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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
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:
Yes
Outstanding! This was suggested by several people but, I kept putting it off. I thought it was going to be a sappy story but, damn was I wrong! I loved this book. It's a modern day Mockingbird with a twist. Required reading!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting
This was a nice easy read, and there were times that I enjoyed it. But on a whole, I think it is very uneven. Some moments paint a vivid picture.
Additionally, I thought the book could have been a lot slimmer. Pretty much every poetry section could have been cut. It did not really help the book. There were some other scenes that just felt like they served no real purpose to the book.
Additionally, I thought the book could have been a lot slimmer. Pretty much every poetry section could have been cut. It did not really help the book. There were some other scenes that just felt like they served no real purpose to the book.
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
inspiring
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“Oh, that’s a long boring story. Mostly I sold mussels, oysters, and smoked fish for Jumpin’”.
That is a quote on page 239 of this book that encompasses basically the first 200 pages—Kya cooked grits, she hunted for mussels, she smoked fish. If you are interested in reading about those actions repeatedly, this book is for you.
I realize I’m in the minority; this book is one of the best selling books of all time. But oh my god was I bored for the 2/3. I think this book would have benefited so much from different structuring like more back and forth between past and present. Interweaving the court case with the events leading up to it would keep the reader more engaged. I also didn’t find including the poems beneficial, and many times they removed me from the story.
I did find the last 1/3 of the book more captivating, and I do think the author did a great job in her nature descriptions (which makes sense since she is a zoologist).
Maybe I don’t like “coming of age” stories or maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for this kind of book. But this book was a bit of a slog to get through for me and I would put this at “fine”, aka 3 stars.
That is a quote on page 239 of this book that encompasses basically the first 200 pages—Kya cooked grits, she hunted for mussels, she smoked fish. If you are interested in reading about those actions repeatedly, this book is for you.
I realize I’m in the minority; this book is one of the best selling books of all time. But oh my god was I bored for the 2/3. I think this book would have benefited so much from different structuring like more back and forth between past and present. Interweaving the court case with the events leading up to it would keep the reader more engaged. I also didn’t find including the poems beneficial, and many times they removed me from the story.
I did find the last 1/3 of the book more captivating, and I do think the author did a great job in her nature descriptions (which makes sense since she is a zoologist).
Maybe I don’t like “coming of age” stories or maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for this kind of book. But this book was a bit of a slog to get through for me and I would put this at “fine”, aka 3 stars.
i liked this book! The god-awful southern accents used in the audiobook really enhanced the experience for me. Big fan of a book that follows the characters entire life, and this one was so sweet and so sad. I felt PROUD of Kya as the book went on.
Gripping plot, lovely descriptions of nature, not sure how I felt about the ending. Both Tate's second chance and the series of flash forwards. generally liked it though!
mysterious
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I liked it. With all the hype around it, I stayed engaged waiting to see what was going to happen. While the twist at the end was a bit unexpected, overall, I don’t know if I thought it was that phenomenal. A fine read. Probably won’t read it again.