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jrmarr's review against another edition
4.0
The first two thirds of this book was excellent. I was really challenged to try and see the central event from the perpetrator's perspective, and although i can't agree with much of what he believed, it was a useful insight into how many people view the world and their place in it. I was really immersed in the back story of the two families, as well as the aftermath of the tragedy and how the families were left reeling. But, at a certain point I just lost interest and was not all that invested in who became the central characters. Four stars for the strength of the earlier parts of the book.
zaaaraaah's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
4.0
odysseridan's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
effortlessly_uncool's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
ovenbird_reads's review against another edition
5.0
I will be writing a blog post about this. this is, perhaps, one of the most powerfully written books I've read recently and I have a lot I want to say about it. it was tough to read for a number of reasons but it is a novel for our divided times and I hope that many people holding strong to their disparate beliefs will read it and begin to see the humanity in all of their demonized "others"
jessehersh's review against another edition
4.0
I loved the first 2/3 of this book, but the last sections were not as interesting and I struggled to connect with the characters. A lot of themes were partially developed and then seemed to drop off at the end.
kate56's review against another edition
5.0
At first I blamed the author when I found it difficult to engage with some characters and yet connected so quickly with others. I felt compelled to skip over some stories to get on with the characters I liked. Then I thought…well… that’s the point. JCO took me - in sometimes predictable but often completely unpredictable ways - from repulsion to grief to …aahh… okay, I can better understand perspectives that I tend to dismiss or avoid. Our need to feel empathy for and connect to each other through our differences is crucial. A very timely, amazing book.
shirleytupperfreeman's review against another edition
I gave the Advanced Reader Copy of Oates' new novel the ol' college try - read half of this 700 page book. Three families' lives are forever ruined and intertwined when the husband and father of one family feels compelled to shoot and kill the husband/father of another. The victims are a doctor who works for a health clinic which performs abortions, and his chaperone/protector. It could have been a more interesting story and it feels like a timely topic but I just didn't want to invest the time to finish it. Certainly both fathers were passionate about their calling and both caused their families to make unbelievable sacrifices because of it.
njk's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0