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augie_'s review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Death, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Blood, Gun violence, Child death, and Violence
greatexpectations77's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Confinement, and Classism
Moderate: Grief, Gun violence, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcohol, Sexual content, Child death, and Blood
c_dmckinney's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Kidnapping, Murder, Grief, Police brutality, Death, Gun violence, War, Classism, Gaslighting, and Violence
Minor: Misogyny, Police brutality, Animal death, Blood, Murder, Abandonment, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Classism, and Violence
asourceoffiction's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Death and Confinement
Moderate: Gun violence
lottselgar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Kidnapping, Violence, Classism, Confinement, Murder, and Infidelity
Moderate: Sexual content
notjillsanders's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Violence, Child death, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
helen's review against another edition
4.0
This book is set in an unspecified South American country and the hostages are from all over the world, including a famous American soprano, an opera-loving Japanese businessman, and his (very overworked!) translator.
The hostage-takers start off as a scary group with guns, but over the course of the book, via Patchett's excellent use of humour and pathos, they become individuals who are trapped by their circumstances. The author makes a bold decision to tell us their fate in chapter one. This has the effect of allowing us to slow down and sink into the unfurling story without the need to rush to the end to find out what happens.
Despite the violent beginning and ending, at its heart it's a kind story about trapped people finding a common language via music and love.
4 stars because I really disliked the epilogue.
Content notes:
Moderate: Death, Murder, Gun violence, and Violence
Minor: Sexual content
deebee223's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Confinement and Kidnapping
Moderate: Police brutality, Infidelity, Death, Violence, Gun violence, and Murder
Minor: War
matcha_pages's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Death
Minor: Gun violence
rosalind's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, and Gun violence
Moderate: Death and Medical content
Minor: Sexual content