Anyway, the only problem in Half-Life is the other Half-- Liana is such an un I so wanted to fall in love with this, to be charmed by a sweet,simple and touching summer love story. Anyway, the only problem in Half-Life is the other Half-- Liana is such an unexciting, dull character. She never shows much of a personality, and I never really felt like I got her I mean, I get why that would deeply hurt a teenage girl, but I felt like there was something else there that was never really revealed.
Why is it exactly that she doesn't have any friends? Does she even actually like Hank? Are her issues with her sister real, or are they just a cheap ploy by the authors to make her into a "deep" character?
Sigh, I think the character had potential, but she really just emerges as a very flat character with very, very simplistic problems and desires.
Despite that, still giving it four stars. I really did enjoy reading it, and its better than a lot of other ya lit out there Jun 01, Sarah Rosenberger rated it really liked it Shelves: music , teen-fiction , psychology , romance.
Liana rattles around in a big house with her mother, a school counselor who substitutes baked goods for meaningful conversations, and her father, a hypochondriac who's only home a few days a month. To fill the emotional void, she kisses boys. Lots of boys. Hank is a guitar genius with Asperger's Syndrome. He can list dozens of songs about girls named Jenny and knows what kind of guitar was used on every hit between and , but he can't figure out how to relate to people or have a normal co Liana rattles around in a big house with her mother, a school counselor who substitutes baked goods for meaningful conversations, and her father, a hypochondriac who's only home a few days a month.
He can list dozens of songs about girls named Jenny and knows what kind of guitar was used on every hit between and , but he can't figure out how to relate to people or have a normal conversation. After finding an anonymous note calling her a slut, Liana starts to reevaluate her life. She decides to spend her summer focusing on the astronomy internship she's doing at a local college and vows that she won't kiss anyone, no matter what.
But then she meets Hank Hank is a great character - not an over-the-top caricature, but a hapless, funny, sweet guy just trying to figure things out. Liana's mix of passion and intelligence is great to see in a teen novel, but the writing in her chapters could have been tightened up.
Overall, a good read for teens who like music, science, or misfit romance. Jun 07, Kelly rated it it was amazing Shelves: readbooks. Lianna has kissed and dated many guys, has a pretty face, and has a major knack for science and wants to be a planetary scientist. After getting a note in her locker labeling her as a "slut," she goes into science mode and decides to conduct an experiment where she doesn't kiss anyone all summer.
This sounds like an incredibly easy plan until Hank, whom she meets at the hospital, comes along. Hank is a teenage guy who has Asperger's syndrome and really can't seem to know when he's talked about his passion for music just a tad too much. Although he can go on for hours simply talking about music, he doesn't have much to talk about when it comes to girls.
After an awkward encounter in the women's bathroom, yes, Hank accidently ran into the women's bathroom they both started to talk to one another. They decided to meet at a cafe where they play Hank's playlists, and there lies the spark of their relationship. Will Lianna complete her lip-locking experiment? Can Hank stop rambling on about music and talk to a girl and possibly even get his first kiss? I simply loved this book because of all of its witty, funny, and remarkable moments.
This is definitely a great story to read over the summer because it's about the start of a summer romance. Aug 03, Sara rated it it was amazing. You root for both of them as you switch back and forth between their points of view.
They're deeper than a lot of YA lit. They have interests, families and other relationships that are not one-dimensional mentions. Hank's autism is ever present but not in a "let's make a cute book about autism" way. He, rightly so, is valued. This is not a book about an autistic boy. It's a book about a boy with autism and his maybe sort-of first girlfriend. It's a book about a serial kisser labelled a slut and her maybe sort-of new boyfriend whom happens to have autism.
I want more fiction books in my high school library that handle autism and other differences with such respect and honesty. This is definitely on my purchase list. View 1 comment. Dec 30, louisa added it Shelves: ya , metrolibrarianchallenge. Maybe it's impossible for me to be unbiased in my enjoyment of this work, but so far my favorite thing I've read for this year's MetroLibrarian Reads Challenge. Liana is a kissing-addicted, aspiring planetary scientist trying to get over a problem with lead singers.
Hank is trying to pretend he was named from Hank Williams not Henry Rollins, working in a guitar store to save up for a Jazzmaster, and knee deep in mixes and music miscellany. Both are trying to lead lives not just defined by one wo Maybe it's impossible for me to be unbiased in my enjoyment of this work, but so far my favorite thing I've read for this year's MetroLibrarian Reads Challenge. Both are trying to lead lives not just defined by one word applied to them by others- "slut" for Liana and "Aspberger's" for Hank.
