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elenajohansen's review
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
A rare miss for me from Le Guin. I don't require all my fiction to be fast-paced or action-packed, but this was glacially slow, on top of having an odd structure where most of the book was essentially an extended flashback, on top of having all characters who weren't the protagonist be functionally one-dimensional.
I kept going, hoping it would get better because the reason I was reading this at all was that I found the second book in the series, Voices, at a secondhand shop and thought "Le Guin that I haven't read yet? Sold!" without realizing it was a second book at all. But the start to this series was so disappointing I'm going to re-donate Voices unread.
I never found much of anything to care about; the story is yet another coming-of-age for a teenage boy with unusual powers, and Orrec is no Ged.
I kept going, hoping it would get better because the reason I was reading this at all was that I found the second book in the series, Voices, at a secondhand shop and thought "Le Guin that I haven't read yet? Sold!" without realizing it was a second book at all. But the start to this series was so disappointing I'm going to re-donate Voices unread.
I never found much of anything to care about; the story is yet another coming-of-age for a teenage boy with unusual powers, and Orrec is no Ged.
mkhare's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. Overall, I adored this book thoroughly, but I must admit that the end felt a bit abrupt compared to the pace of the rest of the book. I also really could have used a map (I think other editions may have one?) as I couldn’t keep all of the family names/locations/gifts straight in my head. If I do a reread, I think I will write some notes for myself.
applegnreads's review
3.0
This series seems to be about kids who will one day be great, but not today.
zelos's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
pretty solid, though not one of le guin's best works in my opinion. i'll probably finish the series once i get through my other library books, but I don't feel suuuper invested
zober's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is surprising for a fantasy book nowadays - slower paced, not heavy on plot, simple writing. I understand why it's not a big hit, but I quite liked it. It's a reflective meditation on who has power, who uses it, relationships, and more. The premise and world-building are interesting and I wanted more!
I was a little disappointed with how heavily the story focused on Orrec rather than Gry, or even equal focus on Orrec and Gry.
I was a little disappointed with how heavily the story focused on Orrec rather than Gry, or even equal focus on Orrec and Gry.
kangokaren's review
4.0
Listened to this with Ben. He thought it was boring. I enjoyed the story and plan to read the other books in the series.
kitdunsmore's review
5.0
Happy to have found this newer series by Le Guin. As always, she knows how to tell a story. I especially loved that she didn't do the usual thing with this story. The ending was a pleasant surprise. Eager to read the next book.
aggressive_nostalgia's review against another edition
4.0
June 2019
Gifts was the first Le Guin novel I ever read, and I have spent the twelve years since periodically remembering it with fondness. It was an impulse decision to reread it now, and I’m so glad I did. I hadn’t forgotten the tangles of the plot that were so flabbergasting to me the first time, but the lack of surprise didn’t lessen my enjoyment at all. Rather, I think that enabled me to focus on the interplay between the characters and the richness of Orrec’s experience. His intense stress, lack of existential clarity, lessons about the nature of community and responsibility, and the depression of grief are all things that are more intimately familiar to me now than they were when I was fifteen, and all his observations (and Le Guin’s eloquent figurative descriptions) about them ring true. There are so many impressive human elements – the tension between Orrec’s fear/pride in his gift and security/shame in being blinded, the different mixture of love and fear and contempt he has for both his parents, his absolute faith in Gry despite their differences and disagreements – that would never shade the characterization of many a lesser YA novel. I don’t think this book strikes me with quite the same awe as, say, [b: The Tombs of Atuan|13662|The Tombs of Atuan (Earthsea Cycle, #2)|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1417900879s/13662.jpg|1322146], but it’s still a thoughtful, clever, profound story I love enough to wish I’d written it.
Gifts was the first Le Guin novel I ever read, and I have spent the twelve years since periodically remembering it with fondness. It was an impulse decision to reread it now, and I’m so glad I did. I hadn’t forgotten the tangles of the plot that were so flabbergasting to me the first time, but the lack of surprise didn’t lessen my enjoyment at all. Rather, I think that enabled me to focus on the interplay between the characters and the richness of Orrec’s experience. His intense stress, lack of existential clarity, lessons about the nature of community and responsibility, and the depression of grief are all things that are more intimately familiar to me now than they were when I was fifteen, and all his observations (and Le Guin’s eloquent figurative descriptions) about them ring true. There are so many impressive human elements – the tension between Orrec’s fear/pride in his gift and security/shame in being blinded, the different mixture of love and fear and contempt he has for both his parents, his absolute faith in Gry despite their differences and disagreements – that would never shade the characterization of many a lesser YA novel. I don’t think this book strikes me with quite the same awe as, say, [b: The Tombs of Atuan|13662|The Tombs of Atuan (Earthsea Cycle, #2)|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1417900879s/13662.jpg|1322146], but it’s still a thoughtful, clever, profound story I love enough to wish I’d written it.
moreliajoy's review
2.0
I really liked the lead up for this book; it had so much potential. Then the very end was a huge drop off that totally destroyed the point of the entire book while trying to be poignant. I felt sticky and unsatisfied after turning the last page.
kanatakara's review against another edition
3.0
Not your usual superheroes story. This book has a dreamy and lyrical tone, relying heavily on prose rather than dialogs or actions. Despite all that, it doesn't fail to pull you into the story and makes you care about the characters.