Magic Street Audiobook

" I don't like giving out ones, but I just can't give this book any better. The book starts out extremely strange with no explanations, which I can't say I hate, I was just hoping it was going somewhere. I got a little over half way through the book and have now given up. It just keeps getting more and more strange and not in an interesting good way. It's torture to keep going, so I'm going to stop now. I don't really care what happens because there are no really interesting characters that I care about. Sorry to give it such a bad review because I love the Ender Series by Orson Scott Card, but I just couldn't make it through this book. "

" Good story, but would have been better if we hadn't been reminded that the action takes place in Baldwin Hills or that the characters are black on every. single. page. I didn't really see how race had anything to do with the actual story, or the Shakespeare it was based on. Still, a fun story with an appropriate ending. "

" An often overlooked work of Card that is a lot of fun, if perhaps not quite as compelling as Ender's Game. But what could be? "

" After reading Ender's Game and The Lost Gate, I was looking forward to reading yet another spectacular novel from Orson Scott Card...and was severely disappointed. The first half of the book is intriguing and just the right amount of disturbing (thoughts of killing the baby in his hands? A woman giving birth after only one hour of pregnancy, and the baby being taken away in a grocery bag?), though a lot of it does seem random. Other aspects are odd as well; namely, the extremely sassy black community, where Card again and again emphasizes the fact that they are black. Halfway through the book, however, the intriguing, promising world Card has woven becomes just...stupid. I hate to use that word, since I was so impressed with his writing before, but that's the only word that perfectly fits it. It seems so random and childish. One of my personal pet peeves is when the main character has been trying to unravel the mystery the plot circles around for the entirety of the book, and one character just appears and tells him, all at once, everything he needs to know. A much better angle would be for everything to piece together, not at once, but slowly, eventually leading to a revelation. But no; everything that made the plot interesting suddenly vanishes when one character enters and describes everything, repeatedly, as though Card is desperately trying to get his audience to believe and buy into the plot. After that, the book loses all of the mystery and intrigue that had kept me reading it, and delves into a world of fantasy that is utterly ridiculous. It is as though Card changed his mind halfway through and had to go back and rearrange some of the main points, making them all fit unnaturally with one another, and not lead up well to the next half at all. All in all, it was a disappointment, and not worth reading. All geniuses fail at least once, however, and I guess this was his one fail. "

" I loved the premise and the characters. The ending wasn't as satisfying as I'd hoped for, though, and there's quite a bit of language. But if you like urban fantasy and can handle salty tongues, give it a try. "

" not my favorite Card.... won't recomend "

" I had a little bit of a hard time getting into it, but once I got a few chapters in I was hooked. The story works in Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and becomes totally fantastical and magical beyond what you see in the beginning. I was also super impressed by Card's ability to write characters so well who are not really... in his life too much? I mean, he's a Mormon from Utah and this book takes place in a black neighborhood in L.A. I thought that the characters were really authentic. I am constantly amazed by the things that Card is able to come up with. I hadn't read any of his stuff before meeting my husband, and now I have made my way through a good portion of it and it contains some of my favorite books. This is a departure from the Science Fiction genre, and purely in the realistic fantasy realm. I'd highly recommend it for anyone who is a fan of Card, or who is just looking for a really good story. I listened to the first half of it on audiobook, and really enjoyed the author's voice (sometimes that's a sticking point for me). I also enjoyed reading the afterward of the book, where Card credits friend Roland Bernard Brown with goading him into writing a novel featuring a black hero, which seem to be a little lacking. Very interesting, and a good read. This would be a great one for summer reading! "

" This is probably my all time favorite fantasy book. I don't like other-world/dimension books; this one takes place here and now, but adds a great layer of fantasy. "

" This book was very different.... but it was an interesting read. I would suggest reading Enders Game and the rest of that series before reading this though in case you get turned off from Orson Scott Card. "

" Interesting connections to shakespeare and very creative, but i'm starting to tire of creativity for the sake of creativity. Maybe i've read too many of orson scott card's books to be inspired by him now. "

" I didn't get it. Maybe because I'm not black. "

" Mixes Shakespere's Midsummer's Night dream with reality. Intersting story, but I like some of his other stuff better. "

" Pretty solid urban fantasy set in LA, worth a read. "

" I like some Sci-Fi and this was pretty good, though a bit weird. Orson Scott Card is a fascinating writer to me...I love his editorials on his website and his weekly essay in the Deseret News, but I don't always love his books. "

" Modern fantasy w/ a bit of swearing. "

" Eh. Maybe I'm no longer in love with OSC... this one was not my favorite. "

" A fun book. Again, a weaving of fantasy and reality with skill and imagination. "

" Good Book. A little wierd and crass at times but good. "

" One of the bad cards, not terrible, simply not good either. "

" I just don't seem to hook up with Orson Scott Card, though I was OK with Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead. Just a matter of personal taste, I suppose. "

" I love most of what Card has written but not all of it. This was just OK. A modern day Midsummer Night's Dream, sort of. "

" Orphaned in a middle class black community, Mack Street is known as the "bag baby." Found in a grocery bag near a park drain, he has been raised by the community and knows every family. More than that, he dreams their dreams. If he's not careful, he even makes them come true. "

" Amazingly seamless combination of Shakespearean mythology and modern day Los Angeles via an African American changeling of a main character. I liked it because it was truly unique and different. "

" A modern story about fairies. It was entertaining but kind of strange.... "

" Very intersting perspective of a black superhero. Not corny, which I appreciated. The afterword helps bring this book into the perspective in terms of why it was written. "

" He considers it his best work - which it might be for its literary qualities and portrayal of a culture/world that is foreign to him, but lacked for me the deeper attractions and pull of the Alvin Maker series or the novelty and insight to familiar stories that comes from teh homecoming series "

" Eh. I tried to like it. There were some good ideas, and the dialog crackled nicely. But I just couldn't get into it, and every so often I'd get irritated about something. "

" I love most of what Card has written but not all of it. This was just OK. A modern day Midsummer Night's Dream, sort of. "

" OSC normally rocks. But this is the worst OSC book I've ever read. To even attempt to enjoy it "

" An urban fantasy set in an African-American neighborhood in Los Angeles. Mack Street, a boy of mysterious origins and strange powers, discovers a parallel world in his neighborhood. Lots of fun, some unexpected twists. "

" One of the best sci-fi authors writes another great book. This book is unique from his other writings. It has a shakespearean vibe and an Africean American hero. "

" So far I'm not sure this lives up to Orson Scott Card's ability but will give it a chance. "

" Started a bit slow but after the first 100 pages very enjoyable. "

" Read it because it is Orson Scott Card, but it is definitely strange. "

" An enjoyable, but disturbing modern fairy tale. Clever, if not totally original, twist on 'what if you were actually granted your most intimate wish'. I love the addition of mythological characters to this one. "

" Pretty solid urban fantasy set in LA, worth a read. "

" Lots to think about as you conquer challenges in your life. "

" This was a funky book! I love Orson Scott Card's book Ender's Game so I thought I'd try another of his books. This one is a trip! There are characters from Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream so someone might enjoy it for that. "

" As usual Orson Scott Card's characters just suck me right in. I loved the story in the beginning, but just couldn't sustain my interest. Not sure why - but this one didn't do it for me. I usually love magic and urban fairy tales. "