Reviews

I had to read this for an English assessment and it wasn’t all that bad. It could have been so much worse and I’m not half mad. I don’t understand why it’s a Nobel Prize Winner, but I still liked the story and how things unfolded. I felt like the plot would have been far more interesting, had it been told through Ruth’s eyes; she was such a complex and well-written character, and to be honest, the only one who caught my attention.

Tommy and Kathy being together felt forced to me. I felt like they did it solely because of Ruth but at the same time, I felt it since the beginning; there was something going on between the two, but it was never hinted in a straightforward manner. Maybe I wish it had been.

It made me think about a lot of things (and cost me an A+, so thank you) in our society.

zantyu2's review against another edition

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4.0

Was good but lacked any real punch

bruts_bane's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I don’t like how the whole plot is just reminiscing on memories. I just kept waiting for us to get to the present day the whole time. The plot is super interesting and not like anything I’ve ever read! But I just found it to be kinda lacking? So many random memories that are so unimportant

when we could’ve been delving into some far more interesting and impactful parts of her life.

I think there were some plot holes. Like we could’ve delved into why students acted out they way they did. They all had such different personalities, it would be nice to see why that is.

sunbreak's review against another edition

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4.0

I made the mistake of glancing at the subject headings when placing a hold, which ruined the surprise :( but it still managed to be a great book.

bambookzled's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5 *

kdahlo's review against another edition

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3.0

I really liked Klara and the Sun, and this had some similarities. Overall though this felt bleaker and I thought the narrator was a bit flat and hard to connect to. This was partially purposeful, but still made this book more of a slog. The big premise or twist was not too hard to guess at. Again, this seemed intentional, but I didn't connect with the way it was written. It has a very contemplative, slow pace.

mizz_performer's review against another edition

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4.0

This book was really interesting. A really interesting concept, quite well written, with nicely developed characters. It is also however incredibly depressing, so if you are looking for a light read this really isn't it.

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