Gifted: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow by Marilyn Kaye
| Gifted: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow by Marilyn Kaye | |
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| Category: Teens | |
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Reviewer: Amy Taylor
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| Summary: A good catchy read though lacking in depth of character. This is book 3 of 9 in the 'Gifted' series. It follows nine students all with their own magical gifts. This one focuses on Emily who can predict the future. | |
| Buy? Maybe | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 224 | Date: October 2009 |
| Publisher: Macmillan's Children's Books | |
| ISBN: 978-0330510066 | |
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Emily has a gift – she can predict the future. But her visions aren't always clear and she sometimes gets them wrong. She is one of nine students from the Gifted class, though at the moment she feels like the weakest person there. But now her classmates need her, they are starting to disappear and Emily is their only hope. Will she learn how to interpret her blurry visions in time? And be able to use her gift to save her friends? This is the third of nine books in the 'Gifted' series. I haven't actually read the first two, so I won't be able to compare them.
It begins at the start of any American school day. You don't have to read that far to get a clear view of Emily's world, at home with her mum, and at school with her gifted friends. There is quite a fast pace throughout the book that says what needs to be said, and then moves on. I did feel that there could have been more depth to it, especially in terms of character building. Sometimes I found we jumped from one scene to next too abruptly and with too big a gap. I had to turn back a page and re-read the last sentence just to make sure I hadn't missed something, but this was only in a few places.
Yes, I am a bit of a stick in the mud, but don't worry, I do have some good points to make. It is a catchy read with lots of 'what will happen next?' moments. I found myself marvelling at the gifts these people had and asking the question, which gift would I have? I still haven't decided.
Even though this book is about Emily you still get a sense of the other characters through the use of third person. Jenna, Emily's friend and also a gifted student, comes into play quite early on. Later the author uses her as a means to jump back and forth between the two girls – one chapter in Emily's voice, and the next one in Jenna's. Personally, I'm not too keen on this style of writing, and a part of me feels cheated. This is meant to be Emily's story, and yet a lot of it is told from Jenna point of view. On the other hand, it does prolong the suspense and is woven naturally into the narrative. I can see a lot of readers really enjoying the style.
Overall it is a good book, the concept of having a gift is an interesting idea. I can see it appealing mainly to girls between 11 and 13 who like their fantasy mixed with reality. You don't need to have read the first two to be able to pick up this one, it stands alone, and you can always go back and read the others later.
So, which gift would you have?...
I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag.
For those of you who want something for the slightly older teen and with a bit more bite to it why not try Dark Visions by L J Smith, or the House of Night series which has both action and romance.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Gifted: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow by Marilyn Kaye at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
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