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Spores Ferry #2
Past the Size of Dreaming
The Nebula and World Fantasy Award-nominated author of A Red Heart of Memories continues the spellbinding story of the wandering witch Matilda (Matt) Black, who possesses the ability to communicate with inanimate objects and see into people’s dreams � and her companion Edmund Reynolds, a young man with magic of his own who is only beginning to come to grips with his past and his powers� The two travelers have come to the town where Edmund grew up, and found shelter in the benevolently haunted house that was a refuge for Edmund and his friends when they were children. But the house begins to speak to Matt, urgently, telling her that she and Edmund have to leave, to seek out the long-scattered friends. For a darkness is rising, a dangerous, powerful entity. And the only chance of stopping it lies in the hearts of the lost children of the house�
353 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2001
8 people are currently reading
293 people want to read
About the author
Nina Kiriki Hoffman
303Ìýbooks342ÌýfollowersNina Kiriki Hoffman’s first solo novel, The Thread That Binds the Bones (1993), won the Bram Stoker Award for first novel; her second novel, The Silent Strength of Stones (1995) was a finalist for the Nebula and World Fantasy Awards. A Red Heart of Memories (1999, part of her “Matt Blackâ€� series), nominated for a World Fantasy Award, was followed by sequel Past the Size of Dreaming in 2001. Much of her work to date is short fiction, including “Matt Blackâ€� novella “Unmaskingâ€� (1992), nominated for a World Fantasy Award; and “Matt Blackâ€� novelette “Home for Christmasâ€� (1995), nominated for the Nebula, World Fantasy, and Sturgeon awards. In addition to writing, Hoffman has taught, worked part-time at a B. Dalton bookstore, and done production work on The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. An accomplished fiddle player, she has played regularly at various granges near her home in Eugene, Oregon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
January 8, 2021
This book felt sort of like the reunion movie for a favorite TV show. It felt good to find out what all the characters had been doing since the first book in the series, but the story didn’t stand on its own. Still, I found the experience of reading it deeply healing. No one writes about issues of consent and respect like Nina Kiriki Hoffman does. More people should.
October 27, 2018
I had hopes this sequel to Red Heart of Memories would fill in the backstory of Matt Black and Edmund, but alas, this book is a disaster. It begins with several quick scenes (including one with two characters who are never seen or heard from again) and then an 80-page infodump spanning several chapters, all in dull YA prose about a new character that I, frankly, don't care much about. When the infodump ends, the story finally begins. We have been introduced to a bunch of new people, a lukewarm conflict brewing, and if it weren't for Matt's occasional third-person thoughts, we'd have no idea who the protagonist is.
I'm guessing that YA readers are of an age when they think and move in groups, like the pack described in this book. So was RHofM a YA book? It strode the fence, I'd say. But the current book is just too crushingly dull to continue. Every single mundane action is described, from putting a tea bag into a cup to opening a door and closing it. We have lots of "what" and "when" and "who," but no *why*. These are thirty-somethings who act and talk like high-schoolers. There's little depth to this story, no sense of a past. Perhaps Matt's history (how did she become a witch, for example) is explained elsewhere, but I couldn't find it. A simple summary page or so would have added much. After all, even if you can talk with inanimate objects, what kind of life is dumpster-diving? Matt seems a little too happy considering her situation is so tenuous and lonely.
Brand names, quotidian details, etc., don't make us feel at home in a book. What makes us say "Yes, this is how life is" are realistic characters, not settings. People, not stuff. These child-adults all speak alike, are interchangeable. And they're all boring as hell. I find I just don't care to find how these boring placeholders put the bad guy down. In fact, writing this up, I almost forgot there was a conflict. Yeah, there's some mysterious bad guy in the infodump, who attacks a kid because, well, plot.
Oh well. DNF.
I'm guessing that YA readers are of an age when they think and move in groups, like the pack described in this book. So was RHofM a YA book? It strode the fence, I'd say. But the current book is just too crushingly dull to continue. Every single mundane action is described, from putting a tea bag into a cup to opening a door and closing it. We have lots of "what" and "when" and "who," but no *why*. These are thirty-somethings who act and talk like high-schoolers. There's little depth to this story, no sense of a past. Perhaps Matt's history (how did she become a witch, for example) is explained elsewhere, but I couldn't find it. A simple summary page or so would have added much. After all, even if you can talk with inanimate objects, what kind of life is dumpster-diving? Matt seems a little too happy considering her situation is so tenuous and lonely.
