View all 3 comments. In the last book Neima didn't have much character development, and while there isn't too much in this book either, there's more than the previous installment. In this book Neima begins to stick up for herself and what she believes in, although there was one moment that I wished she would have gathered enough courage to tell off a certain individual close to the end of the book. Like the last installment, the writing was just so good that, when she didn't stand her ground in t Review: Like the last installment, the writing was just so good that, when she didn't stand her ground in that moment, I didn't really care all that much.
Overall, I really enjoyed Neima in this installment and I could really see development and improvement from the beginning of the series. Unlike the previous installment, the romance isn't all pushed to the end of this book, in fact it's there throughout the entire book. While the love triangle between Neima, Jorin, and Kenaan is still there, Kenaan never really stands a chance and so all the romance I talk about is referring to Neima and Jorin's budding romance.
I was really impressed with this romance, since we didn't get much of the romance between Jorin and Neima until the end of Forty Days, and with the short length of this installment, I thought the love between these two would grow fast and seem unrealistic or even forced, but I couldn't have been more wrong. The romance is slow and imperfect, but it's realistic and believable. I can honestly say that this love story is one of if not the best one I've read so far.
When I began Forty Days, I was unprepared for the twist added the this reinterpretation of Noah's Ark, and to be honest I was fairly turned off in the beginning, but after reading the author's note I started accepting it. So when I began this installment I was completely prepared for what I was in for and it made reading this final chapter a lot more enjoyable. Now as to the actual world-building there isn't much of a world to build when the cast of characters are stuck on an ark in the middle of a flood.
That being said there is still a lot that is revealed in this exciting finale. Despite what I said about Forty Days, that due to its size it was hard to bring up foreshadowing that isn't easily figured out in a few pages, Forty Nights, which is ironically shorter, gave some great twists and shocked me a few times. I think this is because the author gave some foreshadowing that had a variety of possible and plausible endings, and due to that there were many times when I thought things might go one way and so when I was so focused on that one thing happening it skewed my perception of how the other foreshadowing may go, leading to a very thrilling read full of some great twists.
I could just hug this author for ending with an epilogue. I have said many times before that I think a story is only truly complete with an epilogue, a little something that hints at what happens after the end to settle my curiosity, and this epilogue doesn't disappoint. It wraps everything up in a nice little bow and ends on a very happy note. It was everything I could have asked for and more, it was a perfect ending to an imperfectly perfect story. Yeah, this rating truly shocked me as well, I had rather high expectations going into this, despite my rating for the first book, and it just went above and beyond.
With an imperfect and realistic love story, some great action sequences, an interesting twist to a classic biblical tale, and not to mention the writing which is so addictive it was very hard to stop reading. I may still think that this story should be sold as one though it kind of is with Forty Nights FREE on all major ebook retailers including Amazon , it's an amazing story that has captured my heart.
However Stephanie Parent takes a story I would have immediately shrugged off and turned it into a story with a surprising amount of reality and despite being religious based is not at all religious. Stephanie somehow created a paradox. We are put right back into the middle of all that tension and with about 25ish days left in the story things have plenty of time to get worse before they ever get better. When I think of a word to describe this story I think, layers. The tension is extremely layered.
We get internal tension among the characters, tension relating to the animals, and tension from the storming raging outside. The characters are also well defined and fleshed out. I love the relationship between Neima and Joran. I really appreciate that Stephanie took the time to developed the family and make the story more human and less fairy tale. Families fight and turn against each other, there is disbelief and self-doubt.
Overall I think Stephanie handled the story with care, giving as much detail and accuracy as she could to the storyline and the time period. Nov 05, Brandee un Conventional Bookworms rated it it was amazing. Stephanie Parent wrote the perfect conclusion to Neima's story I think one of my favorite things about Neima's story is the way in which Ms. Parent's prose creates such real images.
Forty Days
I'm living on the ark, right along with Neima and her family. I can hear all the noises from the animals and the ark, smell the unpleasant smells, and feel the hunger and the fear of both the people and the animals on board. Forty Nights begins where Forty Days left us - with the discovery of Jorin, Stephanie Parent wrote the perfect conclusion to Neima's story A moral dilemma ensues - what should be done with Jorin if Noah is to believe his God?
Noah's God told him that only his family is to survive the flood.
- Forty Nights (Neima's Ark, #2) by Stephanie Parent.
- Neima's Ark Series?
- Forty Nights.
- Caresse de rouge (Folio) (French Edition)!
Parent has provided a philosophical topic for discussion and I was very impressed with her thought-provoking ideas and explanations. I found this conclusion to Neima's story equally as satisfying as the first portion. Living through the story of Noah's Ark - seeing it through the eyes of his granddaughter, hearing her thoughts and seeing her actions and the action of her family, was riveting.
I also delighted in seeing emotional growth in Neima's family. That the time on the ark allowed them to grow bold enough to shrug off some of their old ways and evolve in a manner perhaps better suited to living in the strange new world brought about the flood and Noah's God. Also, I found it interesting how Ms.
See a Problem?
Parent seemed to weave sin into the story. Neima, as her grandmother Naamah said, is a survivor.
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She was always a bit headstrong, but her time on the ark allowed her to gain the confidence to go against custom and live her life as defined by her. I can't leave out the animals. I adore how Ms.
Stephanie Parent
Parent personifies the animals - they essentially are part of the supporting cast. Enise and Bilal, the elephant siblings, infuse joy in the story, as well as Aliya, the dove. The tiger and the wolves added tension and fear. Since the animals are an important element to Noah's story, I suppose it's not surprising they'd be in Neima's, as well.
I am so very pleased with the conclusion to Neima's story.
Book Review: Forty Days by Stephanie Parent | Buried Under Books
It was thought-provoking, suspenseful, and heartwarming. And well worth the wait! Mar 28, Zino rated it really liked it Shelves: True I haven't read any others buuut it has set the standard pretty high. I love Neima, I think she found a lot of strength at the end of the story, especially with her final decision. I'm also glad her father was on her side for so many important decisions, she really needed someone on her side.
Arisi's surprise was the best of them all view spoiler [ although I'm sad she lost her son, I'm so glad she was given Aliye! I found it really strange when he began to make advances on Neima so boldly infront of other members of the family who just let it happen! Noah's portrayal was not what I expected, I always thought he'd be a very sure, confident and strong man so I'm surprised with the Noah in this story, it was interesting to read him in a way I never imagined.
I loved the overall story and I'm glad we got the ending that happened. I love the way the story was told too, at times I felt like I was right with Neima in the ark, I was scared when she was, got surprised with her, fell in love with Jorin and detested Kenaan. The animals were also a big part of the story too, there was a whole range of animals but my favourites were Bilal and Enise, the two elephants. There were so many surprises I didn't see coming, lots of adventure in the story and animals of course!
It's nothing like I imagined a biblical retelling to be, especially in terms of their faith and beliefs but it's definitely a whole lot better than I expected. There's a lot I could say but it would ruin the story, all I can say is this two part story is definitely worth reading, especially since part one Forty Days , is free right now. I took a chance on Forty Days because to be quite frank, I thought it was outside my normal comfort zone. You can check out my review here. I was so excited for Forty Nights and I am kicking myself for not getting to read it sooner!
I thought Forty Days was fabulous but Forty Nights was even better. After a heart-stopping cliff-hanger at the end of book one I was anxious to see what was next for Neima and Jorin. Neima continues to stand her ground with her family and she displays the same bravado that I grew to love in book one.
I love the way Parent tells the story of Noah and the Ark from the eyes of his skeptical granddaughter. It was interesting to see the family fall apart with the discovery of Jorin and come back together a bit with the birth of Aliya. The family struggles with letting go of what custom dictates of them and learn to deal with what is and what may come in this new strange world.
She is able to capture and create a world that is so tangible and real that my heart races and I feel butterflies in my stomach. The vivid imagery and character development is really well done. I especially applaud her for being able to write a book where elephants, doves, and tigers become just as beloved as the humans!
Forty Nights is a fantastic read and I highly recommend this series to YA lovers. Feb 25, Angie rated it really liked it Shelves: When we last left Neima, she and her family had been highly sick on the ark for a couple of weeks. Things weren't looking good for them or the animals aboard, but things were looking even worse for Jorin, the stowaway.
Luckily, there's a voice of reason on board and the state of Noah's mind and faith come into question and everyone returns to their routine and chores. I could breath easy again, a After the heart stopping ending of Forty Days, I was beyond eager to get my hands on Forty Nights! I could breath easy again, at least for a little while. Life on the ark isn't getting any easier, and again none of it is sugar coated. People and animals are starving, a pregnant woman's life is at stake, and Keenan is still lurking behind every corner.
But there are baby elephants. I love baby elephants! As a whole, I loved the tale of Neima's Ark. Forty Nights was a great conclusion and well worth the wait. Once the seasickness has passed, another type of restlessness passes over the inhabitants of the ark. Keenan's antics grow more malicious, and not all of the animals are as docile as they were before. There also isn't that strange comfort that Noah's hardcore belief in his God brings, since Neima can see his faith wavering with each passing day. Maybe they aren't being saved?
Tensions are super high and I couldn't read fast enough to see how they all got out of this. Of course, anyone familiar with Noah's Ark knows how the story ends. Well, Neima's Ark is a little different, and I really liked it. I wasn't expecting it at all, since Neima came across as a bit more practical to me, but I liked seeing her take a risk. I do love a happy ending! Apr 15, Andrea rated it really liked it Shelves: Religion is a subject that both fascinates and terrifies me, like a lot of people.
I can only think of one book that I can compare to the Neima's Ark series, a series that reimagines biblical times through a woman's point-of-view, The Red Tent by Anita Diamant I'm sure there are many more. And while the series is set during one of the most iconic events of the Bible, the Great Flood, it is not really a religious story at all.
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September Cover Designed by: Neima, her family, and her grandfather Noah have found themselves trapped aboard an ark as a great flood destroys all life in the world. As their time aboard the ark lengthens, food begins to run out, wild animals grow restless, and family tensions become as much of a threat as the flood outside.