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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
I put this down a few times because of the long ramp up - McBride spends a lot of time introducing a very large cast of characters (basically everyone in town) and their backstories (with quite a few detours that I'm not sure were necessary). The pay off was well worth it but jeez, it wasn't easy getting past that hump. After around the 60% mark, my patience was rewarded and all the loose threads McBride handed me got woven together into a beautifully tragic but hopeful story that I couldn't put down. I didn't expect to learn so much about Jewish culture along the way, but I'm glad I did.
I want to give this 3.5 stars. I really enjoyed this story, but I felt like the ending was rushed. I also couldn't understand why McBride decided to comment on today's society (not through allegory, but directly) in the middle of a book that took place over a century ago.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Heart wrenching. Beautiful look at a single town and everything that touches it and the interactions of its people.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Overall, a beautiful book. I fell in love with the characters and felt inspired by the power of their simple love for one another. I also felt sadness at the experience of the ways trauma has shaped many of their lives and ways of being. I do think the author, at times, stepped out of the story and gave his own personal rants about current politics and modern day issues that took you out of the story in a way that felt cringe. This only happened twice though and doesn’t ruin that the rest of the book, while slow and not plot driven, was beautiful, simple and inspiring.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes