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4.27 AVERAGE
4.27 AVERAGE
I read this right after finishing another book set in New York City (Still Me) and enjoyed the perspective on the city over multiple decades that this book gives.
It is the story of a building, it’s history and place within the city. It is the story of some of the residents, activists and artists, and their lives in the city throughout the AIDS crisis and the gentrification of their surrounds. It is a story of the power of addiction and how some people can overcome it. It is a story of parental love and protection, adoption, and betrayal.
The characters are strong, the sense of place is powerful (even in the LA parts) and the author manages to give us a history of the fight for AIDS to be included in mainstream medical care without preaching.
It took a few chapters to get into it, but it is worth persevering and a great read.
It is the story of a building, it’s history and place within the city. It is the story of some of the residents, activists and artists, and their lives in the city throughout the AIDS crisis and the gentrification of their surrounds. It is a story of the power of addiction and how some people can overcome it. It is a story of parental love and protection, adoption, and betrayal.
The characters are strong, the sense of place is powerful (even in the LA parts) and the author manages to give us a history of the fight for AIDS to be included in mainstream medical care without preaching.
It took a few chapters to get into it, but it is worth persevering and a great read.
This is one of my favorite reads of 2016. It intersects with my life in several ways that made the whole thing seem very personal to me. I am about the same age as Milly and my oldest son is the same age as her son Mateo. The flashback chapters to the 80's took me right back to my college years where I also had many friends, many gay, affected by the HIV/AIDS crisis. The descriptions of music, hair, clothing, etc. were so spot on that it took me back in time. Finally, most of the book takes place in New York City, a place that has become significant in my life the last few years. This is the kind of book that will leave me thinking about the characters, their struggles with drugs, and how drugs and HIV/AIDS affected their relationships long after I've finished reading the book.
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This book had been sitting in my to read section since around March and two days ago I finally decided to read it and I’m so glad I did! Murphy does an absolutely stunning job when narrating through different time frames and character perspective, each so unique and engaging. It’s been a while since I haven’t been able to put a book down. I particularly love the balanced story line of positives and negatives throughout which is what makes this book so good in my opinion. At some points I even found myself wondering if the characters had really existed. I believe everyone should read this book; it’s educational about the AIDS fight in the US & addiction, it’s raw and on top of everything it’s beautifully written.
I didn't like this book. There was something about the writing style that was a bit clunky, and I didn't find the characters compelling, either. I stopped reading partway through.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really loved this sweeping and moving novel about the AIDS crisis. It jumps back and forth in time from the 80s to a few years in the future following the lives of several related characters--activists and artists and writers. I was engaged from the very beginning--the writing is wonderful and I liked all of these very flawed people. There's some graphic sex and drug use, but nothing that didn't feel relevant to the story. A really wonderful book.
I listened to the audiobook of Christadora. I'm kind of mixed between giving it 3 and 4 stars. There were times I was really interested in the book, but then so much focus on Jared (ugh) and Millie, the upper middle class artist couple, got tiresome. I would have liked more character development with Hector, the gay former AIDS activist later a tweaker. But then near the end one of the characters goes to an ACT UP demo in Atlanta to push the Centers for Disease Control to expand the definition of AIDS to include symptoms that women developed, and I thought, wait, I was there! And yes, the author added that it was raining, and that people were wearing garbage bags (yup, those were my friends), and I got all teary-eyed and had to go look for the photos from the demo. So I'll give it 4 stars for that, and because I did really start caring what happened to at least some of the characters.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated