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achlebos's review against another edition
2.0
This book was not what I expected. There is a twist of magical realism that was both a surprise and unwelcome. It was discordant in a book that is ostensibly about the restriction of coming of age in an isolationist, cult-like community. That being said, the author does a good job of communication the emotion of the characters and the sense of awe and terror of certain situations.
spoerk's review against another edition
4.0
When I got this from Netgalley, I didn't know what to think. Well no. I did know what I thought. I thought, "ugh great ANOTHER 'im runnin away from a cult' book"
And while, yes, that somewhat sums it up, there is so much more. Family myth mixed with "being different," mixed with the status quo.
It's interesting to see how hard Hanna fought to just do what was expected of her, instead of what she wanted. It makes me wonder how people stay in these religious cults, but the author gave a convincing reason to stay put.
I can see this as a good summer reading book for older teens too.
And while, yes, that somewhat sums it up, there is so much more. Family myth mixed with "being different," mixed with the status quo.
It's interesting to see how hard Hanna fought to just do what was expected of her, instead of what she wanted. It makes me wonder how people stay in these religious cults, but the author gave a convincing reason to stay put.
I can see this as a good summer reading book for older teens too.
mells_view's review against another edition
5.0
What sold me on this book: a young girl who has been raised in the secluded polygamist town of Clearhaven is soon to be married off to a man nearly three times her age.
What kept me reading: Hanna was relatable. She was a teen girl who had been told one thing all of her life, and after meeting a stranger and a talk with her mother, she finds out nothing is what she thought. The writing from Meades is enthralling. I could not put this book down, because at times it felt like pure poetry. There are times in this story that I want to just shake the characters. Yell "wake up," in their faces! Meades does a wonderful job putting the reader into Hanna's shoes, and helping you feel the warring thoughts and feelings going through her. The mystery and so many questions that you'll start to ask once you start reading!
There is a little bit of a love story, but this is mostly a unique coming of age story, with a fantastical bit of plot mixed in to take the heavy reality edge off.
I really enjoyed this story, and think lightning has struck with the girl who fell from the sky.
saltyladle's review against another edition
3.0
This book highlights why I hate when men try to write from the perspective of women, specifically a teenaged girl. This author falls pretty short of the mark, turning all his female characters into archetypes. The magical realism was interesting, and it was a good premise and super easy to read, but I agree with previous reviewers that it fell short of the mark. It read like poorly written YA, never really going there, never really hitting me where I feel things.
stacyroth's review against another edition
3.0
I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.
Hanna lives in a polygamous cult, the oldest of 15 children in her family. She is just about to turn 18, and then she will be married off to be the fifth wife of a man more than twice her age. When the benefactor of the community and his family return to the community, Hanna finds herself drawn to the youngest son, Daniel. Daniel tells Hanna that she doesn't have to do what is expected of her and encourages her to follow her own free will. Hanna is torn: she wants to escape the marriage that is her fate, but she cannot imagine leaving her mom or her siblings.
I don't know how to feel about this book. Meades did a great job with building the world of this cult. I just wanted to be able to drive there and save Hanna (and the other women in the community) myself. However, most of the book could have taken place at a secluded community in today's world, but
Hanna lives in a polygamous cult, the oldest of 15 children in her family. She is just about to turn 18, and then she will be married off to be the fifth wife of a man more than twice her age. When the benefactor of the community and his family return to the community, Hanna finds herself drawn to the youngest son, Daniel. Daniel tells Hanna that she doesn't have to do what is expected of her and encourages her to follow her own free will. Hanna is torn: she wants to escape the marriage that is her fate, but she cannot imagine leaving her mom or her siblings.
I don't know how to feel about this book. Meades did a great job with building the world of this cult. I just wanted to be able to drive there and save Hanna (and the other women in the community) myself. However, most of the book could have taken place at a secluded community in today's world, but
Spoiler
Hanna's way to escape the cult was supernatural, and I think I was looking for a way that a real woman could have escaped.bluekaren's review against another edition
4.0
The main theme of the story is fear. Hanna is the oldest in her family’s clan of 9 children. The story starts 10 days before Hanna’s 18th birthday. On Hanna’s 18th birthday a man twice Hanna’s age, with 4 other wives, will marry and deflower Hanna. Hanna meets a boy named Daniel at church who starts to change her views for her future. He opens Hanna’s eyes and makes her question her options. Hanna, her siblings, and her mother and sister mothers live in constant fear of displeasing their father and the elder of the community. Disobedience in any form means immediate punishment. Hanna must decide if she will follow her marital fate or try for something beyond the community and leave her family behind.
This whole story takes place in about a weeks time and has a magical element that I didn’t see coming at all. I liked he descriptive details this author sprinkles throughout the story. I had no problem imagining the crumbling house she grows up in or the lavish accommodations of her betrothed. It felt like I was right there next to Hanna seeing things as she saw them.I had a hard time picturing the magical element but it did help the story progress.
This is a coming of age story about a relate-able girl. Hanna has hopes for herself and her sisters, especially her handicapped sister Emily. Her bond with Emily and need to protect her is admirable. There are quite a few female relationships in this story that, while uncomfortable, make perfect sense. I liked the closeness between Hanna and Kara, her real mother, and the almost rivalry between Jessamina, her families youngest sister wife. The dynamics of these females are pretty insightful.
What I didn’t like about this story were those descriptions of the elder men in the community. I have a hard time believing these people would cast most of their sons out, or that this whole community of men could all be so evil. Other than a few choice boys, all the males in this book are pure evil. I do wish there would have been more explanation for Hanna’s gift. I feel like the author left the reader hanging as to why and that left me a little disappointed. I also didn’t like Hanna’s choices at the end for her sister Emily.
This was a pretty addictive read for me from start to finish despite my small issues with the story. There is much more I could say about Hanna and town but I don’t want to spoil anything for potential readers. I would recommend this to people who don’t mind wondering about the author’s intentions. This could be a story of coming of age, or a fantastical story about a girl with a rare gift. The author left that for the reader to decide.
abookishtype's review against another edition
3.0
Everything about Hanna Who Fell from the Sky, by Christopher Meades, is odd. The polygamy practiced in Clearhaven isn’t that strange, given that the FLDS exist. But a girl who actually fell from the sky is definitely out of the ordinary. All her life, Hanna has been told this strange story by her mother. So while she does her best to be obedient to her father and the community’s spiritual leader and cares for her many (many) siblings, Hanna always has a sneaking suspicion that she’s different from everyone else. Maybe she really did fall from the sky. She might have gone on wondering if her sudden betrothal to a man three times her age hadn’t occurred...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for review consideration.
xiomara's review against another edition
1.0
** 0.75/5 and I’m been that specific **
The story about Hanna, a 17 year old girl who is about to get married when she turn 18. She lives with her father, her mother, the 3 more wives of her father and her 13 siblings. They live in Clearhaven, a community surrounded by the woods. They have a cult that remains me a lot to the Amish, they are don’t have any connection with their external surroundings, they don’t use technology... I don’t have that much knowledge with the beliefs and social expectations in the Amish community, I’m just pointing out that it remains me of it. By what I read this cult was created by Brother Paul, Jotham (Hanna’s father), Edwin (Hanna’s husband to be) and Francis. In this cult, males rule and they marry as many girls as they’ll like. The boys, when they are mature enough to get married are ‘chosen’ to leave their community because that’s ‘The Creator’s will’ but Hanna finds out is just a way for the older males to get rid of their competition and so the girls wouldn’t have a better choice for a husband.
The story deals a lot with Patriarchy, Incest, Sexual Harassment. There is a little bit of romance but is pointless.
But it is ok for Hanna to fight against her father’s will... because she fell from the sky... she deserves more ¿¿??
After she finds out that her mother didn’t have her but that she literally felt from the sky she decides that she is much more that the fifth wife of a man...
Once I put in my mind that the story has a way for the author to fulfill his sexual fantasies I couldn’t seem the story from another perspective. And I’m so sorry if it wasn’t his intention, I felt so uncomfortable reading this and I just can’t get his point of view in the story
The story about Hanna, a 17 year old girl who is about to get married when she turn 18. She lives with her father, her mother, the 3 more wives of her father and her 13 siblings. They live in Clearhaven, a community surrounded by the woods. They have a cult that remains me a lot to the Amish, they are don’t have any connection with their external surroundings, they don’t use technology... I don’t have that much knowledge with the beliefs and social expectations in the Amish community, I’m just pointing out that it remains me of it. By what I read this cult was created by Brother Paul, Jotham (Hanna’s father), Edwin (Hanna’s husband to be) and Francis. In this cult, males rule and they marry as many girls as they’ll like. The boys, when they are mature enough to get married are ‘chosen’ to leave their community because that’s ‘The Creator’s will’ but Hanna finds out is just a way for the older males to get rid of their competition and so the girls wouldn’t have a better choice for a husband.
The story deals a lot with Patriarchy, Incest, Sexual Harassment. There is a little bit of romance but is pointless.
But it is ok for Hanna to fight against her father’s will... because she fell from the sky... she deserves more ¿¿??
After she finds out that her mother didn’t have her but that she literally felt from the sky she decides that she is much more that the fifth wife of a man...
Once I put in my mind that the story has a way for the author to fulfill his sexual fantasies I couldn’t seem the story from another perspective. And I’m so sorry if it wasn’t his intention, I felt so uncomfortable reading this and I just can’t get his point of view in the story
saracurran05's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
sinamile's review against another edition
DNF: 25%
ARC Review: Received for free via NetGalley for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
CW/TW: abuse, forced marriage, incest, cult, dissociation,
I don't know how to appriately explain it, but there a way in which the sister was described at the beginning that made me kind of feel iffy. Maybe I'm being sensitive, but.
Shit like this makes me so uncomfortable, lol. Like you take Christianity and warp it to fit your own laws and rules and make yourself controlling over others is yikes. May the good Lord never put me in a situation where I am mistreated by another because they think they are doing it for the glory of God.
But anywhoo, this isn't the type of book for me. I tried to get into it, but I can't do it, so....
ARC Review: Received for free via NetGalley for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
CW/TW: abuse, forced marriage, incest, cult, dissociation,
I don't know how to appriately explain it, but there a way in which the sister was described at the beginning that made me kind of feel iffy. Maybe I'm being sensitive, but.
Shit like this makes me so uncomfortable, lol. Like you take Christianity and warp it to fit your own laws and rules and make yourself controlling over others is yikes. May the good Lord never put me in a situation where I am mistreated by another because they think they are doing it for the glory of God.
But anywhoo, this isn't the type of book for me. I tried to get into it, but I can't do it, so....