Brand names, quotidian details, etc., don't make us feel at home in a book. What makes us say "Yes, this is how life is" are realistic characters, not settings. People, not stuff. These child-adults all speak alike, are interchangeable. And they're all boring as hell. I find I just don't care to find how these boring placeholders put the bad guy down. In fact, writing this up, I almost forgot there was a conflict. Yeah, there's some mysterious bad guy in the infodump, who attacks a kid because, well, plot.
Oh well. DNF.
May 5, 2019
Wow. This book is just - wow. I'm glad its over, but I'm very saddened by the ending.
This is very different from , more urban fantasy with a grand battle against dark forces than wandering witches trying to right their pasts. Edmund, Matt, Suki, Nathan, and House do find their missing friends, Julio and Deirdre, along with a set of twins who were cursed on the same night as Edmund, and demonic enemies who wish to consume their powers.
It was bizarre, sort of like an AU of the previous canon. Julio was kidnapped as a teenager by a mysterious wizard, who changed his form into eternal fire and somehow implanted another conscious being in his body. It was weird enough then, but it's even weirder now, in the present day. That left only Deirdre as the "normal" kid in the group, without any kind of magic. It frustrated and saddened her, and made her jealous of her lifelong friends. She ran from Guthrie just as hard and fast as the rest of them, but for different reasons entirely. She is very reluctant to return, even after the House summons her.
I wasn't sure what to make of Terry and Tasha, the twins. I didn't really like them, and as they were entirely new characters in this book, it didn't quite seem to fit. The "enemies" were the same; they felt half-formed and a bit tropey for trope's sake.
The romantic strands of the story were tiny but perfect; Nathan and Suki's first kiss was very sweet.
The end, though, .
This book is so different from and that I have no idea if I'd recommend it. I guess it depends on how you felt about the first two - if you liked them, you probably won't like this; if you didn't, then you probably would. Apparently there are more short stories out there starring Matt, and maybe those help fill in some of her inconsistencies. I can't say I'm rushing out to read any of them; I wasn't really interested in her in the end.
This is very different from , more urban fantasy with a grand battle against dark forces than wandering witches trying to right their pasts. Edmund, Matt, Suki, Nathan, and House do find their missing friends, Julio and Deirdre, along with a set of twins who were cursed on the same night as Edmund, and demonic enemies who wish to consume their powers.
It was bizarre, sort of like an AU of the previous canon. Julio was kidnapped as a teenager by a mysterious wizard, who changed his form into eternal fire and somehow implanted another conscious being in his body. It was weird enough then, but it's even weirder now, in the present day. That left only Deirdre as the "normal" kid in the group, without any kind of magic. It frustrated and saddened her, and made her jealous of her lifelong friends. She ran from Guthrie just as hard and fast as the rest of them, but for different reasons entirely. She is very reluctant to return, even after the House summons her.
I wasn't sure what to make of Terry and Tasha, the twins. I didn't really like them, and as they were entirely new characters in this book, it didn't quite seem to fit. The "enemies" were the same; they felt half-formed and a bit tropey for trope's sake.
The romantic strands of the story were tiny but perfect; Nathan and Suki's first kiss was very sweet.
The end, though, .
This book is so different from and that I have no idea if I'd recommend it. I guess it depends on how you felt about the first two - if you liked them, you probably won't like this; if you didn't, then you probably would. Apparently there are more short stories out there starring Matt, and maybe those help fill in some of her inconsistencies. I can't say I'm rushing out to read any of them; I wasn't really interested in her in the end.
June 16, 2013
First off, it's important to note that Past the Size of Dreaming is not for those who have not read the previous two books in the series.
I don't think it's any weaker a book for not being able to stand on its own as it is the conclusion of a short yet in-depth series.
When I finished this book, I really didn't know how to feel about it. The entire atmosphere of the Red Heart of Memories world changed so drastically from A Stir of Bones, and I'm actually stumped over whether this is a good or bad thing.
On one hand, the author obviously had the course of events mapped out in her mind for the entire trilogy from the beginning. It wasn't a case where she wrote two more books on a whim. One of my favorite things about series is when things you didn't even realize were important all come together in the end.
On the other hand, this conclusion didn't feel like a conclusion despite the fact that there was an obvious resolution. It was an ending, but also the beginning of a story we don't have privy to.
I didn't care for how the simplicity of "magic" had evolved from Stir of Bones into countless unexplainable forms by this book. To put it in simple, inelegant terms... things got weird.
But while I may have wavering feelings about the plot, I have no complaints about Hoffman's skill as a writer. Her imagery is phenomenal, and the characters are so solid and round. Regardless of how you may feel about a character or their actions, it's hard to deny the strength of a character as a character.
In conclusion, I feel Past the Size of Dreaming is the weakest of the Red Heart of Memories trilogy. I feel the original essence of the series sort of slipped away, and I was hoping that the conclusion would bring some of it back. I still recommend it for anyone who has already read the first two books and wants to know where everyone ends up.
I don't think it's any weaker a book for not being able to stand on its own as it is the conclusion of a short yet in-depth series.
When I finished this book, I really didn't know how to feel about it. The entire atmosphere of the Red Heart of Memories world changed so drastically from A Stir of Bones, and I'm actually stumped over whether this is a good or bad thing.
On one hand, the author obviously had the course of events mapped out in her mind for the entire trilogy from the beginning. It wasn't a case where she wrote two more books on a whim. One of my favorite things about series is when things you didn't even realize were important all come together in the end.
On the other hand, this conclusion didn't feel like a conclusion despite the fact that there was an obvious resolution. It was an ending, but also the beginning of a story we don't have privy to.
I didn't care for how the simplicity of "magic" had evolved from Stir of Bones into countless unexplainable forms by this book. To put it in simple, inelegant terms... things got weird.
But while I may have wavering feelings about the plot, I have no complaints about Hoffman's skill as a writer. Her imagery is phenomenal, and the characters are so solid and round. Regardless of how you may feel about a character or their actions, it's hard to deny the strength of a character as a character.
In conclusion, I feel Past the Size of Dreaming is the weakest of the Red Heart of Memories trilogy. I feel the original essence of the series sort of slipped away, and I was hoping that the conclusion would bring some of it back. I still recommend it for anyone who has already read the first two books and wants to know where everyone ends up.
January 30, 2018
I finished reading this book, and it's reasonably good for a sequel about a woman who talks to objects and a man-witch. But it suffers from gathering so many different high powered characters in the end, that really it takes the guess work out of any conflict.
It's like "Oh, Jesus, God, Dennis Leary, and Jet Li are going to rumble outside after school today against the "evil" gang from the other end of Magictown. Hm... I wonder who will win?"
Unless the other gang brings the U.S. nuclear arsenal, Bizarro Jesus, and that evil black hole moon thing from the Fifth Element wrapped up with some plot holes, we can pretty much lay bets on the good guys. And while I like happy endings, I would like there to be some jeopardy in the conflict, otherwise they might as well be entering a crossword puzzle tourney for the fate of humankind.
It's like "Oh, Jesus, God, Dennis Leary, and Jet Li are going to rumble outside after school today against the "evil" gang from the other end of Magictown. Hm... I wonder who will win?"
Unless the other gang brings the U.S. nuclear arsenal, Bizarro Jesus, and that evil black hole moon thing from the Fifth Element wrapped up with some plot holes, we can pretty much lay bets on the good guys. And while I like happy endings, I would like there to be some jeopardy in the conflict, otherwise they might as well be entering a crossword puzzle tourney for the fate of humankind.
August 22, 2008
These books by Hoffman are amazing and full of wonder and wholeheartedly unique and different from any other books I’ve ever read.
In the real world, Matt and Edmund would be locked up and medicated as schizophrenic, but instead they have each other and Abby’s gold.
In this book they find the others that Edmund knew as a teen, Diedre, who grew up to be a vet, Julio who is music and the House and Nathan. Nathan is a 14 year old ghost who killed himself in 1919. They also find Tasha and Terry, twins that Nathan made witches too.
Together they heal each other and beat the malevolence that kidnapped Julio when he was a boy and wants them again now. I’ve requested Stir of Bones, the next book in this series and everything else the library system has by Hoffman.
In the real world, Matt and Edmund would be locked up and medicated as schizophrenic, but instead they have each other and Abby’s gold.
In this book they find the others that Edmund knew as a teen, Diedre, who grew up to be a vet, Julio who is music and the House and Nathan. Nathan is a 14 year old ghost who killed himself in 1919. They also find Tasha and Terry, twins that Nathan made witches too.
Together they heal each other and beat the malevolence that kidnapped Julio when he was a boy and wants them again now. I’ve requested Stir of Bones, the next book in this series and everything else the library system has by Hoffman.
December 7, 2011
I don't think I enjoyed this is as much as the first two books in the trilogy - at the end, there were too many characters in one place (it was well-handled but inevitably changed the atmosphere) and I lost the close, quiet world I had enjoyed in the earlier books. I did appreciate that the big showdown against the wicked wizard at the end of the book did not turn out in quite the usual way. Most of all, though, I thank Ms. Hoffman for writing these books which, I swear, gave me back hope for parts of myself that I lost about ten years ago. Now that I've found her, I'm going to be reading more - much more.
May 19, 2011
I like Nina Kiriki Hoffman's books, but the conflict never quite does it for me. I like that her characters are not all the good-guy vs. the all-consuming evil, but rather flawed and difficult people. I do wish the people were a little less prone to having revelatory psychological breakthroughs that solve all the problems set up in the book. People are a bit messier than that.
All of that is too critical perhaps. She has a lovely way with words, and I've enjoyed everything she puts out there.
All of that is too critical perhaps. She has a lovely way with words, and I've enjoyed everything she puts out there.
January 17, 2019
Matt Black met Edmund in A Red Heart of Memories. Matt found companionship that she didn't know she was seeking. Edmund was conflicted, within him was the boy, the angry Edmund and the man. They went to see Nathan and the haunted house and reconnected with his Susan, a childhood friend now going by Suki. Along the way Edmund resolved his inner turmoil. Now they're going to reconnect with Julio and Dierdre, Edmund's other two childhood friends. The house gives Matt a dream of Julio. The dream is from Julio's perspective, but all the friends are there, plus the twins Tasha and Terry. They find Dee and they discover that the house also wants to reconnect with everyone, including the twins. The story is filled with reunions and the gathering of old friends, plus there is something the house wants and the guy who kidnapped Julio all those years ago is still around.
Asking permission is a theme. Matt's power would give her the ability to invade the privacy of others. It makes her hypersensitive to consent, and it's not just Matt asking for permission, it's all of them. When someone crosses the line there is a reprimand.
Wonderful book. I love these characters. Hoffman's writing is magical.
Asking permission is a theme. Matt's power would give her the ability to invade the privacy of others. It makes her hypersensitive to consent, and it's not just Matt asking for permission, it's all of them. When someone crosses the line there is a reprimand.
Wonderful book. I love these characters. Hoffman's writing is magical.
October 7, 2024
Oh. Unfortunately, I didn't really like this one. I tried to like it but suddenly it became every other superhero YA, although with much more interesting concepts. The dialogue and flow just don't do it for me. The characters feel more bland, too many - too similar, magic lost its magic. I still appreciate the good (ideas), though.
I enjoyed the "silence" and comfort of the previous book and short stories. This one is too loud and the fight against some generic great evil power instead of personal battles is of small to no interest to me in most cases. :/
I enjoyed the "silence" and comfort of the previous book and short stories. This one is too loud and the fight against some generic great evil power instead of personal battles is of small to no interest to me in most cases. :/
August 16, 2017
Most of my thoughts on this book have been included in my review of 'A Red Heart of Memory', which is the first book in the series.
Adults explore the reasons that their teenage selves hid in what turned out to be a haunted house. In a lightweight fantasy/supernatural escapist reading kind of way.
Adults explore the reasons that their teenage selves hid in what turned out to be a haunted house. In a lightweight fantasy/supernatural escapist reading kind of way.
February 12, 2010
Disappointing and this is why:
***SPOILERS COMING UP***
1. There were too many characters introduced at the beginning without a good reason to care for any of them.
2. Characters were introduced who had no plot purpose - namely Tabasco, Galen, the Coyote, Henry, Rebecca, and Monument.
3. Magic had no rules - anything was possible, there was no need for logic. For instance, Nathan went from being a dead ghost to a living grown-up who still had to be released by seance. Dead is dead is dead, as far as I'm concerned. Bringing him back to life AND having him age goes well beyond the bounds of magic. The only thing I was interested in learning was who hid his bones in the wall? I may have missed this in the first book, but it's been bugging me all along that he hung himself in his room and his bones ended up in a wall in the house. Who put them there? Why? Was he really a suicide, or was it murder?
