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kimveach's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Blood, Chronic illness, Death, Dysphoria, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Confinement, Alcoholism, Bullying, Colonisation, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Vomit, Child abuse, Death of parent, Gore, Hate crime, Medical content, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Violence, War, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Incest, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Medical trauma, and Mental illness
eyesthatwrite's review
1.0
Graphic: Rape, War, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Gun violence
brittonmc1221's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Colonisation, Gun violence, Terminal illness, War, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt
noladawnreads's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Gun violence
Moderate: Incest, Rape, Infidelity, and Violence
Minor: Animal cruelty, Adult/minor relationship, and Chronic illness
jansreading's review against another edition
4.25
Moderate: Sexual violence, Violence, Racism, and Gun violence
rachelkreadsbookz's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Sexual assault, Incest, and Rape
serendipitysbooks's review
- 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
5.0
The book features so many elements which I have come to expect from William Kent Krueger.
The natural environment of Minnesota features strongly and is lovingly depicted.
There is an indigenous character, indigenous beliefs and knowledge are valued and given space, and the wrongs done to indigenous communities recognised and acknowledged. Some characters do exhibit racial prejudice and hate but the protagonist and other characters push back against it.
The male protagonist has a strong moral centre and hews close to traditional values. He may have his flaws and regrets and be battling demons but he tries hard to be loyal and fair, to be upstanding and to do the right thing.
Krueger’s writing is too-notch as always. He can do quiet contemplative scenes as well as faster paced, action-packed ones. He drops in plenty of foreshadowing to keep the reader turning pages to find out exactly what is going to happen. He excels at nuance and compassion, particularly when it comes to his characters. In this book war-related PTSD features prominently.
Small town community vibes are captured perfectly. There are lots of decent caring people in Jewel but the town also a darker side, and that isn’t neglected. There are definite trigger warnings and Storygraph is a great place to check them out before reading.
It seems William Kent Krueger can do no wrong in my eyes. I’ve loved everything I’ve read from him so far and this book was no exception.
Graphic: Gun violence, Murder, Racism, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Child abuse and Rape
Minor: Chronic illness
minniepauline's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
There are also lovely bits of writing, and emotional and tense moments that made me feel things, which is one of the reasons that I read, after all. The story is interesting, although the characters feel one-dimensional. I’m hoping that, since this is an ARC, there will be another edit before the final version is published.
Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, Incest, Gun violence, and Sexual assault
kari_f's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
“Our lives and the lives of those we love merge to create a river whose current carries us forward from our beginning to our end. Because we are only one part of the whole, the river each of us remembers is different, and there are many versions of the stories we tell about the past. In all of them there is truth, and in all of them a good deal of innocent misremembering.”
There is something special when a small town police procedural is written by a masterful author. A simple case of murder becomes something altogether more complex, and in this case, the interwoven stories and character depth made all the difference.
William Kent Krueger writes detailed and nuanced characters, and the setting is almost a character in itself. Each character is carefully crafted within the story to feel realistically flawed and scarred and layered, and the diversity (and struggles that come with that) in his novels make sense to the time period. With these characters come very real issues, and some of the ones explored in this book include generational wealth or poverty, the ravages of war, gender roles, buried secrets, infidelity, systemic prejudice, land ownership, and the pitfalls of terrible people gaining more wealth and power. We see the best and worst of human nature through the insightful writing, and we are given time to ponder characters’ motives and the potential outcomes resulting from them.
While I figured out the “who” and “why” pretty early on, there was more than enough plot action and character development to keep me engaged throughout the book. I found myself wanting to race through the chapters, but also to slow down and savor the writing craft.
Thanks so much to Atria and Netgalley for the advanced copy!
** Please check the trigger warnings, as there are several.
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Gun violence, Racism, Sexual assault, Rape, and War
platypus1's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The racial slurs although true to the times where difficult to read
Graphic: Racism, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Murder, Gun violence, Rape, Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Toxic relationship