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cleah's review against another edition
3.0
I bumped this book up to the top of my list after recent news of the 7.0 to hit Haiti. Definitely relevant.
Following a devastating earthquake, nine strangers find themselves buried in an underground room in the Indian visa office they are in when the earthquake hits. As things go from bad to progressively worse, each member takes a turn telling a story from their life. What starts as a simple distraction for them turns into a way for each to confront their past and find the one amazing thing that has made them who they are today.
ONE AMAZING THING is written from rotating points of view; any other way would not have provided as much story for the reader to become invested in. However, I always feel that a common problem with having stories within stories is that one always comes out the stronger one, making the others feel more like an interruption of the main plot. The individual stories are each engaging in their own right, but I only wanted to go back to the present moment and see what would happen next as they try to survive the earthquake disaster. Chitra Divakaruni excels at character building, and it glows even brighter in ONE AMAZING THING.
Following a devastating earthquake, nine strangers find themselves buried in an underground room in the Indian visa office they are in when the earthquake hits. As things go from bad to progressively worse, each member takes a turn telling a story from their life. What starts as a simple distraction for them turns into a way for each to confront their past and find the one amazing thing that has made them who they are today.
ONE AMAZING THING is written from rotating points of view; any other way would not have provided as much story for the reader to become invested in. However, I always feel that a common problem with having stories within stories is that one always comes out the stronger one, making the others feel more like an interruption of the main plot. The individual stories are each engaging in their own right, but I only wanted to go back to the present moment and see what would happen next as they try to survive the earthquake disaster. Chitra Divakaruni excels at character building, and it glows even brighter in ONE AMAZING THING.
lovetoread62's review against another edition
4.0
Loved this book. It makes me wonder what my amazing story is.
egonzales74's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed each person's story much more than the outlying story of the earthquake. Each tale was richly described and the voice of each character felt genuine.
vivian_ivette's review against another edition
2.0
It was a good read as I was reading it. I loved the characters and their stories but I HATED the ending.
kkrystenn's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed getting to know the characters in this book, reading their stories I felt what they felt, leading me to sympathize with their behavior throughout the earthquake. I liked how the past was interwoven with the present, it helped me feel like I was amongst them listening. However, the whole time reading this I consistently felt that something was missing, the ending was terribly open ended and didn’t really feel like an ending. Short, easy read, I wouldn’t have minded it being longer with more focus on the present.
sbhatnag's review against another edition
3.0
I think I'm not into chick-lit anymore - which, I believe is an appropriate way to categorize this book, although some may disagree. Good book, but story didn't blow me away. The plot and depth of the characters was a bit simplified, and the ending left me hanging, but not in a good way. I didn't hate it - there were parts of the book I enjoyed (unexpectedly, Mrs. Pritchett's story was my favorite), but I know Divakaruni is capable and has demonstrated better writing in her other works that, in my opinion, are superior to this one.
missysreadingcorner's review against another edition
3.0
Even reading this book was completely out of my comfort zone, I liked it. It was good to learn about people from different cultural backgrounds in a stressful moment. While I did like the book, I can't see myself reading this again or recommending to anyone. I've read other books with a similar set up: a group of people in a disaster zone confessing to each other. The story wasn't gripping. I didn't feel empathy for anyone.
bleuy007's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
2.5
wisbeth's review against another edition
3.0
One Amazing Thing is about a group of 9 people who are trapped in an Indian passport and visa office somewhere in the U.S. To pass the time and comfort themselves they take turn telling one amazing thing that happened in their lives. We also learn a bit about each character and why they were in the office seeking a passport/visa to India. Some characters were more likeable than others. I like the author's writing style. It almost felt like a book of short stories intertwined with the main story which was being trapped in the earthquake. Very different from the books I have read lately. I have read the last page and a half over several times and I'm not sure how I felt about the ending. I felt left hanging. Reading this book right after the earthquake in Haiti felt very surreal to me.