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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
I really liked this one. Poignant and paced well so that the story unfolds and you really feel what the author is saying
3.5 stars rounded up. I’m going to get this out of the way, the ending was horrible. No spoilers but that was not the ending I would have chosen. The story was brilliant and brooding and dark. I think I would have loved it had I not read it in January during an already depressing pandemic.
This was very difficult to read but I couldn’t put it down. I don’t know that I’ll be able to revisit it, ever, but there was a lot of beauty in the prose despite the profound sadness throughout it all.
“All these humans have left no space for anything else.”
‘Migrations’ is profound and complex. This novel is a near-future dystopia when the planet is in full climate crisis: birds, fish, and land mammals are nearly completely extinct. But, inexplicably, these mass extinctions don’t seem to be impacting human behavior or lifestyle that much. The question of how every ecosystem didn’t entirely collapse took me out of the very tough story.
Trauma can be an important theme in novels to help us understand the lives of others and develop empathy. It was helpful to realize that the trauma the main character experienced caused her behavior to be erratic and irrational. But being inside her head is not a good time. It’s just too much.
The writing is beautiful. The atmosphere is palpable. The book is not enjoyable.
Try these:
[b:Bewilderment|56404444|Bewilderment|Richard Powers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1632843882l/56404444._SY75_.jpg|87106649]by Richard Powers is also a warning of environmental crisis from the perspective of the father of a neurodivergent boy and his worries about the world. This was poignant without being over-the-top.
[b:The Age of Miracles|12401556|The Age of Miracles|Karen Thompson Walker|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1342487370l/12401556._SY75_.jpg|17382941]by Karen Thompson Walker is middle-grade fiction that explores the idea that even a subtle change in the environment means a huge change for human society and all other life on earth.
‘Migrations’ is profound and complex. This novel is a near-future dystopia when the planet is in full climate crisis: birds, fish, and land mammals are nearly completely extinct. But, inexplicably, these mass extinctions don’t seem to be impacting human behavior or lifestyle that much. The question of how every ecosystem didn’t entirely collapse took me out of the very tough story.
Trauma can be an important theme in novels to help us understand the lives of others and develop empathy. It was helpful to realize that the trauma the main character experienced caused her behavior to be erratic and irrational. But being inside her head is not a good time. It’s just too much.
The writing is beautiful. The atmosphere is palpable. The book is not enjoyable.
Try these:
[b:Bewilderment|56404444|Bewilderment|Richard Powers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1632843882l/56404444._SY75_.jpg|87106649]by Richard Powers is also a warning of environmental crisis from the perspective of the father of a neurodivergent boy and his worries about the world. This was poignant without being over-the-top.
[b:The Age of Miracles|12401556|The Age of Miracles|Karen Thompson Walker|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1342487370l/12401556._SY75_.jpg|17382941]by Karen Thompson Walker is middle-grade fiction that explores the idea that even a subtle change in the environment means a huge change for human society and all other life on earth.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Murder, Sexual harassment
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.8 tear-filled stars!
I finished this book in a day. And man, I wish I could forget the story so I can relive it all over again.
****minor spoilers ahead******
Franny’s story is a dark one. She has suffered multiple losses in her life, including one very devastating loss that we learn about in the last few pages.
She onboards a fishing boat to locate the last of the Arctic Terns and her journey is as dreary and dangerous as her own life was.
We meet the crew, each one with their own unique backstory — but the spotlight is mostly on Ennis, the ship captain.
Together, they navigate the dangerous seas and as we do, the reader is given a glimpse of Franny’s own tragedy.
I kind of wish there was a bit of a closure of what happens to the crew in the end. I think that was missing in this otherwise beautiful story.
Flaws aside, it’s still a beautiful, sad, and well-written story. I recommend this to everyone.
I finished this book in a day. And man, I wish I could forget the story so I can relive it all over again.
****minor spoilers ahead******
Franny’s story is a dark one. She has suffered multiple losses in her life, including one very devastating loss that we learn about in the last few pages.
She onboards a fishing boat to locate the last of the Arctic Terns and her journey is as dreary and dangerous as her own life was.
We meet the crew, each one with their own unique backstory — but the spotlight is mostly on Ennis, the ship captain.
Together, they navigate the dangerous seas and as we do, the reader is given a glimpse of Franny’s own tragedy.
I kind of wish there was a bit of a closure of what happens to the crew in the end. I think that was missing in this otherwise beautiful story.
Flaws aside, it’s still a beautiful, sad, and well-written story. I recommend this to everyone.
it’s true! the main character is insufferable and that’s why i love her and this book!!!
4.5
I thought this was a beautiful book, and the fact that I read it during an ice storm was even better! The descriptive language about the frigid sea, icebergs, etc. was on point. And, a portion of it was set in Galway where one of my besties lives so I could picture her descriptions and knew where she was talking about (which is always fun).
This is a book about so many things... trauma, restlessness, exploration, marriage, motherhood, self-definition, ornithology, commercial fishing, climate change... The writing was gorgeous and I enjoyed it.
A book for folks who like nature/poetry and don't mind character-driven stories (especially if/when those characters are flawed).
"Thousands of species are dying right now, and being ignored. We are wiping them out. Creatures that have learned how to survive anything, everything, except us." (p. 41)
"They steal my breath away as they always do, these creatures who think nothing of having wings." (p. 62)
"But there's no way to conjure fear if it doesn't exist. And here is the undeniable truth: I have never feared the sea. I have loved it with every breath of me, every beat of me... From a letter Niall once wrote me: I am only the second love of your life. But what kind of moron would be jealous of the sea?" (p. 190)
"Because it seems to me, suddenly, that if it's the end, really and truly, if you're making the last migration not just of your life but of your entire species, you don't stop sooner. Even when you're tired and starved and hopeless. You go farther." (p. 245)
I thought this was a beautiful book, and the fact that I read it during an ice storm was even better! The descriptive language about the frigid sea, icebergs, etc. was on point. And, a portion of it was set in Galway where one of my besties lives so I could picture her descriptions and knew where she was talking about (which is always fun).
This is a book about so many things... trauma, restlessness, exploration, marriage, motherhood, self-definition, ornithology, commercial fishing, climate change... The writing was gorgeous and I enjoyed it.
A book for folks who like nature/poetry and don't mind character-driven stories (especially if/when those characters are flawed).
"Thousands of species are dying right now, and being ignored. We are wiping them out. Creatures that have learned how to survive anything, everything, except us." (p. 41)
"They steal my breath away as they always do, these creatures who think nothing of having wings." (p. 62)
"But there's no way to conjure fear if it doesn't exist. And here is the undeniable truth: I have never feared the sea. I have loved it with every breath of me, every beat of me... From a letter Niall once wrote me: I am only the second love of your life. But what kind of moron would be jealous of the sea?" (p. 190)
"Because it seems to me, suddenly, that if it's the end, really and truly, if you're making the last migration not just of your life but of your entire species, you don't stop sooner. Even when you're tired and starved and hopeless. You go farther." (p. 245)