So yes it is yet another he said, she said tome set in a seaside resort town seriously I think I'm already 3 works deep since January with seaside resort towns. But I laughed aloud constantly and rooted for both characters. Also, arcane music trivia, unlike for other reviewers, is a boon not a bane for me. Apr 28, Joe rated it liked it.
Hank, the kid with Asperger's, is a great character, nicely done. Liana, not so much. The big unspoken problem with this book is that - frankly - the authors are using "kissing" as a metaphor for, uh, something a little stronger. Think about it. The girl gets called a slut for kissing a few guys.
Come on! She wouldn't get called a slut, and even if somebody called her that, she would know better than to half-believe it as she does in this novel. The publisher is owned by Disney, so maybe the aut Hank, the kid with Asperger's, is a great character, nicely done. The publisher is owned by Disney, so maybe the authors had to use kissing as a substitute for what we all know they were really writing about.
But it makes for one weird book. In spite of all that, I read it all the way through, partly because I liked Hank, and partly to see if they ever made sense of the kissing issue.
They didn't. Aug 28, Hope rated it really liked it Shelves: 21st-century , ya. The Half-Life of Planets was such a cute wonderful book. Just what I needed at the end of summer. I loved the characters and the story and everything! It was a happy story with sad bits at just the right times. When I read it I was pulled into the story and read more than I planned to, which is totally ok.
It was perfect the whole way through, not too long it didn't have any useless parts or boring bits. At the end the story was wrapped up perfectly though Lian Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! At the end the story was wrapped up perfectly though Liana's dad would complain at my wording. I could say more, but I am too giddy right now. So I'll just settle with the simple fact that you should read this, but not in the fall, winter, or spring.
It is definitely a perfect summer read. Jul 21, Poesy rated it did not like it Shelves: abandoned , young-adult , bfya It is told in alternating chapters a la Will Grayson, Will Grayson, with one chapter being from the perspective of a horrifically whiny girl and the other from a boy who has Asperger's Syndrome or something similar to it.
The girl is supposed to be a science geek, but spends all her time wondering if she is a slut. The boy sometimes sounds like someone with Asperger's, and other times pops completely out of the Syndrome into someone else. While I liked Hank, the female character made me put the book down. Neither end of the story was done well enough to keep reading.
I ditched it at page Feb 02, Ken Kugler rated it it was amazing. I thought that this book was a lot of fun. What is not to like, you got rock music, a teen girl who loves kissing boys but has decided to take a sabbatical, a teen boy who has Asperger's syndrome.
I tell you that the discovery process of the girl Liana and boy Hank of what they both need and how they both cope is a hoot. Summer romances may not always last but I found myself wanting a happy ending to this book. Liana is screwed up and has to find out why, while Hank has to learn how to naviga I thought that this book was a lot of fun.
Liana is screwed up and has to find out why, while Hank has to learn how to navigate the unfamiliar territory of human interaction. Life is soooo complicated, as we all know.
Do you remember? I do and that is one of the things that appealed to me so much. I really enjoyed spending time with this pair of mixed-up crazy kids. The dual narrative worked extremely well because their different voices came through clearly. I liked that Liana was the science geek - great to see girls being depicted this way, but I also enjoyed all of Hank's music references, and there were a few of them! Humour, heart-break and happiness.
The best combination in a contemporary YA novel. Aug 07, Kat Drennan-Scace rated it really liked it Shelves: borrowed , ya , contemporary , , standalone. This is a really sweet contemporary romcom told in two points of view - Lianna who wants to study planets and Hank who is obsessed with music and also has Aspergers. They develop a friendship which blossoms into more and it's just so sweet and genuine.
Definitely recommended for contemp romance fans. Apr 19, Christy Sibila rated it really liked it. A sweet romance between a teenage girl looking for connection, and a boy with Asperger's.
I loved the alternating narration between the two, especially when they are reflecting on the same event. Fun, sweet, romantic, and thoughtful. May 23, Robbins Library rated it really liked it Shelves: not-so-young-adult-book-group. Great story about a girl trying to overcome her reputation, and her romance with a boy with Asperger's syndrome. The characters were real and likeable - this is a refreshing break from all the vampires and zombies that permeate young adult fiction recently.
