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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
This novel reads like a movie. Early in the book, this is because of the vivid descriptions - both of characters and of place. Later in the book, it is because it takes on the increased and adrenaline-laced pace of an action-packed thriller. The last chapters rely on readers suspending disbelief in ways that likely work in film, but (for me) didn't here.
There are some beautiful and insightful descriptions here. Early on, describing Loo being teased mercilessly: ". . . feeling the cause must be some personal defect, some missing part of herself that the others recognized, a rotting, empty hole that whistled when she walked, no matter how quiet she tried to be." But other times, such as when explicitly stating the theme of the novel and explaining how it is reflected in many characters, Tinti doesn't seem to trust readers to pay attention, to get it, to think.
I can't quite reconcile the title of the novel with the novel itself. Presumably, the title is a nod at the expression of cats having nine lives and the twelve bullets Samuel has taken are his twelve lives. This doesn't quite slide into focus as while some of the shots are extremely serious and threaten Samuel's life, others are relatively minor injuries and shouldn't really count as a life. A minor, but lingering, distraction from the book itself.
There are some beautiful and insightful descriptions here. Early on, describing Loo being teased mercilessly: ". . . feeling the cause must be some personal defect, some missing part of herself that the others recognized, a rotting, empty hole that whistled when she walked, no matter how quiet she tried to be." But other times, such as when explicitly stating the theme of the novel and explaining how it is reflected in many characters, Tinti doesn't seem to trust readers to pay attention, to get it, to think.
I can't quite reconcile the title of the novel with the novel itself. Presumably, the title is a nod at the expression of cats having nine lives and the twelve bullets Samuel has taken are his twelve lives. This doesn't quite slide into focus as while some of the shots are extremely serious and threaten Samuel's life, others are relatively minor injuries and shouldn't really count as a life. A minor, but lingering, distraction from the book itself.
Great story of Father/Daughter relationship with protective, criminal, and grief background. Enjoy the back and forth of past to present with a main character who is dangerous and a little scary but I was constantly rooting for him. His daughter's coming-of-age drama pulled at me heart strings. Had a hard time putting the book down once I started.
This is a keeper, a literary tale of a father-daughter relationship. Samuel is a thief and the father of a young woman. Chapters weave back and forth between his past (revealing how he got various bullet wounds) and his life with his daughter. What happened to his wife? What does his daughter know of his background? Ultimately past and present meet up. It's a grabber of a story, beautifully plotted, nicely paced and character driven. How does the author know so much about guns and thieves? I'm going to have to get her first novel, The Good Thief.
I had been seeing this book mentioned everywhere before I was able to get my hands on it, and after reading it I can definitely see why there was so much hype around this book. The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley tells the story of father (the aforementioned Samuel Hawley) and his daughter (Loo) in chapters that alternate between the two family members. Samuel's chapters tell the story of his twelve bullet wounds while Loo's chapters tell of his discovering both who she is and who her father might be. It's a great study in what it means to be "good" and what it means to be "bad". Tinti does a great job of creating characters that blur those lines, and readers find themselves rooting for characters that exist beyond those boundaries.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this novel for an honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this novel for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book, and would put it in my "Best of 2017" list. I liked a lot of the elements: the sense of adventure all the way through, the main character (actually Samuel Hawley's daughter) who is such a likable and strong protagonist, the "bullet" chapters describing each of Hawley's "lives," and just about everything. It would make a good book club read too, because I could see lots of different opinions coming out.
***DNF***
Don't be discouraged, the writing is very good and I will read more from this author. The reason I didn't finish is because I don't like Samuel Hawley as a character so I don't want to dedicate more time to finding out about the rest of his twelve lives. The three or four lives I've already read about seem to me to be a direct result of his actions and choices so it's not all that remarkable or interesting. I do enjoy the chapters with his daughter, she seems like a good kid despite how she's grown up moving around with Sam; but her chapters are fewer and farther between. Perhaps one day I'll get curious enough to go back to this and finish it just to see what happens with the daughter and what, if anything, finally takes Sam down, but right now is not that time.
Don't be discouraged, the writing is very good and I will read more from this author. The reason I didn't finish is because I don't like Samuel Hawley as a character so I don't want to dedicate more time to finding out about the rest of his twelve lives. The three or four lives I've already read about seem to me to be a direct result of his actions and choices so it's not all that remarkable or interesting. I do enjoy the chapters with his daughter, she seems like a good kid despite how she's grown up moving around with Sam; but her chapters are fewer and farther between. Perhaps one day I'll get curious enough to go back to this and finish it just to see what happens with the daughter and what, if anything, finally takes Sam down, but right now is not that time.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
I LOVED this book! It's so beautifully written with beautiful, rich characters. I was sad when it ended, and I wouldn't get to spend any more time with Loo and Hawley. Told through chapters that alternate between the past and the present, it is really a coming-of-age story (with lots of adventure) for both characters, and examines how their relationship changes and grows as they come to terms with their history. This is one of the few books I'll go back to and read again.