Reviews

Cold Earth by Sarah Moss

tirrato's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0


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bryoniadioica's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-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

4.75

helenar's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

4.25

pdxpiney's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

4.5

Should have stopped reading just before the final chapter, for a spooky, ambiguous ending. Originally reviewed at 3.0 stars, but in the intervening decade (!) I find myself reminded of this story often. Moody!

eloise4f995's review

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dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

momentsofmine's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

terese_utan_h's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

yanina_daniele's review against another edition

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3.0

Por segunda vez, en lo que va del año, me siento estafada por un libro. En este caso, la sinopsis y las ideas que se manejan en la historia tienen todo para convertir a este libro en una genialidad pero ... hace agua al final, se hunde más rápido que el Titanic.

Tenemos 6 miembros de una expedición arqueológica que va a investigar unas antiguas ruinas en Groenlandia. Y eso es todo lo que podemos ver en la historia, como viven a diario, qué comen, sus miedos y alguna que otra cosa de sus vidas, todo gracias a que cada personaje escribe cartas en un cuaderno y que cada tramo del libro corresponde a uno de esos cuadernos.

Nina con quién arranca la historia, es insufrible, está más loca que una cabra y empieza a ver fantasmas (algo que se desaprovecha por completo), a esto se le suma sus sueños que le muestran que pasó con los groenlandeses del pasado (otra cosa que se desaprovecha y queda por el camino olvidada).

A todo esto se suma, una epidemia que al parecer está diezmando a la población y que comienza a preocupar a la gente de la expedición, que piensan que pueden ser los únicos sobrevivientes, que no van a ir a buscarlos llegado el momento, etc.

La autora sabe como mantenerte atrapada en la lectura, logró que sintieras afecto o completo rechazo por uno u otro personaje, pero hasta allí llegó. Después de dar vueltas y vueltas con lo que estaba sucediendo, justo cuando uno dice "ahora viene la mejor parte" se termina el libro de forma apresurada, con un final que no explica nada. Es como si la autora hubiera desarrollado todo pero a ultimo momento le hubieran dicho, "no podés pasarte de X páginas, arregla la historia hasta ahí" y en medio del nudo de la trama termina cortando todo y metiendo un final, que no dice ni fu ni fa y que no resuelve nada.

En definitiva: una decepción total, le he puesto las 3 estrellas porque me ha gustado como narra la historia, las ideas de la trama y la construcción de los personajes, prefiero quedarme con lo positivo y no con todo lo negativo que este libro me ha hecho experimentar.

chocotoff's review against another edition

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

2.0

claudiap's review

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5.0

Rating 4.5

Read this book for the O.W.L.s Readathon in the prompt Defence Against the Dark Arts.

I can't say whether this was the best or the worst reading choice given the current world situation. Reading about a group of people in forced isolation, and it’s impact while there is the development of a global pandemic, looks like a nonfiction book at the moment.
The truth is that I was able to immerse myself in this story with an understanding that I probably wouldn’t have been able to do a few months ago. Sarah Moss does an excellent job in building characters that are by no means likable. But, how to be pleasent in mandatory isolation? How many of us will have hallucinations and paranoid ideas? How many will be aggressive and stripped of our humanity?
The author shines in the descriptions of isolation and in the description of characters, especially in female characters. There is a constant feeling of irritability towards the characters, hopelessness and desolation. You can almost breathe the icy Greenland air.
My only complaint is that I wouldn’t have included the last chapter. I would rather not know the end of the characters and remain with an inconclusive story.
It may not be a book for everyone, but I can't help but point out that even in her first book Sarah Moss doesn't disappoint.

"(...) a proper pandemic might be quite good for the envonment, (...) probably about the only way of arresting climate change now. Depopulation from the plague did wonders for medieval fauna and flora (...)"