Trapped by Michael Northrop
What is it about?
"That day the blizzard started, no one knew that it was going to keep snowing for a week.Scott and his friends are among the last seven kids at their school waiting to get picked up that day and they soon realize that no one is coming for them. Still, it doesn't seem so bad to spend the night there, especially when Krista and Julie are sleeping just down the hall.
The power goes out. Then the heat. The pipes freeze. The roof shudders. As the days add up, the snow piles higher, the empty halls grow colder and darker and the mounting pressure forces a devastating decision. "
- The blurb of the book.
How did I come across the book?
I don't quite remember.. I think it was on Goodreads, or maybe I found it in a shop.
What did I think?
Spoiler Alert
Oh, good God! I haven't read anything this bad in a while! It was just awful!
Imagine some kids are stuck in a school, then imagine the end of the book. Because that's all there was to it!
The characters didn't develop at all through-out this book, Scotty (our protagonist) is a normal teenage boy, and that is all becomes in my eyes. For example, he doesn't want to break into the school canteen because he'll get kicked of the team. So in this stupid boys head, it's food or basketball. What a hard decision. There is his fascination with Krista, I mean he used to stare at her neck on bus rides which could be really cute if they ended up together. But the relationship never amounted to any more than a few awkward conversations. Oh, please!
Scotty's friends are dull. I don't feel sad when Pete dies, at all! I was just like 'Oh, sucks. But hey, it's only a book.' When it should and could have been so more dramatic and emotional. How he does it; "For a second, I saw it all; the soft horrible blue that had crept into his face, the way his hands were frozen stiff, like curled talons of a bird.
I could go on; I remembered every detail. But I won't." I was very close to throwing the book across the room, it wasn't the fact he wouldn't explain Pete in his dead state, it was made quite clear that Scotty found that too much to think about but then the action just continues. And we can't really understand the hardship of watching a best friend die.
And the argument is that Northrop made a realistic storyline but I personally don't want to read thing which are overly realistic. I mean I may as well just not read. I read for the escapism, for the thrill and the connection to both character, narrative and the author. So, Trapped was hell for me.
Yes, the whole getting-trapped-in-a-school aspect was great, I loved the survival theme but other than that? It was plain boring to read.
Each character was one-dimensional and stereotypical; popular girls, bully, quiet boy, normal guys. And that isn't just my verdict, Northrop actually labels these characters like this at several points during the book and they don't evolve at all. Les is still a bully, Krista and Julie are still (kind of stuck up-ish) popular girls and Scotty is still normal!
Lastly, everything it mentions in the blurb? That's it. That's the plot! No more, no less.
I just... If you're reading this for inspiration as to if you want to read or not then NO, don't read it. it's just not entertaining.
Imagine some kids are stuck in a school, then imagine the end of the book. Because that's all there was to it!
The characters didn't develop at all through-out this book, Scotty (our protagonist) is a normal teenage boy, and that is all becomes in my eyes. For example, he doesn't want to break into the school canteen because he'll get kicked of the team. So in this stupid boys head, it's food or basketball. What a hard decision. There is his fascination with Krista, I mean he used to stare at her neck on bus rides which could be really cute if they ended up together. But the relationship never amounted to any more than a few awkward conversations. Oh, please!
Scotty's friends are dull. I don't feel sad when Pete dies, at all! I was just like 'Oh, sucks. But hey, it's only a book.' When it should and could have been so more dramatic and emotional. How he does it; "For a second, I saw it all; the soft horrible blue that had crept into his face, the way his hands were frozen stiff, like curled talons of a bird.
I could go on; I remembered every detail. But I won't." I was very close to throwing the book across the room, it wasn't the fact he wouldn't explain Pete in his dead state, it was made quite clear that Scotty found that too much to think about but then the action just continues. And we can't really understand the hardship of watching a best friend die.
And the argument is that Northrop made a realistic storyline but I personally don't want to read thing which are overly realistic. I mean I may as well just not read. I read for the escapism, for the thrill and the connection to both character, narrative and the author. So, Trapped was hell for me.
Yes, the whole getting-trapped-in-a-school aspect was great, I loved the survival theme but other than that? It was plain boring to read.
Each character was one-dimensional and stereotypical; popular girls, bully, quiet boy, normal guys. And that isn't just my verdict, Northrop actually labels these characters like this at several points during the book and they don't evolve at all. Les is still a bully, Krista and Julie are still (kind of stuck up-ish) popular girls and Scotty is still normal!
Lastly, everything it mentions in the blurb? That's it. That's the plot! No more, no less.
I just... If you're reading this for inspiration as to if you want to read or not then NO, don't read it. it's just not entertaining.
Characters; 1/5 stars
Narrative; 1/5 stars
Literature; 1/5 stars
Overall; 1/5 stars
(I do feel kind of harsh but truthfully this is one of the worst books I've read)
I feel so terrible saying this because on Michael Northrop's site he seems so nice and he answers everyone's comments. So if you're reading Michael Northrop, thank you for the read. Not my cup of tea, personally, but thank you non-the-less.
Narrative; 1/5 stars
Literature; 1/5 stars
Overall; 1/5 stars
(I do feel kind of harsh but truthfully this is one of the worst books I've read)
I feel so terrible saying this because on Michael Northrop's site he seems so nice and he answers everyone's comments. So if you're reading Michael Northrop, thank you for the read. Not my cup of tea, personally, but thank you non-the-less.
Some of my favourite quotes from the book
Spoiler Alert
Page 79
""It's only for one night," said Julie."Tops," said Pete. "the snow could've stopped already."
"We've got jackets," sail Krista.
The talk continued along those lines. The tone was: It's not so bad. The tone was: This too shall pass. The tone was: Forced."
Websites for this book
Websites that sell the book;
this book sucked i was reading this for summer reading and there was really no action and the plot never developed it kinda just stayed the same up until the last pages where they got the idea to try to get help which they should of done at the beginning
ReplyDeleteI thought this was decent book. But.....
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PETE NO FEEL SO GOOD!!!!!!! *snap*