For Zachariah (Puffin Teenage Fiction) (Spanish Edition)
List Price: $11.00
Our Price: $4.85
Your Save: $ 6.15 ( 56% )
Availability:
Manufacturer: Penguin Books
Written By: Robert C. Obrien
Binding: Hardcover
EAN: 9780141300313
ISBN: 0141300310
Label: Penguin Books
Manufacturer: Penguin Books
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 192
Publication Date: 1999-05
Publisher: Penguin Books
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Studio: Penguin Books
Related Items
- The Silver Crown (Aladdin Fantasy)
- The Compound
- The Postman (Bantam Classics)
- Swan Song
- Lucifer's Hammer
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: 
Summary: A book that will never be forgotten
Comment: I read this book in middle school in the 80's. 20 years later this book has never left my mind. It was one of the best books I have ever read. A person at any age would enjoy reading it. I would tell anyone to read it.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Unconventional and compelling
Comment: Most of the negative reviews were written by people who were 'forced' to read this book via assignment. They were probably pissed about having to read ANY book. The fact that O'Brien was able to tell a suspenseful story through nothing but after-the-fact diary entries is impressive. I couldn't put this book down. The monotonous details laboriously explained in the early entries reveal character development through subtleties, forcing the reader to discover them. For instance, I didn't even know the character was female until she lamented in an early entry about only having access to men's clothing. The detail oriented descriptions about daily activities early on also create a very jarring, unnerving effect when the routine is broken. If you're looking for another pop culture novel homogenized for mass consumption choose Stephenie Meyer or Dan Brown. But if you're interested in a subtly layered and compelling story illustrating the literary prowess of a writer taken far too young, give Z for Zachariah a shot.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Reading with Tequila
Comment: I really liked Z for Zachariah. The idea of being the last person on Earth as far as you know is fascinating to me. Anne had to be strong, self-sufficient and much older than her 16 years. Her life and the way she managed to live on her own and do so without being completely grief ridden for everyone she had ever known was inspirational rather than depressing.
The story began to give me some trouble when it introduced another person into the scenario. From the moment Mr. Loomis showed up, a loud chanting began in my mind. Over and over, I thought she should shoot him in the head. It may not have been Ann's way, but it would have been mine. For the love of all that is holy, just shoot him in the head. Now. Do it. Over and over. So that probably tells you more about me than you needed to know.
Z for Zachariah was very good, despite the homicidal urges it provoked in me. It seemed real to me, unlike many post-apocalyptic novels I've read. The ending was left more open than I would have wanted, but since Robert O'Brien died before finishing the novel, I consider it very fortunate that his wife and daughter completed it was well as they could. The book was depressing yet hopeful, very honest and really put you into Ann's mind. As I read, I felt involved, connected to the storyline and felt forced to make the decision as to what I would do in the situation. Which was obviously to shoot. A lot. Completely thought provoking.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Others may have liked it, but certainly not me.
Comment: I personally did not like the book at all. The characters were unrealistic, poorly developed, and not true to themselves throughout the entire book. The two later get caught up in a psychological game of cat and mouse. Ann, who is normally a sweet, kind, and caring girl becomes paranoid towards the end of the book, and killed her only friend, Faro (her dog), thinking that he'll lead Mr. Loomis to her.
If I was the last woman on Earth and I found another person I would run up to him and jump for joy, not hide in the mountains and let him jump into a pool of radioactive water. And if I was horribly sick and then this kind, caring person took care of me, I wouldn't try to shoot her, rape her, and run her out of her home, I would say a simple thank you.
This book had an interesting concept, but the characters were simply too unbelievable for me.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Z is for Zachariah
Comment: Z for Zachariah is set in a country literally destroyed by war; modern weaponry (bombs, nerve gas) has killed the population, and radiation poisoning has killed all plant and animal life. That is, save for a strange pocket of land, inhabited by the protagonist of the novel, Anne Burden. After the bombs Anne's family and neighbors (the only residents of the valley) set out to check for survivors, and never returned home. By the time the narrative begins Anne has lived alone in the valley for a year, adapting to a solitary and often primitive life. Then, one day, a traveler comes to the valley.
The conflict of the novel focuses on the introduction of Mr. Loomis, and how he unsettles the balance Anne has found in her life. Anne shows nothing but care and good intentions towards Mr. Loomis, displaying quite a bit of naivety (although she is, of course, only 16).
What really makes O'Briens novel is his successful characterization. From the very beginning Anne is endearing and sympathetic, and I found myself feeling bery concerned about her well-being almost from the start. As a contrast, the reader is lead through a series of emotions as Mr. Loomis is introduced by Anne, although I felt a repugnance towards him as a character long before Anne made her own discoveries. Z for Zachariah is a character-driven story with only two characters, so their successful development is essential for the success of the novel, and I feel O'Brien accomplished just that.
Z for Zachariah is very much so a young adult novel in terms of ideas and structures, but one worth reading.
Summary: A book that will never be forgotten
Comment: I read this book in middle school in the 80's. 20 years later this book has never left my mind. It was one of the best books I have ever read. A person at any age would enjoy reading it. I would tell anyone to read it.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Unconventional and compelling
Comment: Most of the negative reviews were written by people who were 'forced' to read this book via assignment. They were probably pissed about having to read ANY book. The fact that O'Brien was able to tell a suspenseful story through nothing but after-the-fact diary entries is impressive. I couldn't put this book down. The monotonous details laboriously explained in the early entries reveal character development through subtleties, forcing the reader to discover them. For instance, I didn't even know the character was female until she lamented in an early entry about only having access to men's clothing. The detail oriented descriptions about daily activities early on also create a very jarring, unnerving effect when the routine is broken. If you're looking for another pop culture novel homogenized for mass consumption choose Stephenie Meyer or Dan Brown. But if you're interested in a subtly layered and compelling story illustrating the literary prowess of a writer taken far too young, give Z for Zachariah a shot.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Reading with Tequila
Comment: I really liked Z for Zachariah. The idea of being the last person on Earth as far as you know is fascinating to me. Anne had to be strong, self-sufficient and much older than her 16 years. Her life and the way she managed to live on her own and do so without being completely grief ridden for everyone she had ever known was inspirational rather than depressing.
The story began to give me some trouble when it introduced another person into the scenario. From the moment Mr. Loomis showed up, a loud chanting began in my mind. Over and over, I thought she should shoot him in the head. It may not have been Ann's way, but it would have been mine. For the love of all that is holy, just shoot him in the head. Now. Do it. Over and over. So that probably tells you more about me than you needed to know.
Z for Zachariah was very good, despite the homicidal urges it provoked in me. It seemed real to me, unlike many post-apocalyptic novels I've read. The ending was left more open than I would have wanted, but since Robert O'Brien died before finishing the novel, I consider it very fortunate that his wife and daughter completed it was well as they could. The book was depressing yet hopeful, very honest and really put you into Ann's mind. As I read, I felt involved, connected to the storyline and felt forced to make the decision as to what I would do in the situation. Which was obviously to shoot. A lot. Completely thought provoking.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Others may have liked it, but certainly not me.
Comment: I personally did not like the book at all. The characters were unrealistic, poorly developed, and not true to themselves throughout the entire book. The two later get caught up in a psychological game of cat and mouse. Ann, who is normally a sweet, kind, and caring girl becomes paranoid towards the end of the book, and killed her only friend, Faro (her dog), thinking that he'll lead Mr. Loomis to her.
If I was the last woman on Earth and I found another person I would run up to him and jump for joy, not hide in the mountains and let him jump into a pool of radioactive water. And if I was horribly sick and then this kind, caring person took care of me, I wouldn't try to shoot her, rape her, and run her out of her home, I would say a simple thank you.
This book had an interesting concept, but the characters were simply too unbelievable for me.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Z is for Zachariah
Comment: Z for Zachariah is set in a country literally destroyed by war; modern weaponry (bombs, nerve gas) has killed the population, and radiation poisoning has killed all plant and animal life. That is, save for a strange pocket of land, inhabited by the protagonist of the novel, Anne Burden. After the bombs Anne's family and neighbors (the only residents of the valley) set out to check for survivors, and never returned home. By the time the narrative begins Anne has lived alone in the valley for a year, adapting to a solitary and often primitive life. Then, one day, a traveler comes to the valley.
The conflict of the novel focuses on the introduction of Mr. Loomis, and how he unsettles the balance Anne has found in her life. Anne shows nothing but care and good intentions towards Mr. Loomis, displaying quite a bit of naivety (although she is, of course, only 16).
What really makes O'Briens novel is his successful characterization. From the very beginning Anne is endearing and sympathetic, and I found myself feeling bery concerned about her well-being almost from the start. As a contrast, the reader is lead through a series of emotions as Mr. Loomis is introduced by Anne, although I felt a repugnance towards him as a character long before Anne made her own discoveries. Z for Zachariah is a character-driven story with only two characters, so their successful development is essential for the success of the novel, and I feel O'Brien accomplished just that.
Z for Zachariah is very much so a young adult novel in terms of ideas and structures, but one worth reading.
Nuclear war has devastated America, except for the valley where Ann Burden has been living alone for over a year - until Loomis, a scientist in a radiation-proof suit, arrives. She hopes they will be companions but his behaviour towards her becomes increasingly threatening as he attacks her and then cuts off her food supply and tries to bring her under his control. Although there may be no one else alive, Ann steals his suit and leaves the valley in search of humanity.
Back to the previous page
