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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
For a first novel, this was pretty good. A little slow and ponderous, this is a character study set in a dying upstate NY town. There's not a whole lot of action, but the main characters seem realistically portrayed and the dialogue mostly rings true. There were no real surprises here in the outcomes of the stories, but I still felt invested in the journey.
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars. I would read more from the author.
I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars. I would read more from the author.
I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.
I saw a lot of early good reviews about this book, so I really expected to love it. It is SO SLOW though. Don't go into this thinking it is a mystery. It's really a literary fiction book about 2 sisters and a little bit of a mystery. I made myself keep going, because I kept waiting for it to pick up. Disappointing. Okayfor a library check-out, but I am glad I didn't buy it.
I received an advanced reader copy via NetGalley.
I received an advanced reader copy via NetGalley.
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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:
No
This was a surprise. Was not expecting that ending.
I loved the sibling relationship and the deeply flawed sisters trying to find their way together. The mystery is a very slow burn, but I found it satisfying.
"Knife River" is a beautifully written debut novel. It's a character driven, slow burn kind of mystery. The book is about two sisters Jess and Liz. When they are 13 and 19, their mother mysteriously disappears. The novel begins fifteen years later when Jess returns to Knife River for the first time in years because some evidence related to their mom's disappearance is found. Knife River is a small town in upstate NY which has seen better days.
At its heart, this is a story about two sisters. Jess and Liz have both been affected very differently from the trauma of their mother's disappearance. Jess spent ten years living as a nomad moving from place to place, from girlfriend to girlfriend. Liz stayed put in the town and home they lived in just in case their mom returned. Now Jess has come home and the sisters are hoping for answers about what happened to their mother. But answers don't come quickly at all and often lead to more questions.
We are brought back to the day of the disappearance and other times before and after that as Jess remembers the past. All in all, I really loved this book and it's one that will stay with me for quite a while. This was a haunting, emotional story of two sisters reconnecting and moving forward after living through such a horrific, traumatic event.
Fun fact: I figured the author must be from NJ (where I'm from) because two of the restaurants that are in this novel are the names of beloved restaurants in NJ that sadly have been shuttered for years.
Thank you to the publisher for the advance digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I absolutely loved this book. The pacing and writing was completely different than all of the other mysteries I’ve read. It’a a page-turner, but not because of suspense. Instead, it’s the author’s beautiful writing, the way she describes thoughts and memories and characters so vividly. The main revelations and discoveries in the book are almost second to the general history and context that the author paints throughout the piece. Excellent book and will be thinking about it for some time.
I enjoyed the writing in Knife River by Justine Champine. It is more literary fiction than thriller. However, I found it to be slow and not much movement of the story or character development. Jess's mother disappeared when she was 13. Never knowing what happened, Jess moved away. Fifteen years later, her mother's remains have been found and Jess goes back to find out what happened to her mother.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes