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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
adventurous
hopeful
informative
fast-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:
No
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Cute story but got a bit boring in the middle
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I so wanted to love this! I can see why people love it but it was just okay. I think the POV was limited so much that even the descriptions of some events feel low-impact. Especially the action sequences. They felt muted compared to the beauty of some of the setups for dialogue. I also found Red to be incredibly meaningful in the mind of Woody but was poorly used. So much so that her sequences, save the tree incident, made her seem weaker than what she was being portrayed as. Her overall demeanor was at odds with what the author wanted us to perceive. Finally, this is more of a tragedy. The end is not enlightening to me. It's the sad story of a man stuck in his past. He died there. It ended in a joyless way that upset me. Especially with the Old Man. This character had almost as much change as Woody and is then killed off in a cop-out. It still had some good aspects and that's why I gave it three stars.
I love it when a book exceeds my already high expectations.
[b:West with Giraffes|56449476|West with Giraffes|Lynda Rutledge|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609183326l/56449476._SY75_.jpg|83288960] is a book I've been meaning to read for a long time, but the timing never seemed right. When I first saw this one on Amazon First Reads, there was something that jumped out at me, saying this is the kind of book that begs to be read.
I'm surprised to find out how right I was about that. [b:West with Giraffes|56449476|West with Giraffes|Lynda Rutledge|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609183326l/56449476._SY75_.jpg|83288960] is a powerful Great Depression story about being in the right place at the right time. The Great Depression has always been my favorite historical fiction period because of the resilience everyone had to show, and the way this story gets told by authors who want to remember the true stories of people's lived experiences. [b:West with Giraffes|56449476|West with Giraffes|Lynda Rutledge|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609183326l/56449476._SY75_.jpg|83288960] goes even further with this storytelling aspect by exploring the stories we choose to tell or to let die. Because after all, "It is a foolish man who thinks that stories do not matter—when in the end, they may be all that matter and all the forever we'll know... and it is a selfish man who takes stories to the grave that aren't his and his alone." ([a:Lynda Rutledge|867854|Lynda Rutledge|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1328629378p2/867854.jpg], [b:West with Giraffes|56449476|West with Giraffes|Lynda Rutledge|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609183326l/56449476._SY75_.jpg|83288960])
I loved watching Woody reliving the story in the nursing home and never knowing what happened next, except that he made it out to tell the story itself. I loved how the stories of Red and the Old Man intertwined into a big mess of truths, lies, and exaggerations; all stories in their own right that needed to be told.
On another note, it's fascinating how much you don't think about how the animals we see in zoos got there, especially before technology as we know it today (including airplanes). Even if this story hadn't been as powerful as it was, it still gave me so much to think about in terms of how animals are acquired, and the warring forces that can impede a highly publicized cross-country operation, especially in a time before highly-enforced federal laws and surveillance. I loved the way [a:Lynda Rutledge|867854|Lynda Rutledge|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1328629378p2/867854.jpg] really got into the period with what it could have looked like carrying giraffes across the country in 1938, and all the cons and dangers you don't even think about.
I finally picked up [b:West with Giraffes|56449476|West with Giraffes|Lynda Rutledge|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609183326l/56449476._SY75_.jpg|83288960] because I wanted a feel-good book with less suspense than what I've been reading. And while there wasn't much suspense, I still found myself frantically scrolling through the book to reach the end; new wonders and adventures on each page. [b:West with Giraffes|56449476|West with Giraffes|Lynda Rutledge|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609183326l/56449476._SY75_.jpg|83288960] is another book I'd like to forget the details of so I can come back in a few years and appreciate them all over again.
I have to say that [b:West with Giraffes|56449476|West with Giraffes|Lynda Rutledge|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609183326l/56449476._SY75_.jpg|83288960] was my first favorite book of 2024. I definitely want to come back to it, and would love to have a physical copy. It's a book I could definitely find myself coming back to again and again.
