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4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 There Are Reasons Why This Idea Is So Cliched... Nov 24, 2005
By Felina Casso
"Kat"
It completely captivates you. I have read many books with a similar idea; gifted, misunderstood children on a quest to save the world. And yet, as unoriginal and overused as it is, this book still drew me in. The only answer I can think of is that we simply like to read about this sort of thing. Who doesnt feel smarter then they are thought by others? Who doesnt feel misunderstood at times?
Set in the not-so-distant future, we follow four "problem" kids as they embark on a quest to rid the world of evil. Each with their own painful past and a mental diagnosis, they are brought together in the "Ark", a group home where highly intelligent mental patients live together with two "parents", a couple with twin PHDs. Miranda, Doug, Elijah, and Taryn discover more about themselves, each other, and the world that is collapsing around them.
This book is well-written and makes you think, and I have always enjoyed books where they switch from one character to another. This is sure to appeal to child or young adult sci-fi addicts, though older readers might find it too shallow. A hesitantly reccomended read.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Our Opinion Dec 19, 2003
We are 5 students in high school, who are reading this book because we had too. Once we started reading it we discovered how real it was. The book itself may not be a true story but it has real problems in it. Real problems that people go through everyday. Like there are really people who sterotype other people because of silly things. We are only halfway through this book and it has already made a big impact on us. We would recommend this book to others.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Welcome to the Ark Mar 28, 2007
This book provided excellent insight into the lives of gifted children who felt rejected by society. The four characters all had special talents or abilities that the "normal" world could not see. So they were all placed in an institution for kids with psychological problems. However, two psychologists saw the potential in these four kids and made them their first patients for their new program in which they removed gifted kids from the mental institution and placed them in a family environment so that they could communicate with other kids with similar abilities.
However, the kids realize that they are all having the same dream, a dream that they find they are sharing with kids all around the world. They can also see each other's memories and feel each other's feelings without interacting with them. The four kids realize that they have an important mission, but do not know how to achieve it. They then discover that by joining their minds together they can deflect violence it from its intended target. However, just as they discover this important connection, the director of the mental health institution forces the special program to shut down. Can the kids continue to live as a family, or will all of the progress they had made during the months they spent together be lost?
I personally enjoyed reading this book, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good book to read, as it depicts how society sometimes rejects talented children. I am one of the kids who always gets straight A's and wins every school academic event. I think the author did a very good job showing that intelligent people are not just "geeks" or "nerds". We don't all wear huge glasses and button our shirts up to our necks. I love to play sports and I play video games when I am at home. Yet, some people (especially other kids) seem to think that all of the "smart people" are nerds, who do nothing but read or study. It might be a little weird that we can solve math problems in our heads before other people are finished reading them, but as one of the characters in the book put it:
"Either everything is weird or nothing is."
9 of 13 found the following review helpful:
SHE GETS IT Dec 06, 2003
I'm going to be frank--I read this book because I am smart, and I wanted to know what the author's take on the world of smart people was.
I'm tired of stereotyping. You know who I am. There's one of me in every school. The Kid Who Makes A's On Report Cards--100s, even. The Smart Kid. The Geek. I'm that person, but I'm not like an stupid steroetype. I don't wear glasses, and I'm not a kiss-popular-butt-pushover. I'm loud and like to have fun.I just think a lot. I don't really like math or science--I like writing. I'm thirteen, and I'm writing a book. Unfortuantely, most people have bought into the Hollywood image of smart people: "geeks", interested only in facts. I'm not a geek. Facts are OK, but they're not that great.And I don't try to learn them. They just happen. It's not my fault, but most people think it is.
This is why I liked "Welcome to the Ark" so much. Stephanie S. Tolan completely understands how smart people think. We are normal. You just have to get to know us. Sure, we're a bit extraordinary, but we're still people. It was refreshing to read a book that depicted smart people as real.
I highly recommend that every teenager, intelligent or stupid, read this book. It will help you gain understanding for the smart kid in your school. We're really not all that bad, and Miz Tolan reveals that fact far better than I could. So please, read this book. It's an easy read, and at the end, you might just understand more than you did when you started it.
P.S. If you want a real review, read the Editor's Reviews. I've got better things to do.
4 of 6 found the following review helpful:
Exceptional insights about exceptionally gifted children! Nov 03, 1999
Stephanie Tolan's experience in the real world of very gifted children is obvious in this well written story. It is one of the first books I recommend to parents of even moderately gifted youngsters. The best indication of this book's value, however, is that my 12 year old son has re-read "Welcome to the Ark" at least twice since we purchased it a year ago.
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