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nwilliams96's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
hakimbriki's review
3.0
A racially ambiguous, genderless person turns up in a small town and holds a mirror to the community's prejudices and bigotry, exposing some dark secrets. It's an intriguing story which makes good points about identity and gender, but it fails to deliver a gripping plot and three-dimensional characters.
chrisg94's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
bmerritt's review
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
decathelox's review
4.0
Sometimes our wounds just need to be spoken aloud and listened to. Similar in style to Rachel Cusk's Outline trilogy, this series of (mostly) one-sided conversations illuminate the ethos and agonies of a nameless conservative Southern town. I found the ending, which fascinatingly dissolves, to be a bit too abstract for me, but overall this novel was a really interesting look into forgiveness and humanity, written beautifully. What do we do when faced with the Other?
Some quotes I particularly liked:
"Since I had woken up on that pew, the meals had been endless and I wished I could have reached back and given one of them to those days of hunger in the past, or that I could have moved this plate to a place—there must have been such a place—where someone else was hungry."
"When you lose track of the person you know within a person they've become—what kind of grief is that?"
"We listened to the organ wail. Some time passed this way. It began to seem possible that a person might have pains and thoughts that resisted language and had to be transfigured through an instrument, turned into pure sound, spun into the air, and heard."
Some quotes I particularly liked:
"Since I had woken up on that pew, the meals had been endless and I wished I could have reached back and given one of them to those days of hunger in the past, or that I could have moved this plate to a place—there must have been such a place—where someone else was hungry."
"When you lose track of the person you know within a person they've become—what kind of grief is that?"
"We listened to the organ wail. Some time passed this way. It began to seem possible that a person might have pains and thoughts that resisted language and had to be transfigured through an instrument, turned into pure sound, spun into the air, and heard."
peteroneill's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
elliottmoore's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
booksillremember's review
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I'm not sure how I feel about this book. The premise was intriguing and I usually enjoy stories with ambiguous settings, characters and endings. There are some punchy metaphors here and there and some subtle observations.
But with this one, I feel it's trying to be too many things all at once.
The characters are too complex for it to work as a fable and too one-dimensional for it to work as a morally complex novel. The mix of show-don't-tell and tell-don't-show doesn't really work for me because neither feel fully fleshed out. The church people are ridiculously cringe and bigoted, whereas the more abstract commentary just feels preachy and sometimes a bit prerentious.
But with this one, I feel it's trying to be too many things all at once.
The characters are too complex for it to work as a fable and too one-dimensional for it to work as a morally complex novel. The mix of show-don't-tell and tell-don't-show doesn't really work for me because neither feel fully fleshed out. The church people are ridiculously cringe and bigoted, whereas the more abstract commentary just feels preachy and sometimes a bit prerentious.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, and Violence
mementomoriiv's review
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Pew is fairly well-written with a main character and setting that invites curiosity. However, I found the ideas involved to be pretty generic, though well-handled. The main issue is that the book ends without any real closure for the reader. This is clearly intentional, but it still doesn't wrap up in a way that leaves any statement about the book's intent.