May 31, Rebecca rated it it was amazing Shelves: becca-s-abc-challenge , books-i-didn-t-want-to-put-down , ya-read. A romance that will satisfy any music lover's appetite. A true gem! Jun 07, Holly rated it it was ok Shelves: realistic-fiction , ya-contemporary-romance , own , summer. Ok, so I have not been winning lately with my book picks.
I bought this book at a used book sale ages ago. I loved the idea of showing representation with a main character on the Autism Spectrum. And I certainly wasn't going to turn down a book about music.
But the execution was When we first are introduced to Liana, she's just found a note in her locker that labels her as a "slut. It's never very clear how this is supposed to help. Her family virtually never communicates about anything real anymore, which while realistic in some families just added to the overall melodrama.
As for Hank While Hank is not on the highest functioning end of the spectrum, he's definitely closer to that end than the middle. He doesn't pick up well on social cues, but he generally knows how people are "supposed" to act in a certain moment--he just doesn't understand why.
That part--and his fixation on music--were more or less accurate. What bothered me the most about Hank is the fact that he is constantly thinking to himself about his physical I cannot say I have ever been in a teenage boy's head nor would I ever want to be , but I showed some of these passages to my boyfriend, who also commented that this was weird.
Hank is constantly staring at Liana's Never to Liana. Like I said, he knows enough to know that would make Liana uncomfortable, but as a reader it was highly uncomfortable for me. It's one of the more explicit YA books I've read in a long time. I actually rather enjoyed the book at the beginning, but it was hard to keep that momentum going when everything felt like a sad soap opera. I mean, the big "plot twist" at the end had me rolling my eyes and thinking about putting the book down--except I only had about 20 pages left.
Such a weird book. I had higher hopes than this. Jan 03, Sarah rated it liked it. I would just like to point out that the people on the cover are nothing like descriptions in the book Lianna is smart, aspiring to be a planetary scientist. She has one problem, she likes kissing boys.
So after someone left a note in her locker she decides to spend the whole summer doing nothing but lab work for extra credit. Only, she meets Hank. Hank has never had a girlfriend. Hank has Asperger's syndrome.
His summer plan is to work at his job at the music store t I would just like to point out that the people on the cover are nothing like descriptions in the book His summer plan is to work at his job at the music store to save up enough money to by a super expensive guitar, a Fender Jazzmaster. It's worth a small car Hank struggles with social indicators, but is very capable of cracking jokes and realizing that he rambles and focuses entirely too much on his own injuries. It's interesting Hank's older brother is an ass who is a borderline alcoholic and has a thing for picking up and dropping ladies like hot potatoes.
So when Hank starts bringing Lianna around as a girl he potentially hopes to date, guess who starts attempting to make moves on her. All in all this was an okay read. Oct 11, Jacinta rated it liked it. Liana kisses a lot of guys, and the note left in her locker right before summer break is evidence enough that someone thinks she kisses too many of them. The only way to fix that is to take a vow of renewed lip virginity and hope that no one distracts her from her self-imposed hermithood studying astrophysics.
Hank knows more about songs released pre than almost anyone you'll ever meet, and plans to work a lot this summer so he can get that Fender he's been eyeing off since forever.
He also Liana kisses a lot of guys, and the note left in her locker right before summer break is evidence enough that someone thinks she kisses too many of them. He also has Asperger's - which is going to make things difficult, given that he seems to scare girls off and he kind of likes this one. I didn't mind that this wasn't an Autism Book, or a Book About Teen Issues - it was just nice to read a fairly fluffy romance that happened to feature a boy whose life is impacted by being on the spectrum.
If you're looking for a lighthearted read, then I'd recommend this one. Aug 28, Culture-Vulture rated it really liked it. Hank seems to have fluctuating levels of emotional awareness, seemingly to suit the needs of the plot I guess it felt really inconsistent. Anyhow, I liked the plot enough to give it 5 Stars, BUT then got turned off by the clunky romantic development, which felt hurried and not wholly believable.
Hence the docked star. Feb 28, Emily rated it really liked it. Right from the beginning I loved Hank and Liana; even when the conflicts were caused by them being dumb kids I understood where they were coming from.
Too often stories about youth written with the benefit of hindsight seem to forget what it was like. But these experiences felt real. There is dare I say a poignancy to conversations about things like forgiveness and how scary it is to not just see your own flaws, but to do something about them. Would absolutely recommend. Feb 24, Carro Herdegen rated it it was ok Shelves: kiss-the-book. However, Liana becomes conflicted when she gets to know Hank.
Hank is different and she really wants to kiss him, but what about her pact? Will she let one boy change that? I started out liking this book and I enjoyed reading it. It has a lot of interesting facts about astronomy and music trivia, but the story itself isn't as good as I wante Language - PG 68 swears, 3 "f'" , Sexual Content - PG; Violence - PG Liana has kissed a lot of boys, but this summer she is determined to not kiss any.
It has a lot of interesting facts about astronomy and music trivia, but the story itself isn't as good as I wanted it to be. I didn't like all the PG parts and I couldn't get into the book as much as I wanted to after them. Apr 15, Keri rated it it was amazing. Another awesome read that I am positive I never would have found if it weren't for Book Battle!
The point of view goes back and forth between Liana who has recently been branded as the school slut and Hank a musician with Asperger's Syndrome. I love both as main characters and how they interact with each other. There are some really good heartfelt moments along with some really funny ones! The ending could have been expanded a little more I feel but that just because I enjoyed the characters and Another awesome read that I am positive I never would have found if it weren't for Book Battle!
The ending could have been expanded a little more I feel but that just because I enjoyed the characters and story so much I didn't want it to end. Feb 07, Emma Roberts rated it it was amazing. This book is different than all the other books I've ever read. Lianna and Hank are both teenagers from very different universes. Lianna is obsessed with astronomy, while Hank is obsessed with music. They met in the Girls Bathroom in a hospital.
Lianna's dad was in the hospital because he thought there was something wrong with his heart. Hank was at the hospital because his brother is in the hospital for an injury from playing lacross This book is different than all the other books I've ever read. Hank was at the hospital because his brother is in the hospital for an injury from playing lacrosse.
Lianna says " 'So there's the universe right? Hank nods. This quote is important to the author's purpose because it explains how diverse they comprehend material. Half-Life is a sci-fi first person shooter released in on PC, and is often considered one of the most influential games of its time. Developed by Valve, the game made leaps and bounds in both storytelling and overall gameplay for the FPS genre. By offering more control to the player, Half-Life draws you in with its interesting and tense story, fantastic controls, and otherworldly enemies.
Since its release, Half-Life has cemented itself as one of the greatest games of all time. From the narrative to the gameplay itself, Half-Life is an absolute masterpiece. You assume the role of Gordon Freeman, a theoretical physicist who works at the aforementioned facility. When an experiment goes wrong, Freeman and his cohorts accidentally rip open a portal to another dimension.
This sends everything into an expected chaos, and Freeman must escape the facility while fending off the horrors from the other dimension. As the story progresses, Freeman encounters various military groups and mysterious characters. There's a huge amount of atmosphere to the game, which reinforces the more mysterious aspects of the narrative. Half-Life tells its story in an interesting way, and it helped push storytelling forward in video gaming.
Instead of containing the story to cutscenes and text boxes like other games at the time, Half-Life almost always leaves control up to the player. Using scripted sequences, characters will talk to each other and events will happen, leaving the player in control to watch. This kind of organic storytelling made the game more immersive, making the player really feel like Gordon Freeman. The use of scripted sequences in storytelling would become more common in later years, and we have Half-Life to thank for starting the trend.
The gameplay in Half-Life also feels vastly far ahead of its time. Instead of offering various levels full of enemies, Half-Life feels like a continuous world. Players often have to solve environmental puzzles to progress further in the game, as well as navigate treacherous obstacles and hazards. There's also plenty of gunplay and enemies to shoot, and a fun arsenal of weapons to use. From the iconic crowbar to pistols and assault rifles, Half-Life has a great mixture of guns and weapons.
The alien creatures from the other dimension are intimidating and smart, so you'll have to use your wits as well as your skill to defeat them. Crab creatures scurry fast on the ground, while long-tongued monsters hang from the ceilings waiting to trap you. There's always a feeling of tension and suspense while fighting, especially early on in the game. Overall, Half-Life is a wonderfully crafted game that helped push video gaming into the new century. By using scripted sequences instead of cutscenes, Half-Life showed us just how cinematic games could be.
In addition to the great storytelling, the game is tons of fun to play. The great variety of guns and enemy types keep things fresh, and exciting bosses and puzzles punctuate excellent level design.
By modern standards, the graphics can feel a bit low quality, but that's the only complaint you'll find. Even to this day, Half-Life remains a stunningly enjoyable game.
If you've played shooters over the Internet, you'll know what a total bitch your latency is. On a standard modem, you'll spend most of your time moonwalking around maps with a ms ping, and a whole third of a second delay between you pressing a key and the server receiving, processing and relaying the information.
In simpler terms, it makes the game all swimmy and crap. Imagine the reaction of the online community when Valve Software announced it had completely rewritten its networking code, and had slotted it into Team Fortress Classic.
Pings were set to tumble, said Valve, and players who had previously been suffocated by poor connections would be able to frag their way back to the top. And you know what? It wasn't kidding. Dip into a game on the PC server and instantly you'll notice most pings are now bobbing around below Plus there are no more players stalking around maps in slowmo, or dancing a jig in mid air. Another improvement is smoother graphics. Now when you watch other players doing what they do, their movements are a whole lot more fluid and indeed seem to incorporate more frames of animation.
Drop a backpack of ammo and even here you'll coo-coo at the way the bag arcs gracefully to your feet. Additionally, there are a number of 'under the hood' tweaks that most people won't know about, including a staggering 97 new console commands, together with the removal of old ones.
Unfortunately, that's where the good news stops. Much of the problem has centred around the way Valve has fiddled with the core gameplay. It has added a raft of pointless new features, taken out key elements from the previous version, and slotted in a glossy new interface which is almost as distracting as having someone nail tacks into your head while you play.
It was also full of bugs, and an additional update from Valve was released to stop players exploiting them. In among a slew of new features including the ghastly interface are numerous bugs, including glitches that render some maps unplayable. For fin example, members of the opposing team often adopt your team's appearance, making it impossible to know who to shoot. It's also quite common to see people dashing around as bright orange Gordon characters from vanilla Half-Life.
We've also experienced a problem where it was difficult to purchase new items, even though you were standing in the buy zone right at the start of the game. The developers have also modified many of the more popular weapons, such as the Colt M4A1 Carbine, which no longer has a zoom, and the MP5 Navy, which now couldn't shoot holes in a box of Shreddies. Ah well. Even though this late-summer release from Sierra Studios and Captivation Digital Laboratories is essentially a port of the amazing PC version, there are a number of DC-specific enhancements being made.
Look for an all-new one-player mission created by Gearbox Software the team behind the Opposing Force add-on for the PC , new visual effects and a higher polygon count. By the way, these are DC screens. We had our first shot at an early version of Sierra's long-awaited first-person blaster Half-Life, and this clever game is on-target so far. The developer, Valve, has rewarded patient gamers with sharp environments, a good pace, and a well-thought-out design that'll suck you right in.
It's one of the shrewdest mixes of action and brainwork that you'll find in a first-person shooter; as the complex story unfolds, you'll be involved in some heavy exploration and difficult puzzle-solving. With a stunning interactive intro that has all the cinematic style of a cut scene, Half-Life sets the scene better than any shooter to date. You're a Ph. Moreover, you have to confront all sorts of mutated creatures that come fast and furious--yet, for all its smarts, Half-Life doesn't stint on action.
The multiplayer options weren't implemented in our advance copy, but the early single-play missions are up to snuff and then some. Even incomplete, Half-Life's environments showed astonishing quality, and its killer sound is true 3D: Conversations and ambient noises rise and fade realistically as you move toward and past them. Half-Life also boasts an opponent A. Put this one on your must-have list for the holidays.
Half-Life has arrived and will hopefully mark the dawn of a new genre: the thinking-man's shooter. It's faster than Quake II , prettier than Unreal , and more satisfyingly logical than any other corridor-crawler on the market. Players are very firmly placed in the boots of year-old Gordon Freeman, a scientist at the underground Black Mesa Research Facility. You're at ground zero when a mysterious interdimensional experiment goes awry, and after the project literally blows up in your face, you have to find a way to the surface, picking off otherworldly nasties along the way.
But what will you find once you get there? For once, you're not the only guy left in the world; there are other survivors of the accident, and you'll need their help to achieve your goals.
Scientists will open doors and give you items, while security guards will help you splatter invaders across the wall. The presence of others makes things much more emotionally involving.
Half-Life's scientific world is one of the most logical ever created on a PC. Power-ups appear where you would expect-- ammo and guns lie next to soldiers' corpses, first-aid kits line the halls of the science labs, and so on.
You won't find any floating shotguns in this realm. Furthermore, your actions and puzzle solutions are all dictated by your need to survive in such a situation--context is a surprisingly powerful thing.
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