4. Inappropriate touching between characters, yet no sex between couples.
5. The dialogue between characters often deteriorated into the inane and banal right after an important plot development took place or after characters had made an important decision about something. Characters' speech patterns mirrored one another, also.
6. I saw little difference between House's manipulation and control of the characters and Cross's manipulation and control of other characters. Manipulation is always wrong; it trespasses on people's boundaries and I don't believe that the end justifies the means. Everyone was delighted that they had become magical and agreed that it was much better than the alternative (being ordinary). How could they make a judgement about something they never had?
7. Who and what was House anyway????? And what was the purpose in making it human?
8. Julio became Lia. This was a totally unexpected development and I don't see how this added to the story at all. Gender appeared to be an issue both in this book and the book before it, but there was nothing conclusive to take from it. It was just an issue that some of the characters had.
9. How could Terri's mother not know her daughter had placed a spell on Matt and do nothing about it? What was the point of that plot point anyway (Terri's unethical behaviour)? And how could Matt willingly swallow a drink she KNEW Terri had put a spell in? And how could she be amused that Terri had blown the second chance Matt had given her? The motivations of these characters, especially Matt with her trust issues, just did not make sense.
10. Deirdre had no magic and there was never a satisfactory explanation as to why this was or how Deirdre's predicament added to the story's theme. If there was one.
On the whole, very, very disappointing.
***SPOILERS COMING UP***
1. There were too many characters introduced at the beginning without a good reason to care for any of them.
2. Characters were introduced who had no plot purpose - namely Tabasco, Galen, the Coyote, Henry, Rebecca, and Monument.
3. Magic had no rules - anything was possible, there was no need for logic. For instance, Nathan went from being a dead ghost to a living grown-up who still had to be released by seance. Dead is dead is dead, as far as I'm concerned. Bringing him back to life AND having him age goes well beyond the bounds of magic. The only thing I was interested in learning was who hid his bones in the wall? I may have missed this in the first book, but it's been bugging me all along that he hung himself in his room and his bones ended up in a wall in the house. Who put them there? Why? Was he really a suicide, or was it murder?
4. Inappropriate touching between characters, yet no sex between couples.
5. The dialogue between characters often deteriorated into the inane and banal right after an important plot development took place or after characters had made an important decision about something. Characters' speech patterns mirrored one another, also.
6. I saw little difference between House's manipulation and control of the characters and Cross's manipulation and control of other characters. Manipulation is always wrong; it trespasses on people's boundaries and I don't believe that the end justifies the means. Everyone was delighted that they had become magical and agreed that it was much better than the alternative (being ordinary). How could they make a judgement about something they never had?
7. Who and what was House anyway????? And what was the purpose in making it human?
8. Julio became Lia. This was a totally unexpected development and I don't see how this added to the story at all. Gender appeared to be an issue both in this book and the book before it, but there was nothing conclusive to take from it. It was just an issue that some of the characters had.
9. How could Terri's mother not know her daughter had placed a spell on Matt and do nothing about it? What was the point of that plot point anyway (Terri's unethical behaviour)? And how could Matt willingly swallow a drink she KNEW Terri had put a spell in? And how could she be amused that Terri had blown the second chance Matt had given her? The motivations of these characters, especially Matt with her trust issues, just did not make sense.
10. Deirdre had no magic and there was never a satisfactory explanation as to why this was or how Deirdre's predicament added to the story's theme. If there was one.
On the whole, very, very disappointing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2009
"Urban" fantasy, I guess, though mostly rural. The magic systems were rather incoherent: demons, talking sidewalks, spirit guides, elemental magic, witches and old-fashioned cookbook magic. Oh, and the gold bands that were never really explained. The characters were well done, I guess, but I seemed to be missing context. Perhaps they appeared in Red Heart of Memories?
It was the magic that bothered me, though. Anything could happen: at any point a character could pull out a new spell or ability, turn a house into a person or a dog, change sexes, fly, whatever the plot required. As a result none of it came to matter very much, there wasn't any wonder, any sense that the magic meant anything.
I've seen the charge levelled against fantasy, that where anything can happen nothing matters (Elron?), but this was the first time I've seen it played out. I think it's more an effect of incoherency than fantasy-ness. I mean, in a mystery the author could reveal the conspirators at any time, or cripple them, or have them trip over a Plot Coupon; anything can happen that is within the scope of the book. It matters because the writer arranges things so it seems to matter, so things flow from who the characters are rather than how the author manipulates their circumstances, so if something unusual happens, it's significant and surprising, not just 'oh. The author described something unusual.'
Fantasy works the same way, its just that the scope of the book is different. And this one was never clearly defined; no way to know what was within the scope of the book.
I did keep reading, though. I liked the characters, especially Matt.
It was the magic that bothered me, though. Anything could happen: at any point a character could pull out a new spell or ability, turn a house into a person or a dog, change sexes, fly, whatever the plot required. As a result none of it came to matter very much, there wasn't any wonder, any sense that the magic meant anything.
I've seen the charge levelled against fantasy, that where anything can happen nothing matters (Elron?), but this was the first time I've seen it played out. I think it's more an effect of incoherency than fantasy-ness. I mean, in a mystery the author could reveal the conspirators at any time, or cripple them, or have them trip over a Plot Coupon; anything can happen that is within the scope of the book. It matters because the writer arranges things so it seems to matter, so things flow from who the characters are rather than how the author manipulates their circumstances, so if something unusual happens, it's significant and surprising, not just 'oh. The author described something unusual.'
Fantasy works the same way, its just that the scope of the book is different. And this one was never clearly defined; no way to know what was within the scope of the book.
I did keep reading, though. I liked the characters, especially Matt.
January 25, 2015
Loved it!! I absolutely adore these books, with their quirky magic and lovable characters. There is way more psychology in these books than is usual for fantasy, and I know some people who are put off by it, but I love the way it is integrated in a magical world. I like that even the evil people are not completely evil, and that some of the good people are somewhat questionable. Mostly, I love the talking objects. The car! The house! The road! I like that one of the characters changes without it being a problem. I like that there are so many magical women and that they work together. I have to admit, I was sorry that the house In hindsight, the largest issue I have is the reaction of Julio's mother when she finds out what has happened to him. In all fairness, that seemed way too accepting to me. Ah, and maybe with Matt drinking the chocolate milk. That seemed like asking for trouble. But it didn't bother me too much while reading. Now I'm just sorry there is no sequel...
February 1, 2016
In this final book of the series the House seems to be calling all of them back for some reason. Edmund and Matt go in search of the remaining friends to be found, locating them but they are not always exactly what they were.
In addition to the difficulties in finding the people there is still the threat of whoever or whatever it was that attacked Julio, and who seems not only to still be at large but to have picked up some helpers along the way.
This is another incredible story of magic and friendship, dangers and changes, and people with strange powers and abilities that are not the kind you run into in most stories. My personal favorite is still Matt's ability to talk to things.
The final showdown, with its surprise twists and turns, is a fitting conclusion to this top-quality story of Susan, Edmund, Matt and their friends. This is an absolute-must trilogy to rea
In addition to the difficulties in finding the people there is still the threat of whoever or whatever it was that attacked Julio, and who seems not only to still be at large but to have picked up some helpers along the way.
This is another incredible story of magic and friendship, dangers and changes, and people with strange powers and abilities that are not the kind you run into in most stories. My personal favorite is still Matt's ability to talk to things.
The final showdown, with its surprise twists and turns, is a fitting conclusion to this top-quality story of Susan, Edmund, Matt and their friends. This is an absolute-must trilogy to rea
September 29, 2013
I'd highly recommend this for any fans of Charles de Lint - the combination of earth magic with contemporary young characters reminds me a lot both in theme and feel of a lot of de Lint's writing.
'Past the Size of Dreaming,' the sequel to , 'A Red Heart of Memories' I thought was a more successful work.
In it the characters are more concerned with who they are now, and exploring their powers, growing as people - not being obsessed by the past . The plot - involving a search to discover what they have been gathered to accomplish, in the face of mysterious occult opposition - is more coherent.
The ensemble cast of characters is diverse and interesting, and although not all questions are answered, the magical 'feel' of the book makes it all worthwhile.
'Past the Size of Dreaming,' the sequel to , 'A Red Heart of Memories' I thought was a more successful work.
In it the characters are more concerned with who they are now, and exploring their powers, growing as people - not being obsessed by the past . The plot - involving a search to discover what they have been gathered to accomplish, in the face of mysterious occult opposition - is more coherent.
The ensemble cast of characters is diverse and interesting, and although not all questions are answered, the magical 'feel' of the book makes it all worthwhile.
September 3, 2007
It started out slow with disjointed stories, and then I figured out that it was a sequel to A Red Heart of Memories, which I actually did read, but can't remember much about. My feeling of lost memory haunted me through much of the reading, but then the story is about a haunted house and the people it's trying to gather together and the memories it feeds them, the magics it bestows. When a flashback is dreamed into the main character, it really gets interesting though the fantasy magic is over the top, it holds together. It feeds the fantasy of having a group of people who can find eachother again, years after the fact. I did like it.
July 8, 2020
So I have actually read this book before, but that time I did not know it was a sequel, so I liked it a lot more this time around. I really liked spending more time with the characters from the first book and getting to know the rest of their friends as they reassembled their found family. I think this falls under the gentle fantasy category, and I too would like to be hugged by the house. I don’t think there are any more books in the series, which is a shame, because I really would like to see what these characters do next. A/A-.
August 20, 2009
Unfortunately for me this is book 2 for which I don't have book 1 so I'm sure there are things I'm missing in the story that would make more sense if I had read the first one. Still this story of a group of older teens who have met with magic and found themselves changed.
They now have to gather themselves together at the behest of the haunted house that sheltered them when they were children. There's a darkness rising that will need all their skills. They have to come to terms with what they can and can't do.
It's full of magic and interesting characters and I really enjoyed the read.
They now have to gather themselves together at the behest of the haunted house that sheltered them when they were children. There's a darkness rising that will need all their skills. They have to come to terms with what they can and can't do.
It's full of magic and interesting characters and I really enjoyed the read.
February 27, 2008
Yum. This is the sequel to A Red Heart of Memories and is, if it's possible, even more satisfying and entertaining. It picks up pretty much exactly where Red Heart left off, with Matt and Edmund feeling compelled to seek out the rest of Edmund's childhood friends. Time has changed Julio and Deirdre, and there are even more changes ahead for all of them, even Nathan and House, who have seemed unchangable.
July 16, 2012
As sometimes happens, this was striking and original and vivid and I just didn't enjoy it that much. There seemed to be lots of bits and character sketches rather than a coherent narrative, and while I sometimes can get behind that sort of storytelling (sometimes from Nina Kiriki Hoffman, even)...this one just didn't work for me. Not dire, but I'm kind of wondering if I want to give it shelf space as I try to weed down my library.
July 15, 2015
This is the 2nd part of the "Matt Black" series, which brings the storyline to an end. Although I think there are still some questions unanswered about what will happen to the ghost boy/man and how he will survive after being severed from the house's spirit. I wish the author would write about it and I could meet all of them again (sigh)!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 28, 2012
More characters than in book one, which diffuses the narative somewhat? Nice transgender queer character, which I don't think I appreciated before. And I wish we could see some more of the coyote-bound woman's story. Continues in NKHs usual non-violent, non-angry finales. Part of my post-Permeable Borders reread.
July 30, 2007
I don’t know why I keep reading Hoffman; I never really like her stuff. She’s great in person, and her short stories have a lot of verve, but she writes terrible dialog and tells the same plot over and over.
March 14, 2016
3/14/2016
5th or 6th time? Maybe? I still like A Red Heart of Memories the best, but I do like how this one gives everyone more of a background. Though there are a few inconsistencies from time to time, almost like they were written separately.
5th or 6th time? Maybe? I still like A Red Heart of Memories the best, but I do like how this one gives everyone more of a background. Though there are a few inconsistencies from time to time, almost like they were written separately.
December 22, 2022
re-read 10/18/2005
re-read 1/29/2012
This book brings together many of the elements raised in several of the short stories we've been reading for the last few years from Nina... I adore Matt, Edmund, Terry and the others, but House was my fav in this one.
re-read 1/29/2012
This book brings together many of the elements raised in several of the short stories we've been reading for the last few years from Nina... I adore Matt, Edmund, Terry and the others, but House was my fav in this one.
January 11, 2010
I actually read this back in 2003 - but had forgotten what happened so included it in my Hoffman reading streak - the review is pretty much the same -
November 15, 2010
Totally not as much fun as the first one . . . Seems like she can't have gay people in the book. What the heck? Ah, whatever. I also still don't like how Matt changed so dramatically. Ah, well. It was still okay.
January 23, 2008
First encountered the author in the Silent Strength of Stones, and have been entranced by her unique vision ever since.
July 30, 2018
A wish fulfillment ending. How I loved the house itself.
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