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A Lite Too Bright
For fans of literary classics such as The Catcher in the Rye and The Perks of Being a Wallflower comes a stirring new thought-provoking novel from debut author Sam Miller about a loss shrouded in mystery with twists and turns down every railway. Arthur Louis Pullman the Third is on the verge of a breakdown. He’s been stripped of his college scholarship, is losing his grip on reality, and has been sent away to live with his aunt and uncle. It’s there that Arthur discovers a journal written by his grandfather, the first Arthur Louis Pullman, an iconic Salinger-esque author who went missing the last week of his life and died hundreds of miles away from their family home. What happened in that week—and how much his actions were influenced by his Alzheimer’s—remains a mystery. But now Arthur has his grandfather’s journal—and a final sentence containing a train route and a destination. So Arthur embarks on a cross-country train ride to relive his grandfather’s last week, guided only by the clues left behind in the dementia-fueled journal. As Arthur gets closer to uncovering a sad and terrible truth, his journey is complicated by a shaky alliance with a girl who has secrets of her own and by escalating run-ins with a dangerous Pullman fan base. Arthur’s not the only one chasing a legacy—and some feel there is no cost too high for the truth.
480 pages, Paperback
First published May 8, 2018
About the author
Samuel Miller
3 books176 followersSamuel Miller was born and raised in Vermillion, South Dakota, and now resides in Los Angeles, where, in addition to writing, he directs music videos and coaches Little League Baseball. He began writing his first novel while on tour in a fifteen-passenger van with the rock band Paradise Fears. A Lite Too Bright is his debut novel. Currently he attends graduate school at the University of Southern California. He credits his existence entirely to two spectacular parents, three brothers, one sister, and the best and sweetest puppy dog on the whole planet, Addison.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 459 reviews
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
November 27, 2018DNF @ 45%: This was really interesting, but it just so was not for me. I considered pushing through and finishing it because I am curious to know how it ends, but I ultimately decided to just put it down bc life is too short to read books that you're not enjoying. Onto the next one!
May 7, 2020
The best word to describe this book is intense! Although I read it quickly and it was extremely engaging, this was not a light read.
There are many layers to the plot... the movement is slower in the beginning but once it picks up, the pace moves full speed ahead. The characters are vibrant and realistic. The historical pieces surrounding the Vietnam protests, the mid-west train routes and the tragedy at Kent State brought an overall sense of somberness. I was genuinely surprised about the later twists in the story. It feels a little unfinished to me and I would have enjoyed another 30 pages for closure.
As a YA novel, my recommendation would be ages 14+ for suicide warnings. A solid debut novel!
There are many layers to the plot... the movement is slower in the beginning but once it picks up, the pace moves full speed ahead. The characters are vibrant and realistic. The historical pieces surrounding the Vietnam protests, the mid-west train routes and the tragedy at Kent State brought an overall sense of somberness. I was genuinely surprised about the later twists in the story. It feels a little unfinished to me and I would have enjoyed another 30 pages for closure.
As a YA novel, my recommendation would be ages 14+ for suicide warnings. A solid debut novel!
March 16, 2018
Astonishing! This novel is a very refreshing read. Quite ambitious that had live up to my expectations and beyond.
It is about Arthur, going through a journey of dealing with loss, healing, family, friendship, with the added spice of mystery and bittersweet instances in life. And a literal journey too travelling through it all in search of answers. That surely will leave the readers with a lot of things to think about too.
I love how balanced everything; how it is laid-out for the readers. How the story unfolds and where it goes. It's such a fresh breath of pages to devour upon. Definitely will watchout from Samuel Miller from now on.
And now me leaving it with 5 bright stars.
It is about Arthur, going through a journey of dealing with loss, healing, family, friendship, with the added spice of mystery and bittersweet instances in life. And a literal journey too travelling through it all in search of answers. That surely will leave the readers with a lot of things to think about too.
I love how balanced everything; how it is laid-out for the readers. How the story unfolds and where it goes. It's such a fresh breath of pages to devour upon. Definitely will watchout from Samuel Miller from now on.
And now me leaving it with 5 bright stars.
September 11, 2018
Even after a few weeks of finishing this book, I still haven’t unpacked all of my thoughts about this book. But here’s a few of them:
1. I picked up A Lite Too Bright because I love Sam Miller’s words. His poetical lyrics are what brought me to Paradise Fears and kept me there. I was hopeful that this would translate into his debut novel and he 100% delivered. This book is poetic and gorgeous.
2. Part of the poetic nature of this book also makes it very literary. This is a book that you pick up for book club or as a buddy read or in English class. Good lord please substitute some of those outdated coming of age stories and add stories like this.
3. The transition to adulthood is strange. It’s arbitrary. The clock flips from 11:59pm to 12:00am and suddenly your whole life changes. A Lite Too Bright is Arthur Louis Pullman the Third’s exploration of that weirdness combined with wanting answers to questions that maybe we should have left alone and the complexity of our idols.
4. That said, I was really invested in figuring out what the heck happened in the weeks after Arthur’s infamous author grandfather (who had Alzheimer’s) disappears. I was going to really mad if the story didn’t pay off…oh, but it did.
If you like journeys in contemporary, complex characters, and coming of age stories coupled with gorgeous writing, A Lite Too Bright is worth your listen or read!
1. I picked up A Lite Too Bright because I love Sam Miller’s words. His poetical lyrics are what brought me to Paradise Fears and kept me there. I was hopeful that this would translate into his debut novel and he 100% delivered. This book is poetic and gorgeous.
2. Part of the poetic nature of this book also makes it very literary. This is a book that you pick up for book club or as a buddy read or in English class. Good lord please substitute some of those outdated coming of age stories and add stories like this.
3. The transition to adulthood is strange. It’s arbitrary. The clock flips from 11:59pm to 12:00am and suddenly your whole life changes. A Lite Too Bright is Arthur Louis Pullman the Third’s exploration of that weirdness combined with wanting answers to questions that maybe we should have left alone and the complexity of our idols.
4. That said, I was really invested in figuring out what the heck happened in the weeks after Arthur’s infamous author grandfather (who had Alzheimer’s) disappears. I was going to really mad if the story didn’t pay off…oh, but it did.
If you like journeys in contemporary, complex characters, and coming of age stories coupled with gorgeous writing, A Lite Too Bright is worth your listen or read!
May 31, 2018
I breezed through this amazing story. It's big - loss, connections, time, memory, mystery, love and regret. I loved the progression and how information is parsed out over time. Plus, I love when books analyze other books - it's so meta and genius (if it's done well, which it is here).
Bonus: it's a traveling/journey story, which I have a big heart for.
Bonus: it's a traveling/journey story, which I have a big heart for.
June 5, 2018
4.5/5. This book is a wildly ambitious, beautifully literary, and refreshingly original story for YA lit. Arthur’s journey to better understand family, faith, and mortality is bittersweet in that way that makes you feel like you both lost and gained something truly special by the end.
Arthur’s narration feels so old-soul, and paired with the frequent disconnect between his thoughts and his ability to express himself eloquently makes him a super sympathetic and relatable character to me (and I think to many young people), even when I didn’t necessarily agree with exactly what he was saying or thinking. I loved the integration of things like journal entries, Pullman’s poetry, and train conductor announcements between longer narrative chapters. It made the book very readable even if certain sections felt a tad long. The plot is pretty unpredictable, which for me is hard to come by in contemporary YA, and I really enjoyed that, despite some plot points stretching my ability to suspend my disbelief.
It’s not perfect, but I do think that it achieved a near perfect emotional response in me. I was moved, definitely. I feel like I learned something - though I’m still working to pinpoint what that is. I really did love it.
Arthur’s narration feels so old-soul, and paired with the frequent disconnect between his thoughts and his ability to express himself eloquently makes him a super sympathetic and relatable character to me (and I think to many young people), even when I didn’t necessarily agree with exactly what he was saying or thinking. I loved the integration of things like journal entries, Pullman’s poetry, and train conductor announcements between longer narrative chapters. It made the book very readable even if certain sections felt a tad long. The plot is pretty unpredictable, which for me is hard to come by in contemporary YA, and I really enjoyed that, despite some plot points stretching my ability to suspend my disbelief.
It’s not perfect, but I do think that it achieved a near perfect emotional response in me. I was moved, definitely. I feel like I learned something - though I’m still working to pinpoint what that is. I really did love it.
December 8, 2019
3.5 Stars!
I really really liked this book and it would have been a 4 stars if not for a few throw-away lines here and there that made me kind of cringe. The only one I can actually remember is when our main character meets a librarian, for no plot reason whatsoever, and in a way that felt out of character, he thinks about how big her boobs are? It felt out of place and unnecessary. That happened a few times.
Still, solid story!
I really really liked this book and it would have been a 4 stars if not for a few throw-away lines here and there that made me kind of cringe. The only one I can actually remember is when our main character meets a librarian, for no plot reason whatsoever, and in a way that felt out of character, he thinks about how big her boobs are? It felt out of place and unnecessary. That happened a few times.
Still, solid story!
April 7, 2023
3.75 ⭐
Absolutnie nie wiem, co mam o tej książce myśleć...
To absolutnie nie jest moja bajka, nie wiem nawet, gdzie tą książkę umieścić - czy to literatura piękna, czy młodzieżowa? Jedno jest pewne - tytuł idealnie obrazuje moje uczucia, bo pomiędzy mną, a tą książką panował absolutny chaos. Pogubiłam się tak wiele razy, że sama się sobie dziwię, że na samym końcu wiedziałam, co i jak.
A jednak byłam zaintrygowana, zainteresowana i gnałam naprzód z chęcią poznania tej historii. Nie do końca ją rozumiem, wiele rzeczy mi się nie podobało (cały ten ruch polityczny, nie znam historii Ameryki, a jest to wzorowane na prawdziwych wydarzeniach), ale mimo wszystko jest to piękna historia o poszukiwaniu prawdy, a przy okazji odkrywaniu samego siebie. Parokrotnie wciągnęłam mocno powietrze zaskoczona, podniosłam brwi i skinęłam głową w takim niemym: aha, to tak! Mimo wszystkich przeciwności, myślę, że zostanie gdzieś tam w pamięci.
Absolutnie nie wiem, co mam o tej książce myśleć...
To absolutnie nie jest moja bajka, nie wiem nawet, gdzie tą książkę umieścić - czy to literatura piękna, czy młodzieżowa? Jedno jest pewne - tytuł idealnie obrazuje moje uczucia, bo pomiędzy mną, a tą książką panował absolutny chaos. Pogubiłam się tak wiele razy, że sama się sobie dziwię, że na samym końcu wiedziałam, co i jak.
A jednak byłam zaintrygowana, zainteresowana i gnałam naprzód z chęcią poznania tej historii. Nie do końca ją rozumiem, wiele rzeczy mi się nie podobało (cały ten ruch polityczny, nie znam historii Ameryki, a jest to wzorowane na prawdziwych wydarzeniach), ale mimo wszystko jest to piękna historia o poszukiwaniu prawdy, a przy okazji odkrywaniu samego siebie. Parokrotnie wciągnęłam mocno powietrze zaskoczona, podniosłam brwi i skinęłam głową w takim niemym: aha, to tak! Mimo wszystkich przeciwności, myślę, że zostanie gdzieś tam w pamięci.
November 17, 2018
v pretentious but kinda interesting but also kinda weird. idk. 3 stars.
July 25, 2018
Very disappointed. The plot of this book had lots of promise and I was very excited to read it, but man, did it let me down. To me, the author tried way too hard to put danger and mystery into a story that clearly didn’t need it. There were so many plot holes and things that, to me, were important seemed to be a fleeting thought. Really sad.
June 4, 2018
“i am nothing but a mosaic of the people i’ve met & the things they’ve carried.”
3.5 stars. Poignant, emotional, beautiful written, Sam Miller’s debut novel, A Lite Too Bright is a strange little book that unravels in unexpected ways and is perfect for fans of John Green. It follows Arthur Louis Pullman the Third as he travels on a cross-country train ride trying to piece together clues left behind by his deceased grandfather—a Salinger/Kerouac literary icon—during the last week of his life. But beneath it all is Arthur’s struggle with his grip on reality after the loss of his college scholarship and a difficult breakup with his longtime girlfriend.
I was nervous going into this one because I haven’t read a contemporary in a long time, and in all honesty, haven’t had the most patience with them. But, this book surprised me in a lot of ways I’m still not entirely sure are good or bad. Before I say anything else, I do want to note that Arthur struggles with hallucinations and severe trauma, but because I haven’t had personal experience with either, I cannot speak as to how accurately they were portrayed in the novel.
“i feel my body outside itself, looking in. some days i’m the passanger; some days i’m the captain; & some days, i let chemicals steer the ship.”
The writing was definitely the best part of this book. Sam Miller’s prose was absolutely stunning and emotionally breathtaking. I found myself very much sympathizing for Arthur as he struggled and tried to grasp the world around him—all he had lost, the pain of moving forward, his desperation to find meaning in his grandfather’s “clues,” and his own realization that he was not a reliable narrator of his own life’s story.
But, I can’t say I was gripped by this book or ever reached the magical moment as a reader where I couldn’t put the book down. A Lite Too Bright is meant to be a mystery, as both the reader and Arthur try to discover the missing pieces of his grandfather’s last five days, but so much of the plot felt too convenient—from meeting a girl who just happened to be a protest history expert and Arthur Louis Pullman super fan, to everything that ensued with a secret society devoted to Pullman’s legacy, and how easily Arthur was able to make sense of the “clues.” There were no dead ends and every “roadblock” was swiftly overcome with a tiny detail or story Arthur remembered from his grandfather. The convenience didn’t necessarily bother me, it just felt as though there wasn’t ever anything at stake, and because the mystery was set up as the main plot, I’d expected it to provide more of a challenge.
“i feel like the main character in a stranger’s dream, standing at the helm of an unlikely & irrational revolution without any idea how i got there.”
I think my biggest problem with A Lite Too Bright was that it didn’t know what it wanted to be. Was it a mystery? Was it a journey story filled with strange travelers and philosophical musings like Mosquitoland? Was it an exploration of mental health and mental illness? It tried to be all three, and as a result didn’t do justice to any. I wanted more of any of them, but it seemed to always just miss, leaving me dissatisfied and the book in a weird in between place. I was reminded of John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down in that the mystery was meant to be the main plot, but ended up taking a backseat to characters, themes, philosophies, and beautiful writing.
Now I know it sounds like I didn’t enjoy this book, but I did. The prose was stunning and the characters were for the most part likable, or likable in their unlikability. Arthur was a fantastic portrayal of an unreliable narrator and I couldn’t decide until about 80% in if I was rooting for him or not, Mara never became a manic pixie dream girl—even though she frequently teetered on the edge of becoming one—and all the other supporting characters were fleshed out and developed in their own right, becoming more than merely players in Arthur’s story.
“there are one hundred billion galaxies in the observable universe, and I’m a tiny, fractional, and insignificant part of one of them. I think it’s…confusing and beautiful.”
Overall, I’m still not quite sure how I feel about this book, and this may be one of my most useless reviews yet. The writing was magical, the characters real, and yet I was never entirely gripped by this book. If you like John Green, then I can’t recommend this book enough. But, if you’re like me and tend to shy away from contemporaries, then maybe it’d be best to leave this one on the shelf for the time being…
“I wasn’t sure if I was being brave or stupid. But to tell you the truth, the more I’ve lived, the less I’ve understood the difference.”
Below I've left more of my favorite lines from this book because the writing is too beautiful not to include them:
“so we worship at the altar of chemical alteration, baptize ourselves in liquor & perfume, drink the ideas of many in communities of few, preparing to converge on the grandest, most central stations, congregations of the damned. we’re the gods we pray to, we’re the righteous truth, & we doubt nothing.”
“the curse of feeling everything, is that you’re painfully aware when you feel nothing.”
“growing up was growing towards you, pieces of you in every word. learning the language just so i could speak it for you, learning words just so they could fall short with you.”
“& you look on through all of this, sun-splattered, my great angel in the window, & we smile in secret like the world is one big laugh, no worry & doubt, just one big joke we tell each other, over & over again, every single day; a joke that only we know.”
3.5 stars. Poignant, emotional, beautiful written, Sam Miller’s debut novel, A Lite Too Bright is a strange little book that unravels in unexpected ways and is perfect for fans of John Green. It follows Arthur Louis Pullman the Third as he travels on a cross-country train ride trying to piece together clues left behind by his deceased grandfather—a Salinger/Kerouac literary icon—during the last week of his life. But beneath it all is Arthur’s struggle with his grip on reality after the loss of his college scholarship and a difficult breakup with his longtime girlfriend.
I was nervous going into this one because I haven’t read a contemporary in a long time, and in all honesty, haven’t had the most patience with them. But, this book surprised me in a lot of ways I’m still not entirely sure are good or bad. Before I say anything else, I do want to note that Arthur struggles with hallucinations and severe trauma, but because I haven’t had personal experience with either, I cannot speak as to how accurately they were portrayed in the novel.
“i feel my body outside itself, looking in. some days i’m the passanger; some days i’m the captain; & some days, i let chemicals steer the ship.”
The writing was definitely the best part of this book. Sam Miller’s prose was absolutely stunning and emotionally breathtaking. I found myself very much sympathizing for Arthur as he struggled and tried to grasp the world around him—all he had lost, the pain of moving forward, his desperation to find meaning in his grandfather’s “clues,” and his own realization that he was not a reliable narrator of his own life’s story.
But, I can’t say I was gripped by this book or ever reached the magical moment as a reader where I couldn’t put the book down. A Lite Too Bright is meant to be a mystery, as both the reader and Arthur try to discover the missing pieces of his grandfather’s last five days, but so much of the plot felt too convenient—from meeting a girl who just happened to be a protest history expert and Arthur Louis Pullman super fan, to everything that ensued with a secret society devoted to Pullman’s legacy, and how easily Arthur was able to make sense of the “clues.” There were no dead ends and every “roadblock” was swiftly overcome with a tiny detail or story Arthur remembered from his grandfather. The convenience didn’t necessarily bother me, it just felt as though there wasn’t ever anything at stake, and because the mystery was set up as the main plot, I’d expected it to provide more of a challenge.
“i feel like the main character in a stranger’s dream, standing at the helm of an unlikely & irrational revolution without any idea how i got there.”
I think my biggest problem with A Lite Too Bright was that it didn’t know what it wanted to be. Was it a mystery? Was it a journey story filled with strange travelers and philosophical musings like Mosquitoland? Was it an exploration of mental health and mental illness? It tried to be all three, and as a result didn’t do justice to any. I wanted more of any of them, but it seemed to always just miss, leaving me dissatisfied and the book in a weird in between place. I was reminded of John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down in that the mystery was meant to be the main plot, but ended up taking a backseat to characters, themes, philosophies, and beautiful writing.
Now I know it sounds like I didn’t enjoy this book, but I did. The prose was stunning and the characters were for the most part likable, or likable in their unlikability. Arthur was a fantastic portrayal of an unreliable narrator and I couldn’t decide until about 80% in if I was rooting for him or not, Mara never became a manic pixie dream girl—even though she frequently teetered on the edge of becoming one—and all the other supporting characters were fleshed out and developed in their own right, becoming more than merely players in Arthur’s story.
“there are one hundred billion galaxies in the observable universe, and I’m a tiny, fractional, and insignificant part of one of them. I think it’s…confusing and beautiful.”
Overall, I’m still not quite sure how I feel about this book, and this may be one of my most useless reviews yet. The writing was magical, the characters real, and yet I was never entirely gripped by this book. If you like John Green, then I can’t recommend this book enough. But, if you’re like me and tend to shy away from contemporaries, then maybe it’d be best to leave this one on the shelf for the time being…
“I wasn’t sure if I was being brave or stupid. But to tell you the truth, the more I’ve lived, the less I’ve understood the difference.”
Below I've left more of my favorite lines from this book because the writing is too beautiful not to include them:
“so we worship at the altar of chemical alteration, baptize ourselves in liquor & perfume, drink the ideas of many in communities of few, preparing to converge on the grandest, most central stations, congregations of the damned. we’re the gods we pray to, we’re the righteous truth, & we doubt nothing.”
“the curse of feeling everything, is that you’re painfully aware when you feel nothing.”
“growing up was growing towards you, pieces of you in every word. learning the language just so i could speak it for you, learning words just so they could fall short with you.”
“& you look on through all of this, sun-splattered, my great angel in the window, & we smile in secret like the world is one big laugh, no worry & doubt, just one big joke we tell each other, over & over again, every single day; a joke that only we know.”
December 1, 2018
Recenzja książki na kanale - http://bit.ly/p42chaos
+ konstrukcja fabuły wokół podróży pociągiem, każdy rozdział jest jedną stacją, czytałem jednym tchem
+ wielka tajemnica, która wyjaśnia się w odpowiednim tempie
+ zaskakujące, ale nie przegięte zwroty akcji
+ ogólny wydźwięk powieści
+ fragmenty książki Arthura Louisa Pullmana
- dwa główne zwroty akcji nie zostały wystarczająco rozwinięte, książka mogłaby mieć o sto stron więcej
Jestem niesamowicie ciekawy kolejnych książek tego autora, jeśli ta tak bardzo przypadła mi do gustu!
March 9, 2022
“i always love the moment where the desert gives way to the mountains, because it reminds me that the highest peaks are borne of the lowest valleys,
that the radical only exists in proximity to the mundane,
because life can only be viewed relative to its opposite.”
very sweet, almost brilliant at times, just not for me :)
that the radical only exists in proximity to the mundane,
because life can only be viewed relative to its opposite.”
very sweet, almost brilliant at times, just not for me :)
August 31, 2019
It was a good story mixed in with some good historical background, you get to experience everything through the eyes of the characters and the story hooks you with the clues the mc finds and the quest he embarks on , all while keeping an air of mystery regarding his mental health making you the reader what is real and what it is imagined.
Read
March 17, 2024Pamiętam moją miłość do tej książki i ekscytacje związaną z każdą kolejną stroną - przeczytałabym ją jeszcze raz.
May 29, 2020
Before I say anything else, I want us to take a moment to admire this absolutely gorgeous cover art. Ready? Go!
Okay, now that is out of the way I will get into the gritty stuff. Let us get straight to the point. This book was not good. It is not a surprise to find out that this is the author’s first novel, because it really shows. The plot is a whole mess and feels extremely stilted and forced. Couple that with flat characters and insufferable language and you have a recipe for disaster.
I once listened to an author saying that her greatest advice to aspiring writers is to observe how real life people behave and speak to each other. Samuel Miller would do well to follow this advice in the future. It seems like he has modelled his dialogues after John Green novels and melodramatic teenage dramas, resulting in very unrealistic writing. It just did not work for me.
“A Lite Too Bright” has very few redeeming qualities other than the fact that it could have been a much greater novel if it had been handled better. The concept of it is very enticing and that is why I wanted to read it in the first place, but ultimately it falls flat because of the author’s inexperience.
Okay, now that is out of the way I will get into the gritty stuff. Let us get straight to the point. This book was not good. It is not a surprise to find out that this is the author’s first novel, because it really shows. The plot is a whole mess and feels extremely stilted and forced. Couple that with flat characters and insufferable language and you have a recipe for disaster.
I once listened to an author saying that her greatest advice to aspiring writers is to observe how real life people behave and speak to each other. Samuel Miller would do well to follow this advice in the future. It seems like he has modelled his dialogues after John Green novels and melodramatic teenage dramas, resulting in very unrealistic writing. It just did not work for me.
“A Lite Too Bright” has very few redeeming qualities other than the fact that it could have been a much greater novel if it had been handled better. The concept of it is very enticing and that is why I wanted to read it in the first place, but ultimately it falls flat because of the author’s inexperience.
May 7, 2018
*An ARC was provided by Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
“Would you rather live with miserable truth, or blissful ignorance?”
Actual rating: 4.5
There are so many things to say about this book. I don't even know where to start.
I guess I will start with the statement that is almost impossible to say much about this book without spoilers. Why is that? Because this book is a chameleon: every time I labeled it as something, (like a dead relative mystery, or a contemporary family drama, or a find-yourself-in-your-youth road trip book) it morphed before my eyes into something new.
This book cannot be labeled in any concrete way other than one of the most original, out-of-the-box YA novels I have read in years. It takes some troupes and enslaves them, while shamelessly tossing others aside and forging its own path.
This book is in a genre and world all its own and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone looking for something new and raw to sell their soul to. This was amazing.
“Would you rather live with miserable truth, or blissful ignorance?”
Actual rating: 4.5
There are so many things to say about this book. I don't even know where to start.
I guess I will start with the statement that is almost impossible to say much about this book without spoilers. Why is that? Because this book is a chameleon: every time I labeled it as something, (like a dead relative mystery, or a contemporary family drama, or a find-yourself-in-your-youth road trip book) it morphed before my eyes into something new.
This book cannot be labeled in any concrete way other than one of the most original, out-of-the-box YA novels I have read in years. It takes some troupes and enslaves them, while shamelessly tossing others aside and forging its own path.
This book is in a genre and world all its own and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone looking for something new and raw to sell their soul to. This was amazing.
July 2, 2018
4.5/5
I struggled rating this book. I LOVED the writing and the concept. I enjoyed the family dynamics and teenage angst. I was obsessed with the journey narrative. My only issue was just the coincidence of it all. It seemed any time the protagonist needed something, it was there! I get that most, if not all of these moments, were intentional, but at times it was bordering on unbelievable. But even with all that, this book was a quick read that had me excited to read each section. It's split up into sections of about 50 pages, which is the perfect amount for me to read in one sitting (or to keep reading when it's 3am and well past your bedtime). Will definitely be recommending this to students this upcoming school year.
I struggled rating this book. I LOVED the writing and the concept. I enjoyed the family dynamics and teenage angst. I was obsessed with the journey narrative. My only issue was just the coincidence of it all. It seemed any time the protagonist needed something, it was there! I get that most, if not all of these moments, were intentional, but at times it was bordering on unbelievable. But even with all that, this book was a quick read that had me excited to read each section. It's split up into sections of about 50 pages, which is the perfect amount for me to read in one sitting (or to keep reading when it's 3am and well past your bedtime). Will definitely be recommending this to students this upcoming school year.
June 17, 2018
Arthur follows the clues his late grandfather left behind to discover what happened in his final days.
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4 stars. I loved a lot about this book. I loved Arthur and his family (although I was frustrated with his father). I loved the mental illness rep. I loved Arthur's journey on the train. I loved the journal entries. However, I did find myself bored at times.
This book deals with Alzheimer's, as one of the main themes. Can I just say, that my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's about a year ago. The first few months were really scary, but she is on medication and is doing much better than she was a few months ago.
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4 stars. I loved a lot about this book. I loved Arthur and his family (although I was frustrated with his father). I loved the mental illness rep. I loved Arthur's journey on the train. I loved the journal entries. However, I did find myself bored at times.
This book deals with Alzheimer's, as one of the main themes. Can I just say, that my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's about a year ago. The first few months were really scary, but she is on medication and is doing much better than she was a few months ago.
August 24, 2024
this book is messy and incoherent at times, so honestly it should be a 4/5 read
but the way it made me FEEL?? I can’t give it any less than 5 stars
but the way it made me FEEL?? I can’t give it any less than 5 stars
July 31, 2018
this is an absolutely beautiful novel. i loved every moment of reading this! it's a completely unique and refreshing story that is so wonderfully written. highly recommend!
July 14, 2018
4.5 stars
This book begins as a pretty typical mystery-adventure book about a troubled young man with a healthy amount of love-interest women. But it progresses into an insane story of a marxist, anarcho-communist cult conspiracy and an exploration of modern radicalism. Didn't expect that one.
It's really good. Last time I plowed through a book this quickly was, I think 4 months ago? It was about 36 hours. The beginning was a little slow and there were some red flags, especially surrounding the protagonist, but as the plot progressed it drew me in and got more and more interesting. The set up of the plot is predictable but it intentionally throws the reader for a loop over and over again. Some of these loop-throws are more successful than others, but such is the way of writing, and it was done impressively well, especially considering it's a debut novel from the author.
The ideological debates were incredibly well laid out. Exploring ethical gray areas and the frustrating reality of the foggy concept we have for "the establishment", Sam Miller created a complex and fun conflict between characters that are all running from their own collapsing sanity. It became thoroughly intriguing, which helped cover up some logical oversights. The story largely thrives on incredible coincidence, but it seems almost purposeful given the themes of the book.
Miller's representation of mental illness is... okay. There's a lot of it that I liked, such as the fact that the mentally ill character had real depth and nuance, both in relation to his mental illness as well as outside of it. The only part that I really had trouble with is that the author follows the common trend of displaying mental illness as inherently violent, with the protagonist having committed an act of violence largely connected to his psychological state, and another character saying "we're all fucked up", and then becoming a violent antagonist. However, these moments were few and far between.
The author also falls into a few common narrative pit-falls with mental illness. Hallucinations are over-rationalized, by describing it as if the person is physically "there" (i.e., can be both seen and heard and even felt), even though that is almost never the case. It makes sense from a story perspective, and it's also been done by the likes of A Beautiful Mind and Fight Club (more on that in a second), but it's still a little unrealistic. Also, nightmares/hallucinations being used for backstory or exposition seems a little lazy to me, but that might be nit-picking. Speaking of nit-picking, is the protagonist lucid or deluded? Because it seems that his hallucinations are real to him, and he's experiencing them as real conversations, but the book (written from his perspective) acknowledges them as not real. I'm not sure which way it falls, but they were well constructed either way. Overall I vastly prefer this representation of mental illness over most of the ones I've found. Most of the issues with it are just common story decisions made to move a plot along.
This author has to like Fight Club. I could be wrong, but the themes of this book line up very well with Palahniuk's magnum opus, minus some of the pretentiousness and gratuitous violence. The exploration of what structure in society means, the introduction of an anarchist secret society, a reluctant and troubled main character that slowly realizes the evil of previously mentioned anarchist secret society, not to mention the obvious connection of personified hallucinations. It all works out in a similar way, albeit with a much different outcome and context. This was a delightful surprise coming from a YA adventure book.
The character interactions are well done. The exploration of trauma is fantastic. The ending was delightful and made me more satisfied than I expected. Overall this is a very well written story. All of my complaints are out-weighed by the fun of this narrative.
But who am I kidding, I'm giving this rating for one reason only: it's got so much train travel. I love trains.
This book begins as a pretty typical mystery-adventure book about a troubled young man with a healthy amount of love-interest women. But it progresses into an insane story of a marxist, anarcho-communist cult conspiracy and an exploration of modern radicalism. Didn't expect that one.
It's really good. Last time I plowed through a book this quickly was, I think 4 months ago? It was about 36 hours. The beginning was a little slow and there were some red flags, especially surrounding the protagonist, but as the plot progressed it drew me in and got more and more interesting. The set up of the plot is predictable but it intentionally throws the reader for a loop over and over again. Some of these loop-throws are more successful than others, but such is the way of writing, and it was done impressively well, especially considering it's a debut novel from the author.
The ideological debates were incredibly well laid out. Exploring ethical gray areas and the frustrating reality of the foggy concept we have for "the establishment", Sam Miller created a complex and fun conflict between characters that are all running from their own collapsing sanity. It became thoroughly intriguing, which helped cover up some logical oversights. The story largely thrives on incredible coincidence, but it seems almost purposeful given the themes of the book.
Miller's representation of mental illness is... okay. There's a lot of it that I liked, such as the fact that the mentally ill character had real depth and nuance, both in relation to his mental illness as well as outside of it. The only part that I really had trouble with is that the author follows the common trend of displaying mental illness as inherently violent, with the protagonist having committed an act of violence largely connected to his psychological state, and another character saying "we're all fucked up", and then becoming a violent antagonist. However, these moments were few and far between.
The author also falls into a few common narrative pit-falls with mental illness. Hallucinations are over-rationalized, by describing it as if the person is physically "there" (i.e., can be both seen and heard and even felt), even though that is almost never the case. It makes sense from a story perspective, and it's also been done by the likes of A Beautiful Mind and Fight Club (more on that in a second), but it's still a little unrealistic. Also, nightmares/hallucinations being used for backstory or exposition seems a little lazy to me, but that might be nit-picking. Speaking of nit-picking, is the protagonist lucid or deluded? Because it seems that his hallucinations are real to him, and he's experiencing them as real conversations, but the book (written from his perspective) acknowledges them as not real. I'm not sure which way it falls, but they were well constructed either way. Overall I vastly prefer this representation of mental illness over most of the ones I've found. Most of the issues with it are just common story decisions made to move a plot along.
This author has to like Fight Club. I could be wrong, but the themes of this book line up very well with Palahniuk's magnum opus, minus some of the pretentiousness and gratuitous violence. The exploration of what structure in society means, the introduction of an anarchist secret society, a reluctant and troubled main character that slowly realizes the evil of previously mentioned anarchist secret society, not to mention the obvious connection of personified hallucinations. It all works out in a similar way, albeit with a much different outcome and context. This was a delightful surprise coming from a YA adventure book.
The character interactions are well done. The exploration of trauma is fantastic. The ending was delightful and made me more satisfied than I expected. Overall this is a very well written story. All of my complaints are out-weighed by the fun of this narrative.
But who am I kidding, I'm giving this rating for one reason only: it's got so much train travel. I love trains.
June 15, 2018
I have mixed feelings about this book. It was good but there were big sections that were slow and dragging, which made the story feel five miles longer than it should have been. The ending is what really shook me but the rest left me wondering what was going on.
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Full review can be found here: https://agingerlyreview.wordpress.com...
This story was one I had not heard a lot about before I borrowed from my library. The blurb sounded promising, a coming of age story with some twists and turns. I am always up to try reading something out of my comfort zone so I dove in. Little did I know this would not blow me away like I had hoped it would.
Short recap: This is the story of Arthur and his journey to discover a secret hidden by his grandfather. Arthur’s grandfather was a rather famous and cult-legend author. Most people would do unspeakable things to get their hands on unpublished, never before seen works by this famous author but Arthur must get there first. Since Arthur’s grandfather suffered from severe Alzheimer’s, Arthur must piece together the last week of his grandfather’s life and learn about the man he only thought he knew.
Sounds great, right? This was an easy read but there were certain parts of the story that felt as if they went on much longer than they should have. I do understand what the author was trying to do but not all of it worked for me. The book essentially had Parts to it and each Part was another journey for Arthur. That’s fine but some of those journeys felt forced or convenient in order to move the story along. Those were also the parts that were the slowest. I kept waiting for something not illegal to happen but that was a long wait. There were events that I took to be a little too much, bordering on threats or law breaking, but what do I know.
The main character, Arthur, was a well developed and flushed out character but I was not absolutely in love with him. I understand that he was trying to track down info about his grandfather, but how am I supposed to believe this kid did not get in the deepest trouble imaginable after sneaking away to chase after a maybe-maybe-not clue left by his grandfather? The kid boarded a train and went across the country on his own. The number of dangers he could have encountered are too many to tally. He must have had the luck from a thousand four leave clovers to come out without a scratch on him. Not to mention that magically he was able to find all of these hidden places that nobody else could find, even after they spent years trying to locate. The side characters, there were loads of them, were not so great. Some were there for a flash but had a full backstory that was given. Talk about overload, whoa. On top of that, one main side character was completely unbelievable. I didn’t believe anything pertaining to that one and grew to not like when they were written in.
Overall this is a coming of age story but not a completely believable one. I did like reading about the mental-illness portion of the story. There were chapters where the grandfather’s writing was included and it gave testament to just how bad his mind was going. Those portions of the book were few and far between and I was left reading about Arthur chasing after a girl he thought might have answers for him. In a way there was just too much going on and not enough at the same time. I’m not upset I read this, I only expected something different.
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Full review can be found here: https://agingerlyreview.wordpress.com...
This story was one I had not heard a lot about before I borrowed from my library. The blurb sounded promising, a coming of age story with some twists and turns. I am always up to try reading something out of my comfort zone so I dove in. Little did I know this would not blow me away like I had hoped it would.
Short recap: This is the story of Arthur and his journey to discover a secret hidden by his grandfather. Arthur’s grandfather was a rather famous and cult-legend author. Most people would do unspeakable things to get their hands on unpublished, never before seen works by this famous author but Arthur must get there first. Since Arthur’s grandfather suffered from severe Alzheimer’s, Arthur must piece together the last week of his grandfather’s life and learn about the man he only thought he knew.
Sounds great, right? This was an easy read but there were certain parts of the story that felt as if they went on much longer than they should have. I do understand what the author was trying to do but not all of it worked for me. The book essentially had Parts to it and each Part was another journey for Arthur. That’s fine but some of those journeys felt forced or convenient in order to move the story along. Those were also the parts that were the slowest. I kept waiting for something not illegal to happen but that was a long wait. There were events that I took to be a little too much, bordering on threats or law breaking, but what do I know.
The main character, Arthur, was a well developed and flushed out character but I was not absolutely in love with him. I understand that he was trying to track down info about his grandfather, but how am I supposed to believe this kid did not get in the deepest trouble imaginable after sneaking away to chase after a maybe-maybe-not clue left by his grandfather? The kid boarded a train and went across the country on his own. The number of dangers he could have encountered are too many to tally. He must have had the luck from a thousand four leave clovers to come out without a scratch on him. Not to mention that magically he was able to find all of these hidden places that nobody else could find, even after they spent years trying to locate. The side characters, there were loads of them, were not so great. Some were there for a flash but had a full backstory that was given. Talk about overload, whoa. On top of that, one main side character was completely unbelievable. I didn’t believe anything pertaining to that one and grew to not like when they were written in.
Overall this is a coming of age story but not a completely believable one. I did like reading about the mental-illness portion of the story. There were chapters where the grandfather’s writing was included and it gave testament to just how bad his mind was going. Those portions of the book were few and far between and I was left reading about Arthur chasing after a girl he thought might have answers for him. In a way there was just too much going on and not enough at the same time. I’m not upset I read this, I only expected something different.
September 15, 2020
This is classified as a young adult novel but as I have stated before I think that many adults are missing out on great storytelling because they are unaware of the many moving, thought-provoking fiction available in this genre. This is also Samuel Miller’s debut novel which he wrote while on tour in a fifteen-passenger van with the rock band Paradise Fears according to his GoodReads author page. He lives in Los Angeles and apparently also has time to coach Little League Baseball, and write and direct music videos.
In this novel, Miller has taken the classic road trip theme to a new level and we find ourselves on a train trip across America following cryptic clues left by Arthur Louis Pullman the Third’s famous grandfather, Arthur Louis Pullman the first. Arthur Pullman the Third is also having a breakdown. Something happened to eighteen year old Arthur and what we know is that there is a restraining order out on him from his ex-girlfriend, he has a broken hand which has derailed his tennis scholarship and his father has banished him to the care of his aunt and uncle’s farm.
Here Arthur discovers a journal written by his famous grandfather, who went missing the last week of his life and died hundreds of miles away from their family home. What happened in that week remains a mystery to the family who had been grappling for years with his advancing Alzheimer’s. Arthur Louis Pullman the first is famous for the one great American novel that he wrote and is revered throughout America but Arthur the Third still has not read the book. His grandfather never wrote again but the family’s fortunes were made by the one published book but as we come to know the grandfather we find a distant father figure and a man who never talked about his past.
But in his grandfather’s journal our Arthur finds a sentence containing a train route and a destination and, as Arthur is determined to solve the mystery of his grandfather’s missing week, he embarks on a cross-country train ride believing the clues in the journal written by a man lost in the last stages of dementia are written just for him. Along the way to uncovering a terrible truth we meet a dangerous Pullman fan base with a view that no cost is too high in chasing the Pullman legacy and who believe that Arthur the First is still alive.
This is a wonderful twisty mystery as not only are we discovering the grandfather’s past we are also discovering Arthur the First’s story of his recent past. This book does ask some big political and philosophical questions regarding American’s right to protest, mental health, dementia, grief and what it means to be a good friend. It is an adventure and there are many emotional ups and downs that we share with both Arthur’s over the trip. This is beautifully and sparingly written and if you love a classic road trip novel then you will love this remake via train. Compared to Catcher in the Rye and The Perks of being a Wallflower this is totally a recommended read from me.
