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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
This book is a lovely exploration of grief and love and uncertainty. Really more of a literary fiction than a thriller, so don’t expect much plot.
dark
emotional
mysterious
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Death of parent
QUICK TAKE
Knife River by Justine Champine is an atmospheric and heart wrenching look at grief, loss, and the powers of female relationships. The writing is exquisite, and the twists and turns keep coming. I have read nothing else like it.
TELL ME MORE
Friends, we have the next Jodi Picoult on our hands! And if you know me at all, you know just how much Jodi Picoult means to me.
At first glance, Knife River is a mystery following the discovery of the remains of a mother who went missing several years prior. The story follows Jess, the younger of two sisters who fled Knife River as soon as she was of age and spent most of her adult life moving from girlfriend to girlfriend before receiving a call from her older sister, Liz, that their mother’s remains had been found. Finding herself back in the town and the childhood house that she hoped to never see again, Liz is forced to relive the past, including confronting the first girl she ever fell in love with.
Highly character driven, Knife River is an atmospheric and beautifully written exploration of the relationship between two sisters and female relationships in general.
I found Champine’s writing to be similar to Picoult’s in that she created a difficult and heart wrenching situation filled with mystery and intrigue but peppered it with deeply real and flawed characters. While the mystery behind how their mother died is the focal point of the novel, it is the surrounding situations involving the police and Jess’ and Liz’s personal lives that create the majority of the story. There are a few twists and turns that create a thriller aspect to the story, but in the end, it is the characters and their development that took my breath away.
I loved the possible neurodivergent representation of Liz’s character and the sapphic elements involving Jess. The problematic elements of small-town life and how those in the LGBTQIA+ community are often treated in these areas were addressed, and it was such an essential piece of the book.
The novel is at once heartbreaking and hopeful, and the ending was gorgeous. I only took off one star because the extensive descriptions could get tiresome at times, but other than that, it was a special and heartfelt book that will stick with me for a long time.
Knife River by Justine Champine is an atmospheric and heart wrenching look at grief, loss, and the powers of female relationships. The writing is exquisite, and the twists and turns keep coming. I have read nothing else like it.
TELL ME MORE
Friends, we have the next Jodi Picoult on our hands! And if you know me at all, you know just how much Jodi Picoult means to me.
At first glance, Knife River is a mystery following the discovery of the remains of a mother who went missing several years prior. The story follows Jess, the younger of two sisters who fled Knife River as soon as she was of age and spent most of her adult life moving from girlfriend to girlfriend before receiving a call from her older sister, Liz, that their mother’s remains had been found. Finding herself back in the town and the childhood house that she hoped to never see again, Liz is forced to relive the past, including confronting the first girl she ever fell in love with.
Highly character driven, Knife River is an atmospheric and beautifully written exploration of the relationship between two sisters and female relationships in general.
I found Champine’s writing to be similar to Picoult’s in that she created a difficult and heart wrenching situation filled with mystery and intrigue but peppered it with deeply real and flawed characters. While the mystery behind how their mother died is the focal point of the novel, it is the surrounding situations involving the police and Jess’ and Liz’s personal lives that create the majority of the story. There are a few twists and turns that create a thriller aspect to the story, but in the end, it is the characters and their development that took my breath away.
I loved the possible neurodivergent representation of Liz’s character and the sapphic elements involving Jess. The problematic elements of small-town life and how those in the LGBTQIA+ community are often treated in these areas were addressed, and it was such an essential piece of the book.
The novel is at once heartbreaking and hopeful, and the ending was gorgeous. I only took off one star because the extensive descriptions could get tiresome at times, but other than that, it was a special and heartfelt book that will stick with me for a long time.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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
DNF at 11%
Very slow and the narrators performance doesn’t work for me.
Very slow and the narrators performance doesn’t work for me.
slow-paced
dark
mysterious
sad
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:
Yes
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced