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hazesne's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
swarmofbees's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
spectra37's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
teensyslews's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
smuttea_matcha's review against another edition
1.0
I didn't like it one bit. It was boring and it seemed like forever until I finished. There wasn't much action either to drag me in. The romance was hardly there and it didn't seem like the main characters cared too much for each other. I thought the whole thing was rather ridiculous.
junojunejunie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
captaingloria's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
samwreads's review against another edition
3.0
(read as part of the social distancing book club 2020)
This is a hard book to rate because it is so extremely well written and "tight" in the narrative sense that I think it's actually a seriously impressive accomplishment. There is also a strong philosophical vein of thought and questioning that runs throughout, adding depth to what is on the surface the very simple story of a teenage boy coming to terms with himself and his family in a remote, almost medieval setting.
At the same time, the simplicity of the writing and lack of extraneous plot or characters does hurt in some ways. Specifically, all characters other than Orrec and his father are one-dimensional. This includes pretty much all female characters, who are generally virtuous to a fault and primarily serve to guide Orrec emotionally (or literally in the case of his dog). It's tricky because focusing so solely on Orrec does serve the tautness of the narrative, but I think it comes at a cost.
In discussing this with our friends, we talked a lot about how this compares with Earthsea, and specifically the first book in that series. It's an interesting comparison because while both are aimed at young adults, "Gifts" is in a lot of ways the complete opposite of Earthsea. It's about a boy (Orrec) whose gift comes to him with difficulty, whereas Ged's came easily. Its events span a few years, whereas those in Earthsea span decades. It's so integrally about Orrec's relationships with his parents, whereas Ged's relationships are forged at school, away from any family. I think LeGuin took a lot of the thought she found in later books (including later in the Earthsea series) and took it back here and it shows. It's less of a rousing coming-of-age adventure fantasy, and more of a story about learning the importance of relationships and how there is a lot of strength in people without powers or gifts.
This is a hard book to rate because it is so extremely well written and "tight" in the narrative sense that I think it's actually a seriously impressive accomplishment. There is also a strong philosophical vein of thought and questioning that runs throughout, adding depth to what is on the surface the very simple story of a teenage boy coming to terms with himself and his family in a remote, almost medieval setting.
At the same time, the simplicity of the writing and lack of extraneous plot or characters does hurt in some ways. Specifically, all characters other than Orrec and his father are one-dimensional. This includes pretty much all female characters, who are generally virtuous to a fault and primarily serve to guide Orrec emotionally (or literally in the case of his dog). It's tricky because focusing so solely on Orrec does serve the tautness of the narrative, but I think it comes at a cost.
In discussing this with our friends, we talked a lot about how this compares with Earthsea, and specifically the first book in that series. It's an interesting comparison because while both are aimed at young adults, "Gifts" is in a lot of ways the complete opposite of Earthsea. It's about a boy (Orrec) whose gift comes to him with difficulty, whereas Ged's came easily. Its events span a few years, whereas those in Earthsea span decades. It's so integrally about Orrec's relationships with his parents, whereas Ged's relationships are forged at school, away from any family. I think LeGuin took a lot of the thought she found in later books (including later in the Earthsea series) and took it back here and it shows. It's less of a rousing coming-of-age adventure fantasy, and more of a story about learning the importance of relationships and how there is a lot of strength in people without powers or gifts.
justlily's review against another edition
A great plot idea killed by the fact that it takes eighteen years for anything to happen. Again I am apparently in a rut of picking up books that refuse to just tell themselves. We have to meander along forever before anything happens and I just can't do it.