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pmhandley's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
James McBride can always write a tale. If you've read his other books, you'll recognize his usual habits - lots of absurd nicknames, heavy religious imagery, rather uncomfortable descriptions of the female characters. The plot was interesting even when I wasn't sure what direction things were going, and the characters have quippy enough dialogue that I was able to overlook that some of them weren't utilized nearly enough in the overall arc and fizzle out too early. The metaphor gets too clunky when McBride drops subtlety and veers into "kids and their screens these days" territory. Despite this, I always enjoy the cast of characters McBride creates, which nearly always make his stories worth reading in their own right.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Alcohol, Violence, Racial slurs, Death, and Antisemitism
Minor: Excrement
kurtgrl13's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Hate crime, and Racism
Moderate: Violence, Excrement, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Alcohol, Rape, and Forced institutionalization
machenn's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Grief, Mental illness, Death, Sexual assault, Antisemitism, Racial slurs, and Alcohol
throwback682's review against another edition
I had to stop reading this book when I got to the part where Dodo meets the Son of Man. : It’s implied that he’s a pedophile. I tried to find out online whether it goes any further than that / if there’s a child rape scene / how graphic it is. but I wasn’t able to find the information so I just had to stop.
My impressions of the first 70% of the audiobook were
- that the narrator is really talented and voices many different characters distinctly and well.
- there are a ton of characters and it’s hard to keep everyone straight. There was constantly a new person entering and their backstory being told. The book was really trying to do a lot. It felt like how I tell stories when I don’t have my ADHD meds.
- but many of the characters were very compelling and I do want to know how it ends
My impressions of the first 70% of the audiobook were
- that the narrator is really talented and voices many different characters distinctly and well.
- there are a ton of characters and it’s hard to keep everyone straight. There was constantly a new person entering and their backstory being told. The book was really trying to do a lot. It felt like how I tell stories when I don’t have my ADHD meds.
- but many of the characters were very compelling and I do want to know how it ends
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Ableism, Alcohol, Chronic illness, and Confinement
Moderate: Pedophilia, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Sexual violence
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