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jamii's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Ableism, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent
justovereherereading's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
2.5
The relationship between the boy and his father in this book is wonderful. The boy with his additional needs and the fathers willingness to fight for him.
This book left me a bit Bewildered if I’m honest. I loved it as much as I didn’t…I don’t know how to explain it because I’m not sure I even fully understood some aspects of the book, it was as simple as it was complex! The book is futuristic in a present sense & otherworldly in an earthly sense…I think it just went over my head in some ways with all the scientific language and the planet explanations!
The ending is both sad and hopeful at the same time!
This book left me a bit Bewildered if I’m honest. I loved it as much as I didn’t…I don’t know how to explain it because I’m not sure I even fully understood some aspects of the book, it was as simple as it was complex! The book is futuristic in a present sense & otherworldly in an earthly sense…I think it just went over my head in some ways with all the scientific language and the planet explanations!
The ending is both sad and hopeful at the same time!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Grief, Child death, and Death of parent
just_one_more_paige's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Continuing my slow, but hopefully steady, read through of the 2022 Aspen Words Literary Prize longlist, this is my third of the bunch. Powers has had a number of really popular releases over the past few years, but I have never really been moved to pick any of them up. The same was true of this one, if I'm being honest. But because he is so popular, it was one of the easier ones to get my hands on, so I got to it sooner rather than later.
Theo Byrne is an astrobiologist and, now, single father (after the untimely death of his wife in an accident). Theo feels in over his head raising his nine-year-old, Robin,who is a unique child, tender-hearted and fixedly focused on animal rights advocacy and preservation, while struggling in school to control certain emotional reactions to interpersonal interactions. Theo is advised by the school multiple times that Robin should consider further help with his sociality and emotional control, including the potential for medication. Theo desperately wants to avoid that and, instead, reaches out to a fellow researcher to try an experimental neurofeedback treatment. And the reader is brought along on an intimate journey with Theo and Robin, as they jointly navigate the universal complications of family, grief, society, environmental justice, and the political landscape.
Well, I am grateful to Aspen Words for making me pick up this short but impactful novel. Like I said, I would not have done so under just my own volition, and I am truly glad to have spent my time within its pages. First of all, the writing was simply gorgeous. It was tender and poetic and full of feeling juxtaposed perfectly with science and precision and sparseness. I know that there were some criticisms of Powers' choice to euphemistically refer to many fully recognizable characters/parallels to real life (Marie Kondo, TED Talks, Greta Thunberg, Trump, to name a few), and questions as to why he didn't just name them. But for me, the sort of speculative fiction vibe to the story was well served by the choice to use euphemisms/alternate names. Knowing what they referred to meant that the impact of the messages wasn't lessened, but I was simultaneously able to stay "escaped" into the world he created, instead of being thrust back into "real" life too harshly. I also loved the way Theo uses his education/knowledge as an astrobiologist to fuel his imagination, creating (fully developed/realistic) planets as metaphors for life and social emotional teaching moments for Robin. That, and really the majority of their father-son interactions, are so sweet.
There are quite a few major themes that Powers packs into this slim novel, bringing a depth to each that is quite impressive considering how little space he does it in. He spins astronomy/science, social commentary, environmental justice, grief and family loss, touching and poignant father son moments, and a criticism of the way this country stifles and limits anyone who is non-neurotypical (in ways especially egregious with children), together with such finesse. Powers meditates on the importance of empathy, not just for fellow humans, but also for other species, (and how that would make us better humans); through Robin's eyes, this is a particularly powerful and affecting message. And with that, he illustrates the heart-wrenching and terrifying effects of the decline of the world as we know it, specifically natural/environmental and human/interactive, on children; the deep and inescapable trauma of watching that happen in real time, as adults seem to do little to address/stop it. (And as the adult, where do you draw the line between your child's innocence and the need for them to know the truth?) Finally, there is a great exploration of the harmful effects of radicalized politicalization, dogma, religious fanaticism, on individual lives.
