Susan J Hovde

I'm in my 50's and find it hard to find a compelling story that is not based on crime/violence. They are out there, of course, but I go through them quickly, so I'm always searching, searching... I decided to try the Newbery Medal winners. This was the first such story. Fantastic! An incredibly delightful surprise. It really held my attention and made me think deeply about all kinds of things we take for granted, like the ability to see color and to make choices. I'd love to talk to young people about how they understand and relate to the story. Wonderful, wonderful work, Lois Lowry.

I really like receiving good information in story form; it sticks better. I've gotten a lot of good survival pointers from Hatchet and The River. The best one, of course, is never, ever, ever give up. Like Hatchet, there is way too much dramatic music in the audiobook.

This story is aimed at young folk, but as a 50-something I got a lot out of it and enjoyed it so much I am listening to the rest of the series. My one criticism is that there is way too much dramatic music, and for me it was way too loud. That's why I gave the audiobook three stars overall, even though I rated the story and performance four stars.

I loved this book so much that after I finished listening to it, I downloaded the Kindle version so I can highlight all the bits that resonate with me. I've never done that before! And I've never been backpacking! But I have started thinking about doing just that because I find myself in almost exactly the same situation as the author did before her hike: lost and very confused. For the first time in a very long time I feel hope that I can find my way out of the confusion.

Gentle but also extremely interesting. It held my interest without overwhelming my nervous system.

...that has changed the way I relate to dogs. The author does a fantastic jobs weaving together what the dog hears and what the dog understands. And the dog's vocabulary is awesome!

The story got off to a very good start. I really enjoyed Alexander's abuse of English idiom. But then the second narrator started speaking and I think the story really needs a voice with an Eastern European accent. It was just completely unsettling to be hearing all the Eastern European names and places in an accent that sounded to me like American mid-West. I really tried to be open and to relax with it and just to listen to the story but I got more and more irritated and ended up quitting, which is a shame because the film version is so good and I thought I'd really love the audio book. Also, I had just finished listening to the author's other book, "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," which is my new favorite.

I have heavy, heavy boots from the story ending, but many $100 smiles in my heart.

I will never again judge the parent of a screaming child. Thank you, Mr. Isaacson, for sharing your family's struggles and victories, and for starting the Horse Boy Foundation.

In contrast with one reviewer who didn't like the first third or so of the story, I think that was the best part. After that, I almost gave up because the story became so horrifying and nightmarish that it was affecting my nerves. But I persevered because of all the good reviews. I'm sorry I did. I guess I don't have the constitution to bear long drawn-out descriptions of unremitting suffering. I'm just putting this out as a warning to others who are similarly sensitive.