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vtlism's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Not my fav simple narratorial voice, kinda a "gee wilikers" purity (of voice) but this also makes it really easy to notice all the craft in this book and how it works. That's valuable! I liked the mystery though it was easy to see ahead of time and the central dead person was a tired trope. The portrait of the mother was beautiful.
wildlynat's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.75
alexlaird's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.5
thesaltybrunette's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
rileydriscoll's review against another edition
3.75
Overall: 3.75
A coming-of-age story about a small town in Minnesota and the tragic events of the summer of 1961. The main character Frank Drum was 13 that summer and now retells and reflects on the events some 40 years later. Frank spends most of his time with his younger brother Jake who has a stutter but his quietness in social situations makes him very observant. The boys have a Juilliard-bound older sister named Ariel and are the children of a minister and their mother regrets that the man she married chose that profession instead of becoming a lawyer.
Liked:
A coming-of-age story about a small town in Minnesota and the tragic events of the summer of 1961. The main character Frank Drum was 13 that summer and now retells and reflects on the events some 40 years later. Frank spends most of his time with his younger brother Jake who has a stutter but his quietness in social situations makes him very observant. The boys have a Juilliard-bound older sister named Ariel and are the children of a minister and their mother regrets that the man she married chose that profession instead of becoming a lawyer.
Liked:
- I like the coming-of-age "the summer that changed everything" type of stories. The narration of the audiobook reminded me of The Sandlot.
- I think the relationship between the two brothers was well done. The relationship the boys have with Gus, who was probably my favorite character, is also great.
- The boy's dad is basically Upper Midwest Atticus Finch.
- Krueger does an incredible job of crafting the town and its surroundings. His descriptions perfectly capture the Americana vibes.
Didn't Like:
- The plot struggles to decide if it's a murder mystery in a small town or not. The mystery tends to take a backseat to the day-to-day activities of the boys.
- These boys stumble upon not just one but two dead bodies it's pretty much glossed over the second time. Understandable based on the circumstances but still.
- The resolution of the mystery was unsatisfying. Two of the three suspicious deaths ended up meaning nothing to the plot. I lost interest in the mystery and Frank jumping from suspect to suspect got tiring.
- I didn't realize how religious this was going to be. I probably should have based on the title and other reviews.
sherylk's review against another edition
4.0
Jo recommended this book to me. I am not sure - I think maybe the first chapter had been excerpted somewhere because it was eerily familiar. Either way, I liked it.
The story is about a minister's family, told from the point of view of 13-year-old Frank. He has an older sister and a younger brother, and the story unrolls over a summer. At the beginning of the summer, a young boy is killed and Frank goes with his father to learn more of the details. Throughout the summer, there are more people killed and the small community struggles with grief, racism, and accusation.
What I liked most about this book was that it was a coming-of-age story more than it was a mystery. Both Frank and his younger brother are shocked by the events of this summer and grown into young men. The story was really well-written, the characters sympathetic, and the story interesting.
The story is about a minister's family, told from the point of view of 13-year-old Frank. He has an older sister and a younger brother, and the story unrolls over a summer. At the beginning of the summer, a young boy is killed and Frank goes with his father to learn more of the details. Throughout the summer, there are more people killed and the small community struggles with grief, racism, and accusation.
What I liked most about this book was that it was a coming-of-age story more than it was a mystery. Both Frank and his younger brother are shocked by the events of this summer and grown into young men. The story was really well-written, the characters sympathetic, and the story interesting.
jessicalhaney's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.0
thebookwormclub's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Racism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship