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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
A novella, really. Gorgeous and spare - Hunter truly has a gift for language. I know this wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea but I found it beautiful.
A stark, tender exploration of new motherhood against the backdrop of an apocalyptic flood. I read it in under two hours and was left deeply impressed. So much of it felt true: the way your world shrinks after giving birth, focusing solely on the tiny creature you made and now have to keep alive. The smell, the physical intimacy, the milk.
Full review (in Dutch): http://gewooneenboek.nl/portfolio/the-end-we-start-from-megan-hunter/
Full review (in Dutch): http://gewooneenboek.nl/portfolio/the-end-we-start-from-megan-hunter/
I read this in one sitting.
I love the simplicity of the narrative but I feel just a tad more details would’ve really made this a wonderful, captivating read.
I love the simplicity of the narrative but I feel just a tad more details would’ve really made this a wonderful, captivating read.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Read in an hour. Didn't enjoy it at all. No emotion or sense of what was going on
I was excited for this one because Emily St. John Mandel gave it a positive review, but I never felt connected to the narrator. The story, told in fragments, moved too quickly for Hunter to develop her characters, and for being compared to The Road, it was simply too optimistic. This was not a memorable read for me.
I read this book because:
A. Adrienne won it from a Goodreads giveaway.
B. The book has a plug from Emily St. John Mandel on the cover, and she did not steer me wrong on the American War recommendation.
C. It's about 135 pages and written as a bunch of one-sentence paragraphs that resemble poetic Tweets, so it was a good way to ensure I read my 30th book of the year before the end of the month.
But it was an interesting read, although incredibly sparse. There's no dialogue, no named characters (just first initials), and minimal plot. I'd give it a seven out of ten and would read more from this author in the future.
A. Adrienne won it from a Goodreads giveaway.
B. The book has a plug from Emily St. John Mandel on the cover, and she did not steer me wrong on the American War recommendation.
C. It's about 135 pages and written as a bunch of one-sentence paragraphs that resemble poetic Tweets, so it was a good way to ensure I read my 30th book of the year before the end of the month.
But it was an interesting read, although incredibly sparse. There's no dialogue, no named characters (just first initials), and minimal plot. I'd give it a seven out of ten and would read more from this author in the future.
sad
fast-paced
I like how the dystopian setting is set against the baby, growing up against all odds: "He lifts a leg, and - impossible, impossible- he takes a step."
The language is poetic to the point where it's almost poetry rather than prose, and it's a little terrifying to see how little words are needed to convey the setting, because that's how familiar we've become with the apocalypse and dystopian worlds.
The language is poetic to the point where it's almost poetry rather than prose, and it's a little terrifying to see how little words are needed to convey the setting, because that's how familiar we've become with the apocalypse and dystopian worlds.
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Like a poem, the pages are simple. You wont find long paragraphs but rather short lines of narrative and italicized prose - quotes, wisdom, biblical.
Even the names are sparse, with just the first letter “Z” or “R”.
A unique style which feels important for dystopian genre
Even the names are sparse, with just the first letter “Z” or “R”.
A unique style which feels important for dystopian genre