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kpmbooks's review against another edition
5.0
This book ticked a bunch of boxes for me: nature, photography, solitude, mystery, a female protagonist whose story doesn't orbit the family and home. Abby Geni's writing style matches the setting; beautiful but not flowery. Loved it.
daramillz's review against another edition
3.0
Maybe 3.5. I'm still digesting it. Really captivating depiction of the wildness of the Farallons, which I never knew existed before. I now know what a murre is, also. And I will never look at gulls the same way again. I appreciated the stark beauty of the book, and thought the nature writing was fantastic. Her description of the whales, in particular, struck me:
"The presence of these animals has unsettled me...They live in a realm of large, slow things---tides,storms, and magnetic currents. They often plunge into the inky depths of the oceans, down where sunlight fails. They inhabit a blue world, away from land, dipping from start to air and back again, sliding between darkness and glow. It is rare for them to come close enough to the coast to be seen by human eyes." (86)
However, I wasn't as invested in the characters as I was in the nature, and I wish we had seen more from Galen before the epilogue. Mick's death seemed abrupt and unnecessary (except perhaps to allow Miranda the freedom of maintaining the lie that the baby was his without having the responsibility of ever actually having to interact with him again, which feels callous). I wasn't satisfied with the ending, but still enjoyed it overall.
"The presence of these animals has unsettled me...They live in a realm of large, slow things---tides,storms, and magnetic currents. They often plunge into the inky depths of the oceans, down where sunlight fails. They inhabit a blue world, away from land, dipping from start to air and back again, sliding between darkness and glow. It is rare for them to come close enough to the coast to be seen by human eyes." (86)
However, I wasn't as invested in the characters as I was in the nature, and I wish we had seen more from Galen before the epilogue. Mick's death seemed abrupt and unnecessary (except perhaps to allow Miranda the freedom of maintaining the lie that the baby was his without having the responsibility of ever actually having to interact with him again, which feels callous). I wasn't satisfied with the ending, but still enjoyed it overall.
keeshkid's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this more than I did. I thought the writing about the farallons was lovely and interesting. But the author also had a tendency to repeat information in a way I found a little distracting. The plot itself though didn’t really do it for me and I also disliked the ending quite a bit. Just not really my thing.
cdbaker's review against another edition
5.0
It starts just a little bit slow, but I really loved this book.
lwheaton11's review against another edition
5.0
I enjoyed this in a different way that I thought I would. It’s intimate, unhurried, and unfolds in its own time. The descriptions of nature and behavior are thought-provoking and real.
briegle's review against another edition
5.0
An atmospheric book set on the Farallon Islands? Sign me up. I love a strong sense of place, especially when you throw in wildlife, and I've always been fascinated by the Farallons, a group of rocky islets that are visible from San Francisco on those rare clear days but that tourists can't visit.
Throw in some great writing, interesting themes, and a bit of a mystery and plot? That's a formula for a 5-star review for me!
I wouldn't categorize this as a mystery/thriller, however, so if your raison de read is a thriller plot, this book probably won't satisfy.
Throw in some great writing, interesting themes, and a bit of a mystery and plot? That's a formula for a 5-star review for me!
I wouldn't categorize this as a mystery/thriller, however, so if your raison de read is a thriller plot, this book probably won't satisfy.
rainyoctober's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
nottttt my jam unfortch
islandkate's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. This book was nuts. Mostly in a good way. The writing was vivid and atmospheric, I could easily picture life on the Farrallons with the wildlife and odd biologists. My favorite parts by far were her descriptions of the animals, the human plot came second. Oliver the octopus was the true star of the novel.
becca171's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
4.25
sonya3312's review against another edition
Very dark and I just didn't care about these characters or what happened to them.