Scan barcode
schaeferme24's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
1.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Grief, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and War
laneamagya's review against another edition
5.0
Set in Canada during the Cold War, the novel follows the family of a Royal Canadian Air Force officer named Jack, who becomes wrapped up in military intelligence supporting the US in the space race. The most engaging character in the novel is Madeline, the eight year old daughter of Jack and his Acadian wife Mimi. We follow Madeline, her brother Mike, and the kids on living in Centralia, the Canadian airbase where their families are stationed. The book is very well researched, veers from the local to the international and back again with great ease, and is a gorgeous read. And it will break your heart.
And now I'm going to spoil something about the plot, because I wish I had known a bit more about what to expect. The book jacket won't tell you this. So keep reading if you want the warning I wish I had had.
Movies warn you in advance if they contain violence, cursing, sex, or any of the other things that varying people find objectionable. Books rarely do the same. One of the major plot points of the novel is sexual abuse of children. It can be painfully shocking to have such subject matter come at you from left field in books and movies. In this book, I initially assumed I was paranoid, and that the kids would be relatively safe. As the abuse scenario unfolded, I was mortified. And I was crippled with anger at the parents who failed to notice their children's suffering and at the criminal who was changing these kids utterly. MacDonald is a stellar writer, and her characters draw you into their minds. So I was worrying about the kids whether I had the book open or not. If that is going to be too difficult for you, don't read the book.
And now I'm going to spoil something about the plot, because I wish I had known a bit more about what to expect. The book jacket won't tell you this. So keep reading if you want the warning I wish I had had.
Movies warn you in advance if they contain violence, cursing, sex, or any of the other things that varying people find objectionable. Books rarely do the same. One of the major plot points of the novel is sexual abuse of children. It can be painfully shocking to have such subject matter come at you from left field in books and movies. In this book, I initially assumed I was paranoid, and that the kids would be relatively safe. As the abuse scenario unfolded, I was mortified. And I was crippled with anger at the parents who failed to notice their children's suffering and at the criminal who was changing these kids utterly. MacDonald is a stellar writer, and her characters draw you into their minds. So I was worrying about the kids whether I had the book open or not. If that is going to be too difficult for you, don't read the book.
mightymaggie's review against another edition
3.0
I haven't been able to finish this book and I started reading it... three or four months ago? I thought I could just slog through the sexual abuse storyline, but I had to stop reading at the point where everything goes to hell, for the sole reason that NO ONE TELLS ANYONE ANYTHING. Incredibly frustrating to read. I want to finish eventually, because the writing is amazing and I found the historical fiction so interesting. I haven't read anything that describes so well what it is like to live on a military base!
buras12's review against another edition
3.0
There is an excellent book hiding somewhere underneath so many unnecessary pages
cpratreads's review against another edition
4.0
Really really enjoyed it! I was amazed at how easily she could switch between the adult and child views of the world. I was also in awe of how she had me stuck in the mind for young Madeline up until the final chapters when everything was suddenly clearly different. A great and powerful read, and I'm on my way to get her other book!
lschoeb's review against another edition
2.0
An OK book, but WAY too long! I am about 400 or 500 pages into it and it's only just now getting to the jist of the story, I'm giving up.
nordstina's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
The Way the Crow Flies is a overly long novel about a mysterious death on a military base during the Cold War. Madeliene is in elementary school and has just moved to the base with her parents and brother after living in Europe. Her father Jack becomes caught up in a secret operation which leads to unforeseen consequences. The propelling plot point is the death which doesn't take place until hundreds of pages into this book. Several red herrings are thrown in and in the end, while I plugged along until the end, I did not find the resolution very rewarding. The book jumps ahead in time towards the end, which did not really serve much of a purpose. For a book of this length, I was expecting a wide sweeping narrative and it did not have much to show for it in the end.
amysbrittain's review against another edition
3.0
I liked MacDonald's writing style and how effortlessly she sets a vivid scene of early 1960s life on a military base in Canada. But it's an almost-700-page book, so I guess something was bound to get on my nerves about it before the end. There's a pivotal, disturbing issue that goes unresolved for way too long, followed by a sudden "Ten years later..." trickery that made me want to scream. But overall I really enjoyed this one.
gripyfish's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0