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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is the second Jessica Shattuck book I have read, and I gave "The Women in the Castle" 5 stars. The Last House was good, but not extraordinary (in my opinion). The story is mainly told from 2 timelines: approximately 1953 and the late 1960s. Nick and Bet (short for Elizabeth) are married and have two children, and Nick takes a job in the Middle East working with the Iranian government to procure oil for the US. Fast forward to the late 1960s, and both of their children are grown and a part of the liberal, left-leaning organizations of the time, such as the SDS, which was a prominent anti-war and anti-racism organization of the time. Both children, Harry and Katherine, do not approve of their parents' ideologies and the fact that their dad works for big-oil, which is what drives the American "war machine."
The book ends in 2026 (which is currently in the future for me as I write this review), and the author ties everything together for Bet and Nick's grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I enjoyed the historical context of the late 1960s, and I learned a lot about Iranian culture from this book. However, I feel like the author tried to tie everything together with the "Last House" in 2026, and I didn't enjoy the ending.
The book ends in 2026 (which is currently in the future for me as I write this review), and the author ties everything together for Bet and Nick's grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I enjoyed the historical context of the late 1960s, and I learned a lot about Iranian culture from this book. However, I feel like the author tried to tie everything together with the "Last House" in 2026, and I didn't enjoy the ending.
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There’s enough historical material about the oil industry and Iran in the 70s to make me want to finish reading it but overall I found the pace to be too slow and the characters were not as interesting as I had hoped. This ARC was provided by William Morrow publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely loooooooved this book and oh it was so so sad.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated