Luminous

Review from Blkosiner's Book Blog

Luminous is well crafted story and it kept me intrigued the whole way through. This is such a neat concept and Ms. Metcalf executed it so well. The characters were rich and developed... they also held mystery--there were layers to everyone we met, and they all played specific roles that I didn't fully understand until the end where they all wove together so beautifully.
There was just a touch of romance, and it really added to the story for me. It had me wondering for a bit, just like Consuela, what were the real motivations.
The idea of the flow, and their purpose being to save others really appealled to me. The addition of Tender and the mystery surrounding him was interesting. And when his whole story unfolded I was blown away.
The relationships between the teens in the flow were very believable for me, and at the end I still wanted to know more about the secondary characters--were those wards because they were in love, and what were each's wishes.
I def. recommend to give this a try.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

An elegant read

I wasn't sure if i would enjoy this. So i read this at my school library and actually enjoyed it. The plot and characters were weird in a good way. I was reading non-stop and finished it in a few hours. Highly recomended.

Don't get me wrong

Everything was great amout this book, the plot, characters, and setting but the book wasn't for me

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Extraordinary read

This book is extraordinary. I mean that in the truest sense of the word. Everything about it--the worldbuilding, the characters, the plot, the prose--is a measure beyond the ordinary. Nothing is quite what you expect, but in the very best way. I think if you love Neil Gaiman's work, you'll love this.

I really, really loved Dawn's prose. It's lyrical and filled with striking and unusual imagery. You won't find any cliched phrases here. The worldbuilding is nothing short of awesome. Original, well developed, and very imaginative. The plot is solid and well executed. And the characters really come to life.

Consuela is a complex character and Dawn does a great job of exploring her complexity throughout the story. We see Consuela--Bones--in a variety of situations and not all of them put her in the best light. I really liked that about her. The characters of V and Tender really captured my heart, as well. There is a particular quirk about V's character that allows you see/hear some of his innermost thoughts and I **loved** it. He was written so beautifully. Tender, too, who is, perhaps, the most complex character of the book. Very well done.

All in all, an excellent read for teens or adults. Highly recommended.

Book Review: Luminous

This was interesting. It's a story that in all honesty is really hard to grasp. This might sound odd but it sort of reminds of a twisted dream that the author has somehow been able to capture into words.

Consuela can upzip her skin and have her skeleton step out of it. A thought that really disturbed me, but really no odder than any of the other talents in the Flow. V can step through mirrored surfaces, Tender eats pain, etc. All of their gifts help them save the lives of people on earth. People who have the greatest capacity to effect the most amount of people in their lifetime. Which I understood the purpose, just seemed to contradict the idea that when it's your time, well it's your time.

While I finally began to understand the idea of what these people in the flow could do, I never really cared about them. To many of them are killed off before you even get a chance to know them. I wasn't sure what to think of V. Sometimes it felt like his character we thrown in there to give the story a twist and to give Consuela a love interest. As for our main character Consuela, I liked her for the most part. I think my favorite character was Tender. I really enjoyed his backstory and his place in the flow.

The story was just really hard to get into. I often felt like it was a metaphor for something and I just wasn't getting it. An interesting idea though.

Unique, but awkward and random

Going into Luminous was exciting for me, because it was a unique concept. They storyline was very intriguing and I think my hopes were just too high. It was definitely not my type of book and at times I felt it was awkward.

Dawn Metcalf's writing is very different and for the most part I enjoyed her beautiful and dark descriptions. However, sometimes I felt like it was too dark and I never saw the light. I don't ever remember feeling emotions like happiness, calmness, etc. It was always anger or sadness. I feel like this is a huge drawback for me, because a book shouldn't leave a you as a downer Debby!

Consuela was an odd character. I liked that she was real and down to Earth. She cared very much for her family and eventually was torn between the Flow and home. Diversity played a key roll in Luminous. I enjoyed the different perspectives and customs of each character, but I wish we could've learned more.or maybe I did, but I was a bit confused by it.

The plot was quite random and I felt like I was always trying to take a step back to figure out if I missed something. It's so disappointing that it was hard to follow. I really wanted to like this book!

Overall, Luminous had SO much potential, but I just don't think it got there. If you are a fearless reader and feel you can see the light, I encourage you check it out. It is a very interesting and unique story.

Review based on ARC

Beautiful and surreal

Luminous is a beautiful book. I expected the beauty and the clevernessof it, what caught me off guard is how often it is both gorgeous and deeply creepy at the same time. Like the world that inhabits it, the book itself flows gracefully as it twists and turns, carrying the reader along caught in the eddies.

Great book!

When I was a little girl, I had some crazy dreams. I love books that are all about a fantasy place that no one can visit but you. The Flow is that place. Your not sure if it exist, but you feel it and know its there.

One thing that caught me in this book was the place, Flow. It is a magical place that not that many people can see or get into. I like how Consuela was able to get into this place when she was not suppose to. You can tell right from the start that Consuela is a unique girl with a great talent. I adored her. Even when she saw something she didn't recognize, she fell into it with ease. It was like she was meant to be there, to do something great! And V! He is someone that made me want to follow him where ever he goes. I really like how the reader was able to see his thoughts. There is just something about him that make you want to know more.

The characters were well develop. They all had different parts to play but in the end, the way it was put together was cool. I like how each characters had a place of their own, their own secret place that no one can enter.

Everyone knows knowledge and power can get in someone's head and corrupt them. I like the plot twist and mysteriousness of it. You were pretty much kept in the dark till the very end. But when the whole picture came together, it clicked. I really like how it was all woven in to one piece.

Overall, Luminous is a book of a great fantasy place you want to live in. This story is nothing that I've ever read before. I really like how the Flow captured not only my eyes but my heart. Luminous is an amazing unique book with a world like no other!

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