[b:West with Giraffes|56449476|West with Giraffes|Lynda Rutledge|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609183326l/56449476._SY75_.jpg|83288960] is a book I've been meaning to read for a long time, but the timing never seemed right. When I first saw this one on Amazon First Reads, there was something that jumped out at me, saying this is the kind of book that begs to be read.
I'm surprised to find out how right I was about that. [b:West with Giraffes|56449476|West with Giraffes|Lynda Rutledge|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609183326l/56449476._SY75_.jpg|83288960] is a powerful Great Depression story about being in the right place at the right time. The Great Depression has always been my favorite historical fiction period because of the resilience everyone had to show, and the way this story gets told by authors who want to remember the true stories of people's lived experiences. [b:West with Giraffes|56449476|West with Giraffes|Lynda Rutledge|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609183326l/56449476._SY75_.jpg|83288960] goes even further with this storytelling aspect by exploring the stories we choose to tell or to let die. Because after all, "It is a foolish man who thinks that stories do not matter—when in the end, they may be all that matter and all the forever we'll know... and it is a selfish man who takes stories to the grave that aren't his and his alone." ([a:Lynda Rutledge|867854|Lynda Rutledge|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1328629378p2/867854.jpg], [b:West with Giraffes|56449476|West with Giraffes|Lynda Rutledge|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609183326l/56449476._SY75_.jpg|83288960])
I loved watching Woody reliving the story in the nursing home and never knowing what happened next, except that he made it out to tell the story itself. I loved how the stories of Red and the Old Man intertwined into a big mess of truths, lies, and exaggerations; all stories in their own right that needed to be told.
On another note, it's fascinating how much you don't think about how the animals we see in zoos got there, especially before technology as we know it today (including airplanes). Even if this story hadn't been as powerful as it was, it still gave me so much to think about in terms of how animals are acquired, and the warring forces that can impede a highly publicized cross-country operation, especially in a time before highly-enforced federal laws and surveillance. I loved the way [a:Lynda Rutledge|867854|Lynda Rutledge|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1328629378p2/867854.jpg] really got into the period with what it could have looked like carrying giraffes across the country in 1938, and all the cons and dangers you don't even think about.
I finally picked up [b:West with Giraffes|56449476|West with Giraffes|Lynda Rutledge|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609183326l/56449476._SY75_.jpg|83288960] because I wanted a feel-good book with less suspense than what I've been reading. And while there wasn't much suspense, I still found myself frantically scrolling through the book to reach the end; new wonders and adventures on each page. [b:West with Giraffes|56449476|West with Giraffes|Lynda Rutledge|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609183326l/56449476._SY75_.jpg|83288960] is another book I'd like to forget the details of so I can come back in a few years and appreciate them all over again.
I have to say that [b:West with Giraffes|56449476|West with Giraffes|Lynda Rutledge|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609183326l/56449476._SY75_.jpg|83288960] was my first favorite book of 2024. I definitely want to come back to it, and would love to have a physical copy. It's a book I could definitely find myself coming back to again and again.
Sometimes there are books that you just have to get to the end to make it worth it. This is one of those books. For 80% of it, I felt like saying, "Ok, get on with the story. Just get to San Diego already!" Then that ending happens and I find myself a blubbering mess crying over giraffes. Overall this was just an okay story for me. If you can hold out till the end, it's worth it.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-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
I loved this story. Woody Nickel (yep that is his name) is a boy lost in the world after the Great Depression and Dust Bowl destroys his family and home. He ends up in New York City, 1938. A hurricane hits New York, killing hundreds of people and destroying ships and the docks where he works. As Woody watches, a ship arrives with two giraffes aboard, and he decides to follow them on their journey to California.
This is a book about adventure, travel, love, friendship, and growth.It made me happy to read it.
This is a book about adventure, travel, love, friendship, and growth.It made me happy to read it.
3.75 Stars. This book hurt my heart. There was a lot of sadness in it that was hard to read and made me cry. But it was also a good story and I loved reading about the giraffes. I almost wish “Red” would’ve been our main character.