The one thing that did strike a bit of a warning bell was the overall reaction from Theo to the use of diagnosis/medication to help his son. I definitely understand that it can be an overwhelming suggestion to a parent and, after working in school systems quite a bit, is over-suggested (for sure). However, the tone of this novel as so deeply anti-diagnosis/medicine is a bit concerning. There are many cases where medication is both necessary and extremely beneficial and ruling it out on principle seems like a dangerous agenda to push. Frustration with a lack of consensus from professionals involved does make sense, but mental health is complex, not always straightforward. I feel like there could have been a few steps between the suggestions of school psychologists/counselors and Theo's full rejection of them as a parent who "knows best" (even after myriad admittances that he feels out of his depth as a parent?). Overall, I felt greater compromise or cooperation might have been better, as a message to the public? Maybe even just an acknowledgement that the extremity of Theo's reactions and/or the validity of other options and/or a line showing that further conversations were had but still no compromise was found? I don't know. While reading, I empathized with Theo, and understood the reasons and emotions that drove his decision making, so within that context, it did fit. And yet, it also really read like Powers had an agenda there, beyond the characterization of Theo within the novel, and it was the one thing that sort of pulled me from the narrative.
I'm also not sure how I felt about the ending. It was a gut punch in the moment for sure, but after sitting with it...it seems too easy? Other reviews have noted that it is a reference/homage to Flowers for Algernon, which is mentioned throughout the novel, but having never read it myself, I can only say how I reacted to the ending in this one context, without that influence. And in this case, I felt like it allowed Theo an escape that undermined some of the progress and emotionality of the rest of the story.
The combination of curiosity and fear/loss, the grounding of one mixed with the out-of-control of the other, that form the baseline for this book conceptually is really well executed. There is such a rising and crashing of hope, as the emotional line traveled by the reader, and it was quite affecting. There is a line from a poem by Pablo Neruda that Powers uses to describe Theo's wife throughout the novel, “compact but planetary,” that feels like the perfect descriptor for the scope and feel of the themes and writing in this novel as well. A stunning, gorgeously rendered, introspective piece of fiction.
“I wanted to tell the man that everyone alive on this fluke little planet was on the spectrum. That's what a spectrum is. I wanted to tell the man that life itself is a spectrum disorder, where each of us vibrated at some frequency in the continuous rainbow.”
“Nobody’s perfect [...] But, man, we all fall short so beautifully.”
“Every belief will be outgrown, in time. THe first lesson of the universe is to never reason from a single instance. Unless you only have one instance. In which case: find another.”
“…but against shamelessness, outrage is impotent.”
"We learned how the Constitution was one thing and the local powers of enforcement were another. That alone was enough civics lesson to show why legal public demonstration was never enough to threaten the status quo.”
“He wanted drama and showdown and righteous calls for justice from concerned citizens. Instead, he got America.” (Wow, what a sobering and upsetting statement about this country.)
“In the face of the world's basic brokenness, more empathy meant deeper suffering.”
“Earth had two kinds of people: those who could do that math and follow the science, and those who were happier with their own truths. But in our hearts' daily practice, whatever schools we went to, we all lived as if tomorrow would be a clone of now.”
“The trap evolution shaped for us: the entire species might have been on the line, and I'd still worry first about my son.”
"Oh, this planet was a good one. And we, too, were good, as good as the burn of the sun and the rain's sting and the smell of living soil, the all-over song of endless solutions signing the air of a changing world that by every calculation ought never to have been."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Grief
Moderate: Car accident, Death of parent, Infidelity, and Ableism
Minor: Animal death and Self harm
mmmmkay's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Car accident
Minor: Animal death
bookscoffeehayley's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Child death, Death of parent, and Grief
internationalreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Car accident, Child death, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Self harm, Sexual content, and Xenophobia
scocco32's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Child death, Grief, and Mental illness
rynicolereads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This was my first time reading anything by Powers, but I now understand why many praise his writing. I wanted to flag or underline nearly every line because his words capture nature's magic in such stunning ways.
"Through the circle of trees, so sharp it seemed within easy reach, the Milky Way spilled out—countless speckled placers in a black streambed. If you held still, you could almost see the stars wheel."
I was nervous that I wouldn't connect with the science fiction part of the story, but I ended up enjoying those moments. This book feels more literary than SciFi, which is likely why it worked so well for me. I had a few qualms with some of the character's actions and decisions, but I don't personally need to love a character to love a book. Overall, I found Bewilderment to be incredibly moving and so beautifully written.
"Through the circle of trees, so sharp it seemed within easy reach, the Milky Way spilled out—countless speckled placers in a black streambed. If you held still, you could almost see the stars wheel."
I was nervous that I wouldn't connect with the science fiction part of the story, but I ended up enjoying those moments. This book feels more literary than SciFi, which is likely why it worked so well for me. I had a few qualms with some of the character's actions and decisions, but I don't personally need to love a character to love a book. Overall, I found Bewilderment to be incredibly moving and so beautifully written.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
Minor: Animal cruelty
alexhaydon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Grief
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This is the story of Theo, an astrobiologist, and his 9 year old son Robin. Robin is especially sensitive, anxious and prone to violent outbursts. Grief could well play a part since his mother recently died in a car accident. Some of his issues may well be valid reactions to what is and isn’t happening in the world, especially when it comes to the environment. But ADHD and/or autism disorders are also hinted at. The school wants Robin medicated. Theo resists and chooses to take Robin on a wilderness escape, then later homeschools him and enrols him on an experimental neurofeedback programme to help regulate his emotions.
I loved the bond between Theo and Robin, the fact that Theo accepted Robin for who he was and didn’t try to change him. Robin made my heart ache, especially since he reminded me of one of my own children at a similar age. I loved the way homeschooling was incorporated into the plot. I’m obviously biased since I homeschooled for more than 20 years and it certainly isn’t an option for everyone, but sometimes the problem is the system not the child. Or at least the system’s inability to accommodate the child. Theo and Robin’s love of the natural world and the way it provided an element of healing rang very true. The environmental crisis and the threat posed by climate change were prominent themes. Some readers found that too heavy handed but I’m not sure it is possible to overplay those factors in today’s world. I loved the writing, particularly the way it captured the beauty of the the natural world.
A few things didn’t work for me. Occasionally the interplanetary research and the neurofeedback experiments got too technical and the Greta Thunberg and Donald Trump characters took me out of the story. Since I don’t read a lot of sci-fi and haven’t read Flowers for Algernon I’m not in a position to appreciate or critique those aspects of Bewilderment .
Final Verdict - This book was much more hit than miss for me. A touchingly written novel about a father-son relationship that highlights the wonders of the natural world and the many threats it faces.
I loved the bond between Theo and Robin, the fact that Theo accepted Robin for who he was and didn’t try to change him. Robin made my heart ache, especially since he reminded me of one of my own children at a similar age. I loved the way homeschooling was incorporated into the plot. I’m obviously biased since I homeschooled for more than 20 years and it certainly isn’t an option for everyone, but sometimes the problem is the system not the child. Or at least the system’s inability to accommodate the child. Theo and Robin’s love of the natural world and the way it provided an element of healing rang very true. The environmental crisis and the threat posed by climate change were prominent themes. Some readers found that too heavy handed but I’m not sure it is possible to overplay those factors in today’s world. I loved the writing, particularly the way it captured the beauty of the the natural world.
A few things didn’t work for me. Occasionally the interplanetary research and the neurofeedback experiments got too technical and the Greta Thunberg and Donald Trump characters took me out of the story. Since I don’t read a lot of sci-fi and haven’t read Flowers for Algernon I’m not in a position to appreciate or critique those aspects of Bewilderment .
Final Verdict - This book was much more hit than miss for me. A touchingly written novel about a father-son relationship that highlights the wonders of the natural world and the many threats it faces.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief