Reviews

Children of God by Mary Doria Russell

rohand0's review against another edition

3.0

I think the Sparrow works so well because it's a story about one man's fall from faith. Children of God is about that reverse and honestly it just doesn't have the same hold. You can see how Emilio slowly builds himself back up again in this novel and how his experiences end up shaping him but the faith of how God works isn't really clear as he has the same issue that Anne had in the past book. Why are good things prescribed to God? Why does John's help restore his faith in God and not in his fellow human? Maybe that's just my perspective coming from an agnostic.

The story of the Runa though is the compelling narrative here. How they try to negotiate, how they develop and go beyond their feebleness in the last book. How truly awful their domestication was. It was a compelling story.

janellephant's review against another edition

4.0

The Sparrow is amazing buts its sequel falls somewhat short.

adru's review against another edition

5.0

Selle esimene osa on nii lõikav ja täpne ja valmis ja üks mu üleüldiseid lemmikraamatuid, et kiitustest hoolimata olin teise osa suhtes väga umbusklik ja umbes esimene kolmandik ongi väga hästi kirjutatud seletus ja laiendus esimesele, väga hea, aga mitte tingimata vajalik, ja siis ta võtab kätte ja laieneb nii, et muutub hädavajalikuks.

bigbeardednerd's review against another edition

5.0

The emotionally heart-wrenching sequel to The Sparrow. Whereas The Sparrow is the story of a journey that ends in tragedy, Children of God is the story of one man's return journey to the source of that tragedy, and his confrontation with the loss of faith that resulted from the first trip.

Read them both, you will not be disappointed.

capnhist's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

4.5

lindseysparks's review against another edition

4.0

When I finished The Sparrow and realized there was a sequel I was a little leery because I didn't think it really needed a sequel. That didn't stop me from ordering it and starting it the day it arrived though. And wow. This was such a great follow up. You see other people's perspectives, and it completely changes how you feel about some people. It's crazy how easy it can be to misunderstand someone or apply motives to them that are totally not what they intended. I also thought the bit where Carlo turned out to be allergic to the whole planet so sad and hilarious at the same time. I could totally see that happening to me.

ivanssister's review against another edition

4.0

I read this just weeks after flying through The Sparrow, so the story was fresh in my head. I wasn't as captivated by all of the new characters in this story as I was in the last (in fact some of the shipmates in this episode are downright hateful), but still found the story thought-provoking and compelling.

bdhoffmeister's review against another edition

3.0

A thematically fitting follow-up/conclusion to The Sparrow that fleshes out the alien cultures and the impact of human contact on both them and the human characters. However, it's missing the focus, narrative economy, and momentum that made the first book so compulsively readable to me. Still worthwhile, but with a few reservations.

iguanastevens's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

jhouses's review against another edition

3.0

Una secuela muy lograda para The Sparrow. El argumento es muy original aunque un poco más religioso. Y eso que para Fe, la que hay que echarle a la linea argumental que pone al padre Emilio de nuevo en Alfa Centauri.