Liesl & Po

Liesl & Po jumps right into its alternate universe where the sun no longer shines and ghosts from The Other Side are able to communicate with The Living Side. The lack of setup resulted in me feeling frustrated a number of times. I stopped reading for over a month before I was able to get past my annoyance at plot points. Once I got through the first few chapters, Liesl & Po progressed into a much more enjoyable book. The initial chapters introduce the various characters, but there's no real sense of connection until they all come together late in the book. That's when the story picks up after an excruciatingly long introduction of characters and little action. The book is fairly grim with a stepmother attempting to kill Liesl (after killing the girl's father) so the evil woman can inherit all the money, which makes the suggested Middle Grade reading level a little young, in my opinion. Despite my early hesitations, I did enjoy Liesl & Po by the end.

I am innundated with fantasy novels these days so it is rare to find one that stands out in memory and with which you are sorry it is over. This was a pleasure to read. I can't wait to share this with my niece. The writing is beautiful, the plot is interesting and exciting and the characters are very real and likeable, quirks and all. The plot--which I won't summarize here--sounds typical. The elements are standard fantasy fare from cruel caretakers to adventurous journeys. But Oliver makes it fresh and fun. That's the hallmark of a great read, a keeper book, one that is shared and recommended and bought again as a gift. Highly recommended.

Most of this book was surprisingly dreary for a children's story. I certainly don't think all children's stories should be lighthearted but to me the plot just couldn't support the weight of the atmosphere. I think the age recommendation the book was written for is spot on. However, I ask myself if I would have continued reading the story at that age. I strongly suspect I wouldn't.

Oliver does a fantastic job delving into each character's motives and explaining them. It would be too straightforward for an adult book, but for this age set I think it enhances the story and child's understanding.

I really REALLY wanted to like Po but I often found him/her boring. Too much of the story was like this for me. I'm a mature enough reader where if I'm not instantly drawn in in the first 100 pages of a book I can keep reading. At 9-12 years old, however, I doubt I would have kept reading.

I enjoyed the pictures in the book and would eagerly await each new one. I only wish they had been more detailed but they were descriptive enough.

For children who like dark fantasy this book would be entertaining.

I LOVED the first three quarters of this book. Fast paced, funny, sweet, great characters and boy was I rooting for the good guys. But the ending is a hodgepodge of mismatched pieces that don't hold together. When I closed the book I did so with a very UNsatisfied sigh. It seemed to be building to such a hopeful place and instead things were settled in a hurry, leaving me wondering why the old woman was so hell bent on having people arrested, who PO really was, where the long lost sister and mother were and why the author had decided to end her wonderful story in this humdrum way. Obviously I'm in the minority on this one as the reviews were sparkling with stars so by all means read it yourself and make up your own mind.

This book may be the perfect story for someone struggling with a loss. It's been a few months now since my cousin passed. This helped put a little more light back into my thoughts. I also loved the way the story was told. As if to a child, giving us just enough of a story for each character to guess what lies in their future. Lauren has become one of my favorite authors to read. Her books are impossible to put down and have often been the cause of late nights. Highly recommend.

What a supremely imaginative, delightful story! It is very rare that you come across full length novels that remind you of stories you remember as a child. For me, "Leisl & Po" is one of those stories that will live on in your memory for years to come.

After reading the book and Lauren Oliver's reasons for having written it, I have to say with as much loss as I have suffered of my own over the years, this book most certainly holds a place in my heart and always will. "Leisl & Po" is not just an exciting adventure but a book that gives one hope for a life beyond the existence we currently live in, while simultaneously providing hope that no matter how harsh this life can seem that there is still magic to be found if only we believe.

My recommendation of this book comes extremely high, and I hope both young and old will obtain a copy and come to treasure it as well.

This was my first Lauren Oliver book. I've stayed away a bit because of the hype. But I decided her magical middle grade offering would be a wise place to start. And it was. It is magical, though the somewhat strident theme did bash me over the head a bit. I enjoyed the lyrical writing and delightful characters. This is more of a fable than a fantasy romp, and even though I wouldn't categorize it as a home run, per se, it is worthwhile for the emotion and effort that clearly went into it.

Liesl and Po has an interesting take on purgatory, one I haven't heard of before. It's quite creative and in-depth with its description of the experience, and while this is a great trait to have in a book, it might be a little hard on younger readers. It's probably a good idea to make sure your child has a decent understanding about death and ghosts before attempting this read. Very fun read for them though. It was entertaining and kept me interested through whole book. I love the artwork as well.

This amazing and spectacular book brings out the magic in all of us. One thing I admire about this glorious author is how she ties so many characters together, even though at first glance, they seem completely different. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who wants a story as magical and mysterious as " Harry Potter " :-).

My daughter lapped this one up. She enjoyed the supernatural aspect. She kept coming to me to tell me plot details, which she does when she finds a book engaging and exciting. If you have an avid young reader in your home, Liesl & Po should prove to be a hit.

"The girls went to work in the Cloverstown factories, sewing day in and day out,
stitching cheap linens and hat linings until they eyes gave out and they went
blind, or stirring large vats of poisonous chemicals until, one day, their minds
went soft as cheese that had been left too long in the heat. The end result was
always the same: They ended up beggars, endlessly walking the filthy, teeming
streets; begging money from people hardly richer or better off than they were."

==========

I must say LIESL AND PO was not my cup of tea. I'm a person that likes dystopias, adores them really, but this was just oppressive without enough action and suspense to support the grim elements. THE ROAD was upbeat in comparison.

And I certainly would never ever consider giving this book to my 9 year old-son to read. Far too grim. Nor to my 11 year-old daughter for that matter. Though in the latter case because I can think of 100s of books she should try first. Books with great characters, innovative concepts, something to teach, something just plain fun... which this book doesn't offer. No I'd rather suggest Captain Underpants, or Hatchet, or Holes to her or other kids her age. There's a universe of fantasy, scifi, and just plain fun stuff to read before L&P.

So NOT for me and mine. But before you decide for yourself, read the other reviews, and remember "not all books are for all people".

**Suitable for middle-schoolers and older readers who like slow paced, macabre storylines.
**No Lexile reading information is available at present.
**Initial Accelerated Reading number suggest 4th Grade level.

Pam T~
mom/#kidlit blogger

Not only did I, your absolute fairytale/fantasy lover but admittedly a grown-up, find this book depressing, slow moving, unsatisfying, and unmemorable, I didn't feel it held the attention of the so-called appropriate age group at all either. In a market where there are shelves full of engaging books for the 8+ kids, this one is not on my (for them) recommended must read list.

Set in a Dickensesque and dystopian world, this well-written dark tale is definitely not for young readers. I doubt that even a teenage reader could appreciate the subtle way the author portrayed the human heart and all its vulnerability.

I absolutely LOVED this book. I just couldn't put it down. I loved that there was intertwining stories that came together and solved all the crimes and murders. I hope there are other books like this in the world. THANK YOU!

This absolutely an amazingly good book that warmed my heart. This book gives you surprises that might make you sad, or happy in the you'll be really surprised. I recommend this book to anyone whether your a kid or a adult you'll love it.

Adults abuse children (Liesl is 11) physically, mentally, and verbally to the point they flee for their lives. From being poisoned to threats of being skinned or chopped to pieces and sold to the butcher there are too many frightening concepts that will haunt the young readers more than Po ever could.