In this novel, Miller has taken the classic road trip theme to a new level and we find ourselves on a train trip across America following cryptic clues left by Arthur Louis Pullman the Third’s famous grandfather, Arthur Louis Pullman the first. Arthur Pullman the Third is also having a breakdown. Something happened to eighteen year old Arthur and what we know is that there is a restraining order out on him from his ex-girlfriend, he has a broken hand which has derailed his tennis scholarship and his father has banished him to the care of his aunt and uncle’s farm.
Here Arthur discovers a journal written by his famous grandfather, who went missing the last week of his life and died hundreds of miles away from their family home. What happened in that week remains a mystery to the family who had been grappling for years with his advancing Alzheimer’s. Arthur Louis Pullman the first is famous for the one great American novel that he wrote and is revered throughout America but Arthur the Third still has not read the book. His grandfather never wrote again but the family’s fortunes were made by the one published book but as we come to know the grandfather we find a distant father figure and a man who never talked about his past.
But in his grandfather’s journal our Arthur finds a sentence containing a train route and a destination and, as Arthur is determined to solve the mystery of his grandfather’s missing week, he embarks on a cross-country train ride believing the clues in the journal written by a man lost in the last stages of dementia are written just for him. Along the way to uncovering a terrible truth we meet a dangerous Pullman fan base with a view that no cost is too high in chasing the Pullman legacy and who believe that Arthur the First is still alive.
This is a wonderful twisty mystery as not only are we discovering the grandfather’s past we are also discovering Arthur the First’s story of his recent past. This book does ask some big political and philosophical questions regarding American’s right to protest, mental health, dementia, grief and what it means to be a good friend. It is an adventure and there are many emotional ups and downs that we share with both Arthur’s over the trip. This is beautifully and sparingly written and if you love a classic road trip novel then you will love this remake via train. Compared to Catcher in the Rye and The Perks of being a Wallflower this is totally a recommended read from me.
November 4, 2018
A very interesting storyline, but the language was so horrible I quit caring what the story was about and didn't finish. The language was so bad, it was distracting. Don't bother to read if foul language bothers you as much as it bugs me.
February 1, 2023
damn this book was really underwhelming… it says that it’s a “coming of age novel” when the mc doesn’t even undergo any character development besides realizing that he has trauma
also why were women so objectified in this book??? all they are described as are “round” and “curvy” and “enormous chests” and literally nothing else 😭
also there is a woman character named mara that he just happens to meet but the moment they first meet, he says “she looked british” ??????? wtf does that mean… anyway i get that the author tries to portray her as sarcastic and independent but she came off as annoying and a literal jerk
the plot was slow and boring and i don’t mind long books as long as the pages are being put into good use. this is not a good example of that- the book only discloses what happened in the last two chapters and it’s just so annoying 😔😔😔😔
anyway, a day wasted reading this book but i really had hoped that i would have given this 4/5 stars but nooo
also why were women so objectified in this book??? all they are described as are “round” and “curvy” and “enormous chests” and literally nothing else 😭
also there is a woman character named mara that he just happens to meet but the moment they first meet, he says “she looked british” ??????? wtf does that mean… anyway i get that the author tries to portray her as sarcastic and independent but she came off as annoying and a literal jerk
the plot was slow and boring and i don’t mind long books as long as the pages are being put into good use. this is not a good example of that- the book only discloses what happened in the last two chapters and it’s just so annoying 😔😔😔😔
anyway, a day wasted reading this book but i really had hoped that i would have given this 4/5 stars but nooo
April 13, 2023
okay i really hated on this book while i was reading it because i was just confused. but after finishing it i realized that’s the whole point. you’re supposed to be confused because that’s how arthur III is feeling. he doesn’t know what is going on so the readers don’t either. the best parts of this book were the journal entries from arthur louis pullman. i have so many saved on my phone now. all in all i would 100% recommended this book, it’s hard being confused at some parts but the journey i went on with this book was great.
June 24, 2020
Ok first off: this cover is to DIE FOR! Ok anyways, I’m going to be honest. I didn’t have any expectations for this book, I thought it’d be pretty average and for the most part it was. Definitely not a favorite or anything but I’m happy that I read it. My copy is filled with tabs because one thing that I did love about this book was the quotes. My GOD the quotes!🥰🥰 I love finding new metaphors and prettily worded takes on life because in a way they ground me if that makes any sense at all. Books like this give me a different perspective of the world and for that I appreciated it. I loved the character Mara in the book and honestly if she didn’t exist I probably wouldn’t have made it. The main character at times is insufferable, but it all makes sense in the end and to see a flawed character is refreshing. Also there is some political commentary in here that really lined up with the times and I think that that was really great and important to read. So without further ado, here are some of the many quotes I personally enjoyed:)
- “At the end of his life, a man’s story is written in the words he never said.” (Pg 28)
-“I am nothing but a mosaic of the people I’ve met and the things they’ve carried.” (Pg 255)
-“- this kind of life, the kind worth living, is only found dangerously close to the blade of regret.” (Pg 345)
- “At the end of his life, a man’s story is written in the words he never said.” (Pg 28)
-“I am nothing but a mosaic of the people I’ve met and the things they’ve carried.” (Pg 255)
-“- this kind of life, the kind worth living, is only found dangerously close to the blade of regret.” (Pg 345)
April 13, 2022
Już dawno nie byłam tak zachwycona żadną książką. „Między nami chaos” zdecydowanie trafia do moich faworytów. Po tą podejmującą trudne, pobudzające do refleksji motywy, powieść z ciekawą historią, bohaterami, wierszami, niezłym końcowy wydźwiękiem i niesamowicie satysfakcjonującym zakończeniem z pewnością sięgnę ponownie.
5/5
5/5
January 31, 2024
Started this book back when it first came out several years ago but just never got around to finishing it. I'm really glad I picked it up again. I first discovered Sam Miller and his band back in college, and I was pleased to see that his songwriting style translated into his prose really well. The overall style in which this story is told was done beautifully and creatively, interweaving letters, dialogue, exposition and journal entries across a few different timelines.
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