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3.31 AVERAGE
3.31 AVERAGE
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
beautiful writing.... i wish it had been structured slightly differently, the flashbacks felt confusing and lingered on scenes or ideas that didn't feel super relevant, and the book didn't touch on certain points nearly enough in my opinons (such as david's daughter)
informative
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I am torn on how to review this - Vinson is an eloquent writer and I like his writing style, but this novel doesn't seem to have a point. It reads as the main character, David's, anecdotal experiences on the presidential campaign trail of the "Senator" (which you can deduce to being Barack Obama in his first election cycle), but it comes across as very surface level for having been told in the first person. I never felt like I connected with David's character as a reader, and I was just being told what he did, when, and why.
I read some other reviews that very eloquently sum up my own thoughts on this novel: what is Vinson trying to tell us, and why ? I got what he was telling us, David is a young black man hired on to Barack Obama's campaign and this is his experience, but the why is missing. I don't feel as if I've "learned" or taken anything away from having read this. I saw another review that said Vinson is a great writer, but great writers don't make great novelists; and I have to agree with that sentiment for this novel. I really wanted to like this because again, I liked Vinson's writing style and he is a good writer! His language is beautiful and captivating. But this felt like a long essay and not a novel. And frankly I got bored, but wanted to finish since I was given the opportunity to read this as an ARC.
Would I read another book by Vinson? I would like to think so, I hope that if/when he writes another novel that there is more "why" - more reason for me as a reader to connect with the protagonist and his story. Not just be told what they did.
Thank you to NetGalley, Vinson Cunningham, & Random House Publishing for the e-ARC!
I read some other reviews that very eloquently sum up my own thoughts on this novel: what is Vinson trying to tell us, and why ? I got what he was telling us, David is a young black man hired on to Barack Obama's campaign and this is his experience, but the why is missing. I don't feel as if I've "learned" or taken anything away from having read this. I saw another review that said Vinson is a great writer, but great writers don't make great novelists; and I have to agree with that sentiment for this novel. I really wanted to like this because again, I liked Vinson's writing style and he is a good writer! His language is beautiful and captivating. But this felt like a long essay and not a novel. And frankly I got bored, but wanted to finish since I was given the opportunity to read this as an ARC.
Would I read another book by Vinson? I would like to think so, I hope that if/when he writes another novel that there is more "why" - more reason for me as a reader to connect with the protagonist and his story. Not just be told what they did.
Thank you to NetGalley, Vinson Cunningham, & Random House Publishing for the e-ARC!
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Great Expectation follows David, in his twenties and he recently started working for a Senator’s presidential campaign. We hear David’s thoughts on the Senator, the campaign and his feelings in general about what is happening around him.
Honestly, this book felt like a stream of consciousness and not in a good way. I kept wondering, “how is this moving the plot along?” I was bored mid way through to be honest.
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated