bit of philosophy thrown in to the midst, other better stay clear of it.
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I enjoyed reading this book. I liked the concept of the story. I enjoyed them going through all of the different time periods throughout history and that their where others that where other characters that was in those periods with them. I liked how the characters developed over time. What I did like was how the author had things they could do or that may of affected them in one life continue in another. Such as singing, archery, good at sports. Also the problems they may of had such as headaches, afraid of fire, ankle problems, jaw hurting. Also enjoyed how the author covered issues throughout history slavery, civil right the wars throughout the different time periods.
What I was disappointed in was the ending. It just felt kinda of rushed. You had these people meeting through time and living different lives but the last chapter current day all happened within one day. I just wished the last story with the characters where longer. -
And the award for THE MOST FRUSTRATING BOOK I HAVE READ FOR 2016 GOES TO....
Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn
Don't let that one star rating fool you though. The book was engaging and a pageturner. I just couldn't help myself from turning that next page. Suzanne's writing is captivating.
But the story was *insert hair pulling gif here. giphy is disabled at work sorry!*
Suzanne Weyn makes us travel through time. But these two characters who get reincarnated time and time again just can't get their break. Either one or both of them die early. Or one's stuck in the convent. Or they meet at the wrong time. IMHO, Suzanne overdoes it with the viewing of lives. The only conclusion we had for the MCs' "present life" was in ten pages, where they were the same age, but with no real finale. Knowing the history of these two, one will die of cancer or get hit by a bus. Seriously. -
I read this book almost three years ago but it still sticks with me today. The compelling love story and beautiful historical details, combined with repetitive cameos from the same lovable and dreadful characters make this a great read.
It starts in the pre-historic era and goes all the way up until the present day. It's heart-wrenching and beautiful and frustrating because you just want them to be happily together. It makes you wonder if there's someone waiting out there for you who you've already known for years and years and whom you're destined to be with. It's short and sweet but gives you a lot to think about. The ending left the story wanting, but it works and leaves you with a lot to consider. It's a great book so give it a read some afternoon! :) -
Reincarnation was an interesting concept - it follows two people through centuries as they continually discover their never-ending love for each other only to be tragically separated. They are continually reincarnated - most of the times the story inter-twining with previous lifetimes - until they meet and successfully unite as true loves for a lifetime. Sounds like a great love story! Maybe I was expecting too much as this is a YA novel, however, it was dry. I was hoping for a powerful Twilight-esque moving story that makes you believe in the power of love. Not so much. In the end, interesting concept, mediocre results.
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Many lives. One love.
What if love is stronger than time?
What if love is stronger than death?
4.5 stars ⭐️
I loved reading this book, and I wish that it were longer. If this would have been a 1.000 pages, I would have read every word.
Just deducting half a star because some of the stories were a bit sloppy. But I cannot rate this any less. Any story that gives you goosebumps this many times, deserve this rating.
The story of the baby girl that was afraid of fire, broke my heart. :(
So sad.
And relatable.
I totally believe in reincarnation. I think we do meet people in our life that we have met before. That's why you have this instant connection with them, which doesn't make any sense, if you think about it. Same goes with an instant dislike for a certain person, while you don't know that person or haven't spoken to him/her. I have seen this in other people in my life. An ex-boyfriend of mine had a huge dislike of an acquaintance of mine, and he couldn't pinpoint the reason for it. All he could say on the matter was, 'I never liked the guy'.
I believe that every person comes into our life for a reason, a lesson. But we did meet some of these souls before. You can love such a soul in an instant. And I have to say, I never knew my great grandparents. They died before I was born, but I can say that I love them anyway because I just feel that they are souls that I know. ❤️
So, this story of the baby girl and her intense fear of fire. This struck a cord with me. I remember that I had night terrors of the house being on fire when I was a little girl. I was like 5 or 6. This did not make any sense. I just remember that this felt so real, and the only way I got over this, was going through the motions. I had to see this through to the end, and I didn't dream of it ever since.
I also think that as a parent, if you see this happen to a child, when they have a fear that seems to have no source, don't sweep it under a rug as imagination. It can be an important clue to their past lives.
I'm fortunate that my mom is such an openminded person and she helped me through it.
Too much of me longs for this green, green earth; all the beauty, even the sadness and heartbreak -
Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com
How long will it take you to hook up with your soul mate?
Samantha and Jake have been meeting each other throughout their whole lives -- starting from the Stone Age to Ancient Egypt and to Salem, Massachusetts, to Paris right before World War II.
Each time the two lovers connect something tears them apart. Will they finally overcome their obstacles in the present or are they doomed to repeat their mistakes and misfortunes forever?
Travel with Samantha throughout history and gain a new perspective on REINCARNATION. Suzanne Weyn pens a tale full of emotion and being true to yourself no matter the consequences. -
Whether or not you believe in reincarnation, and even whether or not you are a teen, if you like historical fiction, romance, and maybe a touch of coincidence, this is a great read. I enjoyed it very much, and could not put it down.
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Wow, It has blown me away completely. And I seldom bother with reviews, I am more interested in the reading part. Some stories are adorable, some are a one-time fling but some, mind you very rare ones, last a lifetime because only the best are memorable. This one was a subtle tale. It was a design which was spun with so much care. The author has done excellent word building drawing you into an intricate web. The story lasts several lifetimes and it has interwoven some real facts and history. It all starts and ends with a green stone. Revenge, jealousy, rage, religion, life and above all love. I fell in love with the story for its subtlety, for me it was pure haven. I could imagine them meeting and losing each other. There is a very famous line from a movie in India,
"Someone, somewhere is made for you." There is one soul with two parts and each heart is inscribed with the names of Radha and Shyam. The epitome of love in India. Even though Shyam did not marry Radha and his wife was Rukmini. It is Radha who is always remembered before him Radhe-Shyam.
This story had the same essence. They might be from different races, countries, ranks but their love prevails but so do their pains and fears. In their innermost conscience they recognize each other and reach out.
I really adored this book.It was so completely awesome. -
Reincarnation was essentially a huge disappointment to me. The story stemmed from an very thought-provoking concept and I was really excited to start reading it. The idea of this love story that began in pre-history and continued for these two souls throughout time was so promising. However, it didn't take long for me to realize that this really interesting concept was going to be lost to sub-par writing, undeveloped characters, and an extremely repetative and predictable plot. The book was written at a jr. high level and would probably be a decent read for the average middle-school reader. Once again, I was just really disappointed that a concept that had so much potential to be turned a very deep and powerful story was just SO wasted due to mediocre writing. I kept expecting it to get better or to find some sort of plot twist but in the end it seems that that was just too much to ask. It was a let-down right up to the anti-climactic ending.
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At first, I really liked this book. I though it was great how the many love lives were weaved through history. I became fascinated by all the times and different scenarios the author put her characters through. A story about two lovers being reincarnated intrigued me, but unfortunately towards the end, I found the book to get repetitive. The same plot got played over and over again. The two star-crossed lovers are always just out of reach for one another and tragedy always strikes. Even the same side characters and items reappear, and yet I never felt I truly knew these characters. However, there was a story that particularly fascinated me the most and that was when the sex roles were switched. If only each of the other stories were just as fresh it might have been more compelling. Overall, it wasn't a bad read but nothing spectacular.
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I first read this book (but didn’t finish it) in 2008, right around the time it came out, and I was in middle school. I recall getting about 50% through and enjoying it, but I had to return it.
Fast forward many years, and I couldn’t remember what the title of this book was, and one day figured it out.
I finally picked it up from the library and it was just as great as I remembered it being. It tells the story of two souls who start in prehistoric times and are reincarnated in many different periods, only to be attached every time.
Throughout history, they begin to recognize one another, but more in a “something about you feels familiar,” and we see their relationship evolve. The author did a fantastic job referencing previous lives in their present ones. Many short stories made this entire novel up yet flowed together so well.
I feel as if I have closure now, having read this. This is probably one of my longest waits to read a book so far at fifteen years, but it was so worth it! -
quite a sweet wee y.a read. well written and intricate
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I've read many non-fiction books on the topic of reincarnation, and some of the stories within them are as strange as (or stranger than) fiction. So maybe it's not any wonder that there are so few fiction books that deal with this topic. I've read a few, ranging from the good (Alison Baird's The Witches of Willowmere) to the absurd (Alyson Noël's Evermore) to the downright awful (Michael Kube-McDowell's Vectors). Suzanne Weyn's Reincarnation falls somewhere in the middle. It wasn't the best reincarnation novel I've ever read, but it certainly wasn't the worst.
From the beginning, before I knew anything about the story, I knew two things: first, that there would be a lot of death; and second, that the two characters would have a satisfactory ending. When you're writing about multiple lives, death is a given. After all, one has to die before they can be reborn. And as for the ending... well, if there's not going to be a satisfactory conclusion, then what's the point of this particular journey? (I guess you can get away with that kind of nonsense in literary fiction, but this is, after all, a young adult romance novel. Do you really expect it to end with, "And they both died and never saw each other again for all eternity"?)
The plot loosely revolves around emeralds. In the beginning, a young Cro-Magnon woman and a young Neanderthal man die while fighting over a chunk of emerald. This event sets the rest of the story in motion. The two reincarnate over and over again, meeting in each life and discovering an inexplicable attraction to one another, while encountering the green jewels that often (but not always) lead to their demise. It's difficult to talk about characters, because they went by different names throughout the book. They were fairly easy to keep track of, though, as the author assigned characteristics to each one early on, and those characteristics kept repeating. The young woman, for instance, injured her foot in ancient Egypt; from then on, when a character showed up who had foot or ankle problems, you knew which reincarnated character it was. (I did find this to be a little over-simplified, but for storytelling purposes, it worked.)
This was a quick read, but at times it felt a little rushed. The last section, especially, seemed a little too short (and convenient). Unfortunately, due to the nature of the story, there was really not enough time for the author to properly develop any of the characters... and so we had to rely on those external characteristics I mentioned earlier (the bum ankle, the headaches, the jaw problems, the redhead who always wears yellow). I wouldn't have minded if the book was a little longer, especially in some sections.
I did like how the author incorporated different cultural beliefs into the story. When a character died, they saw what their culture had conditioned them to see. The prehistoric people saw a great bird carrying the spirits of the dead; the ancient Greeks saw the River Styx and Elysium; those who were raised in Western Christian countries saw the pearly gates and the archangel Michael. It would have been even more interesting had these two characters reincarnated in other places around the world (but they were confined to the Mediterranean region, Europe, and the U.S.A.).
All in all, it was an entertaining and interesting read. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone with an open mind who loves a good story.
http://theladybugreads.blogspot.ca/20... -
2.5
Empecé a leer este libro con mucha expectativa ya que la idea de dos almas que se reencuentran en diferentes vidas me pareció hermosa. No pude evitar sin embargo una cierta incertidumbre acerca de cómo iba a hacer la autora para narrar tantos siglos de historia (como esperaba que hubiese) en tan pocas páginas.
La respuesta llegó sola: a medida que se avanza en el tiempo y en las reencarnaciones, las historias se hacen cada vez más breves y predecibles. Y por breves me refiero a que algunas vidas son narradas en poco menos que una página o dos.
Comienza en la era prehistórica, donde dos jóvenes cavernícolas pertenecientes a diferentes etapas de la evolución humana (ella pertenece a una raza más inteligente que él) se conocen a raiz de una esmeralda que atrae la atención de ambos, lo que despertará las primeras chispas de algo similar al amor.
Como el libro se llama Reenarnación, es obvio que los personajes van a morir inevitablemente, y así ocurre en las diferentes pequeñas historias que suelen terminar de forma trágica y violenta.
Entre las vidas pasan por La Rueda del Renacer, una especie de limbo cálido en que las almas esperan a su nueva reencarnación, donde la autora intentó darle un cierto tinte filosófico (o existencialista?) al libro.
Hay un pequeño triángulo amoroso en muchas de las vidas, ya que son varias las almas que se reencuentran de diferente modo, aunque son sólo dos las protagonistas.
Algo que sí me gustó es que una de esas almas secundarias comienza a evolucionar con el correr de las vidas, y se vuelve lentamente una mejor persona. También hay pequeños detalles sutiles que me parecieron muy buenos, como el que ciertas cosas que causaron dolor o muerte en una vida anterior (como morir quemada por ser acusada de bruja) cause traumas en las vidas siguientes (terror al fuego).
Bastante rápidamente sin embargo comienza a resultar repetitivo, ya que las historias individuales no son demasiado elaboradas y a los personajes siempre se los identifica por exactamente las mismas cuatro o cinco cosas, llegando a un punto en el que es tan predecible que cansa.
Me hubiese gustado más desarrollo en la historia (o en el contexto histórico, que es bastante pobre) y profundidad en los personajes, porque, insisto, la idea del argumento era hermosa.
El último capítulo, donde está el tan esperado desenlace de la historia de amor, me produjo la sensación de que la autora lo hizo apurada porque o bien se quedó sin tiempo, o bien se cansó y se no molestó en lo más mínimo en desarrollar. Quizás la intención fue dar un final feliz abierto, pero para mi no fue suficiente, fue apresurado y tosco.
Igual es un libro entretenido, pero para mi gusto, no supo aprovechar un argumento con mucho potencial y al final se quedó corto.
Reseña de
Fantasía Mágica -
Everything begins in prehistoric times when a Neanderthal and a Cro-Magnon meet and experience a connection so strong that they will forever be united in future lives. They, along with two other characters, are reincarnated repeatedly over time, as they seek to find the perfect ending and to finally get it right. However, it will not be easy. A lot stands in their way, including the reincarnated emerald stone, and they must gradually change in unforeseen ways over each lifetime in order to secure their happy ending.
This book was absolutely fantastic! I loved it! :D
The historical context of each life is fascinating and adds layers of dimension. My personal favorite was the Greek past life, though it is hard to choose, as each offers something different.
Despite the repetition of lives in which the four characters meet up, never does the book become stilted or boring. In fact, the nature of the characters and of their relationships with one another is flexible and fluid through the course of time, directly changed by the actions and choices of each character. Little things--injuries, attitudes, perceptions of a past life's ending, cause of death--carry over to the next few lives, reminding the characters and readers of the connectedness of all people and all things.
I enjoyed the format of the book, with the "Then" chapter switching to the first-person perspective of a character that has died and the shorter sections about lives in which the characters do not directly meet or upon which the author chooses not to elaborate, though they are still significant to overarching character development.
It is amazing to see the ways in which each of the characters are intertwined and how each consecutive life is influenced--for better or worse--by the events and choices in their past lives. It is a little disheartening to witness each life end, as it must, in order to lead into the next, and yet, I loved every minute of it. I was captivated and couldn't stop reading until I reached the last page--the last chapter representing the culmination of all the past lives. (And I confess that the ending made me cry a bit, as great endings always do.)
Overall, I would recommend this book to everyone!
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The actual rating on this book is a three and a half stars. Suzanne Weyn writes a story about two souls who first encounter each other at the dawn of recorded time. She is a woman from a hunter-gatherer tribe...strong, beautiful and betrothed to the future leader, a popular and fierce warrior. He comes from another, more ancient clan. He wishes to prove himself in battle and to regain his standing among his people. When the two encounter each other in a cave, they fight over a green stone which holds a different value for one another. The struggle for it brings about their tragic end but sets their souls on a journey of lifetimes to find each other once again.
From Ancient Egypt, to Classical Greece. From the Salem Witch Trials to the Civil Rights Movement, these two souls find their way to one another, trying to find the right moment to be together but their destinies are constantly interrupted by circumstance. With each passing life, they remember more of the past and work towards making amends with the souls that stand in the way of their happiness.
I found the subject matter of this novel quite interesting and unlike anything I have ever read before. I have mixed feeling about reincarnation. Certainly there are times I run into strangers and have a strong sense of having known that person, but memories...remembering the past? No. I may feel an affinity to a certain period in history, but there are no memories of what happened and whom I knew. This is why I have trouble believing that these two would know so much about each other the moment they see each other for the first time. Weyn has her female character uncover her past lives through hypnosis. This is something I know nothing about, so I am a little skeptical. Honestly, to enjoy this book you have to open yourself up to the possibility of reincarnation. I enjoyed the stories, especially how easily we can identify these two souls in their new lives. It was certainly entertaining, but I felt she could have gone further in explaining the reincarnation aspect and how it works. The ending fell a little flat and too quickly wrapped up. I was hoping for something a little more earth shattering after all those failed attempts at being together than what we got.
B+ read. -
Estaba extremadamente ansiosa por leer este libro, de hecho, detuve la lectura de un segundo para comenzar este porque me mataba la curiosidad.
No soy las que dejan un libro a medias, pero casi lo hice con Reincarnation.
Al principio, luego de leer el primer capítulo, me detuve y pensé: "Bien, muchos otros han empezado peor y terminado fantásticamente." Así que solamente me dispuse a seguir leyendo.
Luego de tres capítulos las cosas se pusieron complicadas, no entendía de que iba aquello o con que concordaba. La historia-que tiene cuatro personajes principales-debía tener una lógica secuencial, pero lo que me encuentro es que luego de que pasaran algunas vidas no sé quien es quién; hay algunos factores que me ayudaron a relacionar: como el tobillo izquierdo de una o la habilidad del arco de otro, pero personalmente la única que siempre permaneció igual fue la chica del cabello rojo.
Lo personajes no están bien desarrollados, en primer lugar porque la autora no se detenía demasiado en cada vida sino que contaba solo algunos sucesos y los personajes terminaban siempre medio descritos y en segundo lugar porque siempre oscilaban de características específicas. Como había dicho anteriormente, había cosas que los diferenciaban, pero no era la línea de salida.
Debo decir que en algunos libros el problema es que van demasiado lentos, pero con este fue todo lo contrario: las historias sucedían muy rápido y no me pude tomar el tiempo de detenerme y saborear cada línea y momento.
La razón por la que estaba tan emocionada en un principio fue porque el tema de las vidas reencarnadas me llama muchísimo la atención, creo que se presta para muchas cosas, especialmente para un libro mas extenso y mas completo. Por esta razón mi calificación fue tan baja, me ha decepcionado enormemente.
Sin embargo, no me puedo quedar con el sabor amargo en la boca, tengo que decir que muy a pesar de la trama de la historia algunos detalles estuvieron bien fusionados; se notó el esfuerzo de la autora para conseguir algunos datos históricos y de gran ayuda para darle un poco de creatividad al libro.
No diré más pues a pesar de que es un tema muy fresco y muy poco frecuentado, no ha sido ni de cerca un libro que recomendaría a un amigo. -
This is a wonderful introduction to the concept of reincarnation, in story form. If you struggled through
Cloud Atlas, try this book for easier tracking of the characters from life to life.
Weyn is a bit short on explanations for the how and why (most are), but she captures the momentum of consecutive incarnations very well, and she makes it enjoyable to read. I plan to add it to my Resources page in my upcoming nonfiction book about reincarnation, especially for those who've not explored the subject much. It's also quick to read, being aimed at a younger audience.
If you do read it, place these characters in the category of younger souls, who therefore do not spend much time in the higher worlds before reincarnating. They demonstrate what I would term the "slow method" of working out karma and achieving personal growth, unlike the character in my novel, *Cosmic Dancer,* who exhibits the fast-moving traits of an older soul who's been through many such lives and spends a considerably longer period of study and preparation in beautiful spiritual worlds before reincarnating.
I missed that element in Weyn's book, but on the other hand, I admire her fortitude and attention to detail in "documenting" how the polarity relationship forms between her two main characters, using a clever visual/tangible link and an understanding of their magnetic, energetic connection, which brings them inevitably back together, along with others who've interacted in their lives. The story moves swiftly, so the pay-offs come sooner. I enjoyed it.
I was surprised to find grammatical errors in a book published by Scholastic, however, since their market has been traditionally school children. But sloppy editing is sadly not uncommon these days. (I always immediately make typos when I complain about others' poor editing, so bear with me if you've found them here. Humility.) -
I read this book for a book club and that is the sole reason I managed to finish it. It definitely ranks as one of the worst books I have read in a while. This is supposed to be a love story that transcends history, but it is really just one "love" story repeated over and over and over and over and over. You get the picture.
The story is incredibly repetitious. Instead of introducing new themes in each life, the same story is presented over again, just plopped in a different historical setting. That gets old, believe me. There is also enough repetition within each reincarnation to make each story drag on and on. We are reading the book; there is no reason to remind us of things that just happened 40 pages ago.
The general writing style leaves a lot to be desired. It is pretentious and flowery without reason and mainly results in characters speaking unbelievable dialogue. There is also no change in writing and speech styles for the different historical periods. To make each setting more believable, there should have been changes in dialogue. After all, people in 1930's Paris do not speak like people in Ancient Egypt.
In addition to that, the novel tends to be a bit on the preachy side. I don't mind subtle social issues, but I do not appreciate being beaten over the head with them. Some aspects of the novel were far too contrived and convenient, making it seem like lazy writing. There was also a poor balance between too long and too short. As a whole, I thought the book went on for far too long, but individual sections wrapped up so quickly, they hardly seemed worthwhile. If one or two sections had been cut out and the final section had been lengthened a bit, it would have done wonders.
With a theme as complex and interesting as this one, this could have been a fascinating book. As it is, the story was over simplified to the point where it loses all potential. Honestly, if I could give a book negative stars, I would.
(Review also posted on Amazon.) -
I had high hopes for this book, but I was slightly let down. It was more a book for young teens and middle schoolers, rather than young adult or high school students.
It was very repetitive, in a way the author could have avoided. Yes this is a novel about reincarnation, but every story and every lifetime seemed to follow the same pattern. As soon as the two characters met each other, it was like "they'd known each other forever. Could this be real? Did he feel it too?"
It was incredibly hokey, and made it boring to read because you already knew how every lifetime was going to end.
I was also left wanting a bit more. She was "progressive" in that she switched the souls' genders once - but only once. Also, she never ventured into the homosexual side of it, which would have been brilliant.
Lastly, the whole concept of the jewel playing a part in this cycle was under-explained and very confusing. After finishing the book I still didn't really understand what exactly the emerald was supposed to signify.
Each story was too short, with too little detail, and I was always left wanting more.
However.... There were some redeeming qualities, which is why it wasn't a one-star for me.
The author brings up some curious points about the theories of reincarnation. Birth marks could actually be a previous life's fatal wound. Chronic aches and pains could be the leftovers of a past life's severe injuries. Dreams may actually be the recollection of previous lives (which is something I've always wondered about). The reason we connect to or feel attracted to certain places, people, or times is because we had a previous life with them.
I am a firm believer in reincarnation, so while this novel didn't live up to my hopes, it was still really cool to see the concept of reincarnation seriously molded into a story. -
My opinion: This was a good book--the breath of fresh air I needed to get away from all my fantasy books. The idea around this book was fascinating and I don't come across it very often. I enjoyed watching how the characters changed every time around and watching the environment change as well was interesting and intriguing.
The only problem I had about this book was the ending. These two characters (can't really give them a name since their names change every generation) faced all these hardships throughout time and then the last time, it's like their just given each other. No struggle. A little insecurity on her part. The ending was too abrupt and not very satisfying. I had to dock is a star because of that. But everything up until then, I absolutely loved. I read it in a day.
It's a short read but a good book to engage in when I wanted to get away from the fantasy. This book is straight forward and lovely.
Technical Info
* Pages - 304
* Stars - 4/5
* No swearing.
* I love how perfectly the cover reflects the plot. They're so close, but just not there yet.
* No sequel. :(
* Some other books by Suzanne Weyn: The Bar Code Tattoo, The Night Dance: A Retelling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses", The Crimson Thread: A Retelling of "Rumpelstiltskin", The Diamond Secret: A Retelling of "Anastasia" , Distant Waves: A Novel of the Titanic -
Wow! Wow! Wow! This book was absolutely awesome! I believe it was written for teens because I know Suzanne Weyn has some teen books out, but this is a love story that people of all ages should read ... if you love "love stories" and if you enjoy stories which leave you thinking. Because this one surely will... and did for me.
It starts in prehistory and moves forward through the ages, where 2 spirits continually meet in various lives. They are fated to do so until they "get it right." But something always happens (Typically it's a death of one of them) before the other gets a chance to really "be with the other" to grow that love.. and allow a wrong to become a "right."
I'm not going to tell you if it happens. You just have to read the book, and I'm sure most of you will be able to read it in one or two sittings because you won't be able to put it down.After I finished the book,
I looked at my husband with a new view... from a new vantage point... wondering if there may be any truth to "reincarnation." Read it. Think about your loved one. Then determine if your own life shows any of these traits. I think mine does!
