Irises

This is a book that asked something of me. I think reading the book quickly is inevitable, because it's well written, but when I forced myself to slow down I felt that I was rewarded with challenging characters and maybe even a little soul searching about the cost of doing something that seems at least, reckless, and at most, impossible. Children are always told to follow their dreams. But as soon as they are old enough to do just that, society gives very mixed messages about the ethics of passi [...]

Originally Posted on IceyBooks Irises was a book I picked up because of the cover. A hazy image of two girls, possibly sisters, overlooking moving water. Now that I've flipped over the last page, I've realized the cover depicts a type of sorrow that lingers through the pages.Irises is a tale of love and hope. Two normal girls, sisters two years apart, left alone with nothing but their broken hearts and a shaky future. Irises is a type of story that would bring a smile to your lips while tears st [...]

S pokojným svedomím už teraz môžem Irises od Francisca X. Storka označiť za najemotívnejšiu knihu, ktorú tento rok prečítam. Po pravde si naozaj neviem predstaviť, čo by bolo emotívnejšie ako príbeh Kate a Mary.Autor nám naservíroval príbeh plný snov a nájdenej slobody, ale aj beznádeje a ťažkých rozhodnutí. Keď už sa zdalo, že vznikne iskra nádeje na lepšie dni, Stork svojim postavám pridal ďalší životný údel. A tu sa to všetko začína. Po smrti otca zos [...]

Irises, is about two sisters. Mary who is gentle and artistic and Kate who is strong and ambitious.

Originally published at Book Harbinger.Reverend Romero’s daughters Kate and Mary couldn’t be more different. Ambitious, self-centered Kate is determined to become a doctor, while sweet, giving Kate is an aspiring artist. Where their fates align is in the mutual limitations of their strict upbringing. Because of their father’s beliefs, they don’t drive, use slang, own cell phones, or dress fashionably. But when he dies suddenly, Mary and Kate’s life becomes even more complicated. First, [...]

I rounded up from 3.5 stars. Also, I read an uncorrected proof copy that someone added to the book exchange shelf at work. One of the things I think I liked best about this book is that the characters are religious, but not in-your-face preachy about it; they don't walk around going "God will show me the way"; they don't run from the mall shrieking that make-up is a sin (though I avoid it myself, I don't think it's sinful; just impractical); and they don't strike me as snooty in their religiosit [...]

When their minister father dies unexpectedly, sisters Kate and Mary must figure out a way to take care of their mother who is in a persistent vegetative state as well as themselves. Kate has a scholarship to Stanford, and Mary is a talented painter, but their lives have been restricted by their controlling father and their concern for their mother. As with Stork's previous two titles, this one explores questions about family, faith, and joy, but the exploration seems a bit more heavy-handed than [...]

This was a strange book. The characters did not seem real, and the writing was choppy. The idea of whether or not to remove a parent from life support is interesting, but I had just read it in Jodi Picoult's Lone Wolf which had been done better. It is too bad because I liked Marcello in the Real World and love sister stories, but I didn't love this.

A beautiful book by a master of words! The evolving relationship between these two different sisters as they each find their path unfolds in a thought-provoking and lovely way.

With their father recently dead and their mother in a permanent vegetative state for the third year with no hope of waking up, just paying rent is a challenge for sisters Kate and Mary. Kate is graduating this year, and has dreams that extent out of El Paso--she's applied for Stanford, though everyone expects her to stay home and attend UTEP (University of Texas at El Paso for all you non-Texan folks) and marry her long-term boyfriend Simon and look after her sister and mother. Mary just wants t [...]

I am a bit of a fan girl for Francisco X. Stork's books. His first novel,Marcelo in the Real Worldis one of my all time favorite books, and I really enjoyed his second book,Summer of the Death Warriors . I found out about this book from 's Librarian Preview (scholastic/librarianpr) and I was beyond excited to read it.And it met my expectations -- and exceeded them.Kate and Mary are two sisters living in El Paso. Since their mother was in an accident, they have grown apart, focused on caring for [...]

Richie's Picks: IRISES by Francisco X. Stork, Arthur A. Levine/, January 2012, 304p ISBN: 978-0-545-15135-1 "Every night, before Kate went to sleep, she poured rubbing alcohol on her palms and massaged Mama's legs so they would not atrophy. When she first started doing this, she kept expecting Mama to open her eyes, to sit up, say thank you, hug her. But as time went on, the nightly hope gave way to a sense that the limbs she was touching were devoid of energy, that life would never come back to [...]

Please check out Electrifying Reviews for more reviews like this, plus giveaways, interviews, and more!In all honesty, I didn't have any clue what Irises was about before I started reading it. What I found, however, was a touching contemporary novel that I ended up enjoying a lot. Not the best--definitely not--but it's hard for me to not really enjoy any contemporary book I read. Irises deals with some heavy topics. Death, money, family, and love. As a whole, I liked how it dealt with these topi [...]

This a book many teens will want to find under the Christmas tree or, since it comes out January 1st, as a last present to open. The two main characters in this book are sisters, Kate and Mary. Both are gifted in their own way. Kate is a super student and Mary is an impressive artist, especially with painting. Their father is a reverend whose strict views can sometimes hinder his daughters' dreams. Their mother, due to a horrible accident, was left in a vegetative state with her daughters to car [...]

I was really intrigued by this book when I had came across it awhile back. From the description, it really sounded like it would be a great story. In some ways it was, but it just wasn't what I had pictured it being. I didn't really have high hopes, because I am so use to that backfiring on me But I did hope it would live up to my thoughts of the description of the book, since it's essentially a basic overview of what you will be reading. This isn't going to be a very long review, just want to e [...]

This review is hard to write because it is not what I hoped it would be. Does that make it a bad book? Not necessarily, but when something is so built up in your mind, it is hard to stop comparing the actual book to the book that was made-up in your head.The novel takes off with Kate and Mary, two sisters, who find themselves in an extremely difficult situation. Their father passes away and they are left alone with the burden of their mother who is in a vegetative state, not really living at all [...]

I'm a sucker for sister stories because my sister and I are tight so I am intrigued about portrayals of sisters. This one was tender. I was attracted to the struggle these two sisters Kate and Mary found themselves to face at a fairly young age. Raised strict by a preacher father who soon dies at the beginning of the book. Left with a vegetative mother to take care. Kate and Mary had to be adults rather quickly (though Kate at 18yo was technically an adult). Making hard decisions for the welfare [...]

"Our mother has been in a vegetative state for years, our father just died, what should we do now?" For a book whose plot is, essentially, a series of logistical issues proceeding from this premise, this is surprisingly page-turny. It was fairly clear to me early on what the best resolution of the logistics should be, but watching the sisters get there was compelling. I especially loved (and was surprised by) the explorations of spirituality, and the character of Rev. Soto. It's definitely older [...]

Two sisters, who along with their father have been caring at home for their mother who is in a vegetative state after a car accident, must chart a new course after their father dies and they are left alone.I LOVED Marcelo (and listened to it too), so I was really excited to "read" this one. I was sooooo disappointed however I'm not sure if it was the narrator, or just the style of writing - which is completely different from Marcelo. The two sisters have been raised by their very conservative, m [...]

Francisco X. Stork is my literary hero. He is such a fine writer and each of his three YA novels takes on such different topics and themes. His newest book isn't as "magical" as the first two. It is quieter without the flamboyant, unique characters. However, the question of the quality of life and the decision to end life is something I have been discussing with both of my daughters. I certainly haven't seen another book take on this essential conversation. And it is a great book.

When I first stumbled upon this one I fell in love with the cover. I was really captivated by the synopsis of this one, but to be honest I could not get past the writing style of this one…it seemed incredibly choppy with lots of incredibly short (3-5 word) sentences strung together. I just could not even get past the style to get far enough into this one to judge the plot.

Audio book free download from: audiobooksync/ . Book available from 6/21/12 - 6/27/12.OK, I tried. The audio book just didn't do it for me. This is a did not finish audio book.

Velká emoční ždímačka, ještě teď se třesu. :)

Franciso X. Stork's "Marcelo in the Real World" was much better than "Irises." That's all I really have to say about this book.

This is the second book by Stork that I've read. I loved, loved, loved Marcelo in the Real World and enjoyed Irises thoroughly too. However, I wish the audiobook narrator were Latinx. Carrington McDuffie is a good reader, but they seem better suited to literature about much older, or much younger characters. Irises is about teenage Latinas coming to terms with their parent's deaths in El Paso. Not only does McDuffie read the novel like it's a picture book, but it feels white-washed. So I guess m [...]

You can find this review and many more at Mermaid Vision Books!Release Date: January 1, 2012Publisher: Arthur A. Levine BooksAge Group: Young AdultPages: 304Format: HardcoverSource: ARC received from CanadaTwo sisters discover what's truly worth living for in the new novel by the author of MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLDO SISTERS: Kate is bound for Stanford and an M.D. -- if her family will let her go. Mary wants only to stay home and paint. When their loving but repressive father dies, they must fi [...]

revingsblog/2017

Judged by a Cover: Faded BeautyThe cover makes sense, but it isn't exactly something that'll catch your eye. The girls are pretty to close to how I imagined the main characters, but I wish I could see their faces. At least this way, the amount of unnatural photoshopping is kept to a minimum. The font and framing on the cover is embossed and looks lovely, though. Plus, if you tilt the book back and forth it looks shiny. What's Up? Kate and Mary live in an empty house. Their father was loving but [...]

Technically this is a YA fiction book, but probably should be classify as a Young Adult Christian fiction book. I was not expecting that because neither the book description nor any of the genres that this book was placed on gave any indication. I don't have an issue reading religious books, but I like to know what I'm getting into before I begin. I listed to this on audio over several days. It was entertaining and the story was light enough that I could listen and do other tasks. I picked up a [...]

I honestly don’t know what to make of Irises. Undeniably, Francisco X. Stork doesn’t really “get” the teenage demographic, but at the same time I had a huge emotional investment in the story. My feelings regarding this book are conflicted at best, and indifferent at worst. In any case, Irises is a book that didn’t quite live up to its potential, though (I think) I liked it anyways.Initially, I was really excited to read book because it deals with subjects not often touched on in YA—n [...]