Reviews
*4.5 Well, that was just DELIGHTFUL. That was such a splendid, fun, and colorful book! I had a blast following Alice on her journey of friendship and self-discovery! Yay for learning lessons! I don't read middle-grade enough and I have a feeling this book is going to change that. I found myself thinking about the world of Furthermore even when I wasn't reading it and I hated having to set it down. I'd also get distracted by how beautiful the cover is (it's just really gorgeous). The only reason this wasn't quite 5 stars for me is because of the beginning and the ending. The beginning took just a little too long to really get started (even though I loved every detail) and the ending was far too short for my taste (I wanted moooore). I loved the characters, I loved the adventure. I've never been disappointed by Tahereh Mafi and I can't wait to pick up Whichwood soon!
this book made me so happy !
Furthermore is a light-read with quirky characters, a whimsical setting, and playful writing. I admire Tahereh Mafi's consistent writing style throughout the story. From the first page to the last page, we get this feeling of playfulness and color and fun from the words on the paper. We all fell in love with Tahereh's poetic writing in the Shatter Me trilogy and, fortunately, that can still be evident in this book. Although I cannot say that this was better than the Shatter Me trilogy. I wouldn't suggest going into this book thinking that it's going to be like the Shatter Me books because it's nowhere near that. I absolutely adored the whole concept of Furthermore (the world, not the book), although it wasn't explained thoroughly which was a huge disappointment. You see, Furthermore is a big and a very complex magical world. When you think you've gotten it all figured out, it suddenly takes you into a massive 360-turn and you're all confused again. That's honestly how I felt whilst taking down the path of Furthermore. I don't know if we're going to get more books set in Furthermore. I have no idea if this was intentional. But right now I would've like it if the land of Furthermore was explained better. I can't say that the pacing was good. It was just okay. There were times when everything was on point but it suddenly slows down again. The characters, however, were splendid. They're the flawed, imperfect, realistic characters we want to read about. They make mistakes and foolish decisions just like the rest of us and I really liked that. The ending felt like it was rushed. Tahereh could've made their task more complicated, but she took the easy way out. Overall, this wasn't as good as the Shatter Me trilogy but it's enjoyable. And if you want a quirky, whimsical, and easy read then you should definitely check this out. “She'd decided long ago that life was a long journey. She would be strong and she would be weak, and both would be okay.”
4.5 stars | Such lush and beautiful writing <3
For me, this was a solid 2.5 star read. For the purposes of Goodreads, I'm rounding up because I honestly felt two stars was a little low. There were a lot of things that just didn't jive with me, but I can see how others might enjoy this more than I did. For one thing - and this is a nitpicky personal preference - I absolutely ABHOR hyphenation in books. It takes me out of the story and it annoys me to have to read the next half of the word on the next line when it really wouldn't lengthen the manuscript any in the long run, especially with how short these chapters are. Getting into the meat of it though, I really did enjoy the worlds of the story. The world building was interesting. It was whimsical and fun and a world of wonders. I've always liked the literal translation of things, such as the pocketbook being a book full of pockets. It's a very fairytale, childlike quality that is very endearing to me. Additionally, I loved how the author described the colors and the creatures and the people of the world. Clearly, the visuals were very important to the author and it really came across nicely. For that alone, this book earned that nudge toward the third star for this review. Honestly, part of what suckered me in to the story was the cover art and I really feel like the book delivers on the promise of that cover art. Whoever did the cover did a great job of showcasing the best part of the book - the vibrance of the world. While Ferenwood sounded beautiful, almost like something out of a Dr. Seuss book, I absolutely loved the description of the man she bumps into in the first village in Furthermore. It was SUCH a beautiful way to describe someone. Of course that was before I knew they were likely to eat the main characters. Unfortunately, I found I didn't really care for the main characters. They spend most of the book not communicating and making things worse between themselves. This is particularly problematic when you happen to be pinging around in a world full of villages who eat people from your world. Despite that they are meant to be twelve and thirteen years old, Oliver constantly explains things to Alice - usually too late to have been of use to her to have avoided the obstacle she had just stumbled into - and regularly sounds more like an older teen or even an adult. Alice, on the other hand, seemed a little bit more infantilized than would be preferable given the circumstances. I felt like the author used Oliver to explain how hectic Furthermore was as a world, but it just left me feeling frustrated that Oliver didn't just sit down and explain everything to me, much as Alice felt. And, really, it served no purpose for my enjoyment of the book or the world or the characters. It just left everything feeling jumbled constantly. It also didn't help that this led to me feeling constantly talked down to as a reader, which is something I loathe. I am fully of the opinion that you should always assume your reader is intelligent enough to understand what you're telling them without someone needing to constantly explain it to you. I don't care if it's a middle grade book. Assume your reader is smart. It will come across in your writing as condescending if you don't. There also is no true climax to the story. I was left in utter shock at the ending, considering they're panicking one moment and then leaving the world of Furthermore happily ever after not even five pages later. It was VERY abrupt. I don't want to spoil things, but if you've read it, you probably know what I mean. All in all, this book is probably worth a read. It's not something I see myself ever rereading in the future, but it was cute. I would recommend it to middle grade people at the oldest.
okay can I cry now :') ! I loved it so much really I did! Tahereh never stops to amaze me! it's just more than splendid! I loved how can you live with colors, colors everywhere, everything is lovely in those bright colors! actually the more I read the book the more I can imagine how colorful and beautiful it is ! the last chapters made me speechless I knew from the beginning of falling in the grey cell that's Alice father's cell! I felt it as I was the one who fell inside the cell! I loved the happy ending ,to be honest I thought that something tragic will happen and ruin the happy ending! I liked how Tahereh wanted to show us how much our parents love us, yes they might break your heart but no matter what would they do, they do for you only to make happy! it was great sacrifice from Alice father's to go furthermore to look for his daughter happiness! I was kinda confused about furthermore and yeah I didn't trust or like the people of the land of the left! the only one thing that surprised me is the seamstress!! " perhaps you should trust a friend who looks like one"! WICKED and lovely !!!!!!
3.5 stars Tahereh Mafi's writing is what gets me.
4.5 rounded up to 5 Am I slightly annoyed with Alice's action at times? Yes. Am I annoyed by how childish Alice could be? Totally. Then I remember that she's only 12, so she acts like how kids her age would. The world of Furthermore doesn't make sense, but in a good way. Did I like getting my mind fucked? Yes, yes I did. And it's so whimsical, it took my mind off of some angsty as hell fanfics i've been reading
3.5 stars
Über dieses Buch bin ich zufällig gestolpert, als ich auf der Suche nach Neuerscheinungen Band 2 dieser Serie entdeckte. Da ich hin und wieder auch gern mal ein Kinderbuch lese und dieses interessant genug klang, landete Band 1 auf meinem eReader. „Furthermore“ ist ein sehr, sehr ungewöhnliches Land. Physikalische Gesetze spielen keine Rolle, aber seine Bewohner folgen dafür unzähligen anderen Vorschriften, die sie sich selbst ausgedacht haben. Ganz wichtig: Zeit wird mit einem Lineal gemessen und wer seine Zeit verschwendet, landet für alle Ewigkeit in einem Gefängnisdorf, in dem es außer Grau keine Farben gibt. In diese Welt stolpert die farblose Alice, eine Außenseiterin in ihrem farbenreichen Ort Ferenwood, die auf der Suche nach ihrem verschollenen Vater ist. Immer wieder trifft sie auf ihrem Abenteuer auf seltsame Wesen wie beispielsweise Papierfüchse. Sie landet auf hohen Bäumen und fällt durch den Himmel. Nur schwer lassen sich ihre Erlebnisse beschreiben, so andersartig sind sie. Ein wenig erinnert die Welt an „Alice im Wunderland“ oder „Der Zauberer von Oz“. Es macht Spaß in diese schillernde Umgebung einzutauchen und all die verrückten Figuren zu treffen. Eine kurzweilige Lektüre für triste Winterabende – sehr gut geschrieben und auch für Erwachsene faszinierend.
Probably my favorite middle grade novel of all time. This was my first time reading one of Tahereh Mafi's book, and now I understand the hype. Her writing is so beautiful. There was nothing I didn't like about this book. The plot was amazing, the characters were great and the writing was beautiful. I can't wait to continue this series
It was light hearted and beautiful. I live the characters and the story and everything about this book! ❤️❤️
This book was amazing!!! i loved how light and whimsical everything was even though it could be dark. I was at the edge of my seat the whole time. All I wanted to ever do was read it. When I started Furthermore, i had no idea it was an Alice in Wonderland retelling but I really enjoyed that because I've never read it or saw any of the movies and it was still really enjoyable. I'm so glad I finally read Furthermore and would highly recommend to anyone of all ages. It fun and fast paced but very exciting and i love wondering if we could trust someone and traveling through the different towns. Tahereh Mafi's writing is also beautiful and i like how he added things that made it obvious she was telling the story and how she would add her input or opinion or tell us something about a character. I really enjoyed it and cant wait to read the companion novel.
Furthermore By: Tahereh Mafi Alice Alexis Queensmeadow 12 rates three things most important: Mother, who wouldn’t miss her; magic and color, which seem to elude her; and Father, who always loved her. Father disappeared from Ferenwood with only a ruler, almost three years ago. But she will have to travel through the mythical, dangerous land of Furthermore, where down can be up, paper is alive, and left can be both right and very, very wrong. Her only companion is Oliver whose own magic is based in lies and deceit. Alice must first find herself—and hold fast to the magic of love in the face of loss. My Review: this book is amazing , So Good, i was not expecting what happens in this story. I'm new to Alice in wonderland when it comes to re telling. From start to finish , it talked a lot about colours, magic, family. The world of Furthermore is so different, if you have imagination in life this book is for you. I loved how 3/4 in the book i was still not sure of the ending. There is some parts that are very creepy. This book deserve a 4.5 Stars Rating. I will be reading the 2nd book in this universe very soon. This has such potential to be an amazing world, even in Ferenwood. It can be amazing. I would love suggest this book to anyone that loves magical stories. Con: Would of loved to have the story started when her father disappeared. Pros: The whole world is perfect. I always wanted to continue reading, i was exited to know what would happen next. Quotes: Quitting would be easy. Dying would be simple. But neither would solve her problems. Because it all looked like information for tourists, and Alice didn't consider herself a tourist. She considered herself the brave heroine of an unlikely tale.
Things I loved: - Oliver, he was such a great character and friend. Alice definetly had him underrated, even at the end. - the world of Furthermore, it's just such and intresting and magical place. Yes, it's confusing at times but it's supposed to be and it's amazing. - The writting, "it's Tahereh Mafi we already know the writting is good", I see you thinking but no, you don't understand. Her writting is very different in this from Shatter Me but in a good way. It's magical and wonderfull and perfectly fits this story. - The naration, the narorator was amazing in this novel. Mainly, because I love it when pieces of fiction breaks the fourth wall, of course when it's done well, and this did that at some points and it was amazing. - The language, as this is a middle grade insulting and curses or whatever have to be "made pretty" (I don't know how else to phrase that but I'm sure you get what I mean) and Tahereh had some creative and funny ways to do this and I loved it! Things I didn't really like: - Alice at some moments, she was very selfish and stuborn. She constantly thought she knew everything better than Oliver even though he had already been in Furthermore for a year and she hadn't even heard of it. Also she constantly thought she was doing all the work and all the saving while Oliver saved their butts many more times than she did. - The fact that some lessons are stated very obviously. This is middle grade so it's full of life lessons some are subtily hidden in the story bit some are just told, nothing subtle about it at all. That kind of anoyed me and many points.
** spoiler alert ** I have a lot of thoughts on what went wrong with this book but I'll just list the main points. For the majority of book I thought it would just be an average read that I wouldn't like but wouldn't hate either. Then the ending. The most rushed ending I've ever come across. I was literally baffled just staring blankly at the book thinking that couldn't possibly be the ending. Not to mention that the characters are utterly unlikeable. I tried over and over to give them another chance but jeez they really had nothing redeeming about them. I forced myself to finish hoping the ending might make things a bit better but just the opposite happened. If I'd stopped when I wanted my opinion would have been better than it is now that I finished it. The biggest problem I had was that the characters never do anything to move the plot forward, it just happens to them. They go to find her father, never come close to having an idea of where he is, but accidentally stumbling upon him. And then they just step through the box and just like that they're home?? Honestly the whole thing was dumb luck and ridiculous coincidences.
I LOVED this book. We have Alice who's a bit odd and doesn't really fit in with her village because she's colorless. She has doesn't have much of a relationship with her mom since her father disappeared. she ends up going on an adventure with a boy she doesn't really like and that's where the fun begins. I loved the world that Tahereh Mafi created in this book. I really wanted to explore this world more and see more of it.
Might I say that this book was practically perfect in every way! It was so full of magic and whimsy, and I could imagine every page in full color. This is a new favorite of mine for sure! I recommend it to everyone who just needs something to make them smile and make them think.
I read this for a YouTube video with Katie (KtReads) she bought this for me because she thought I would love it, I did!!!! This book was whimsical and beautiful!!! I loved how Oliver's and Alice's relationship grew! I loved everything!!!! The ending was beautiful!!! Read this!!!!!
I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I started this book and all I can say is: I loved it. The world is so vivid, bursting with colours and magic and adventures that had me turning the pages frantically in need for more. I loved how whimsical and quirky everything was and how clever, as well! I wish I could have seen more of it (and that's the only reason why this isn't a complete 5
dnf.
SO LONG I HAVE WAITED FOR THIS BOOK. AND IT WAS SO WORTH IT. THIS IS. THE SWEETEST. BOOK. EVER. i'm so in love. tahereh mafi is a gift to our world with her words. definitely one of my favourite books i've read this year, no doubt.
A unique premise for a fantasy tale
I wanted to like this book so much, I really did, but the world never came together for me. It was so imaginative, but didn't seem to have that underlying motor that makes great fantasy middle grade tick. Lewis Carroll was an academic logician, so when he created a world charged by nonsense it was a juxtaposition and commentary on the hierarchical and logical world of Victorian England, and he was an expert so he had the perfect toolkit to mess with the logic. This book was obviously an homage to Alice in Wonderland, and yet it only bowed its head to the aesthetic aspect of Wonderland without the underlying reason. In other words, why? Why are there paper foxes and cities in trees? Why is color the source of magic? What is this book actually about? Oh, don't even get me started on the magic. I don't like it when authors use the word "magic" in a nebulous way to describe that something is magical, but isn't actually magic. Magic has to have a clear set of rules and behavior. Magic had as much backbone in this book as the word "interesting." It doesn't mean anything except to say that I'm lazy and don't know how to articulate what I really mean so I'm going to say it's interesting, or magic. What was the magic here? Were there spells? Charms? Hexes? Potions? If it's not that kind of magic that we recognize in our collective mythology, then what is it? Here's the thing. JK Rowling so perfectly defined magic for us, that anyone else who attempts to do so must be so specific, thorough, and clear in their own definition, that to do anything less feels lazy. I don't remember ever seeing a display of magic in this book. Magic implies something outside of the scientific expectations of nature. Definition: the power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces. Nothing "magic" that happened in this book seemed mysterious or supernatural because it wasn't outside of any of the character's expectations for how their world works. Kids had special talents and could pass through boxes to other worlds, but that didn't seem like magic it just seemed like the way of the world. That's as magical to them as us flying a rocket to the moon is magical to us. Not magic, just physics. And there wasn't a villain, or really even a clear antagonist, so I never felt tension in the book. I guess the world of Furthermore itself was an antagonist, but it didn't seem all that threatening. I felt like she wanted to go darker with this book, but pulled back. Okay gotta stop ranting. I enjoyed the use of the storyteller as narrator. And it's one of my favorite book covers ever. And Alice was a charming protagonist, only I wish her name wasn't Alice because it made the allusion to Alice in Wonderland too strong and distracting.