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tildahlia's review against another edition
3.0
For me, Wyld’s book was one of those ones that left me relatively cold while I was actually reading it, but on reflection, I found it very hard to pinpoint any faults.
For me, its highlight was it’s impeccable structure. A+++, Ms Wyld. It is truly the greatest thing about this book and an example of what writing teachers should be pointing students to in order to understand how to balance parallel narratives that slowly unravel and inform each other at precisely the right moments. The book is suspenseful in a subtle way—no gratuitous cliffhangers here—revealing enough to paint the picture but without the ‘look at how clever I’ve been here!’ overreach that befalls many novelists delivering their reveals and the expense of leaving some things to the reader’s imagination.
While I didn’t immediately fall in love with her prose, it is for the most part, very good. There were a few clumsy moments (think: “A fox was being made love to somewhere in the woods and her shrieks cut straight into my room”) but she managed to create authentic, complex characters without resorting to too many ‘Straya cliches.
But, overall I have to say it has still left me pretty meh. The often-confronting content doesn’t make this a pleasant read by any stretch of the imagination, but that has never stopped me from enjoying reading books before (I mean, I loved The End of Alice and it doesn’t get much more dark and creepy than that). For me, this book is the oyster of the book world: I definitely understand why people love it, and can appreciate its quality, but will pass it to someone who will truly enjoy it.
For me, its highlight was it’s impeccable structure. A+++, Ms Wyld. It is truly the greatest thing about this book and an example of what writing teachers should be pointing students to in order to understand how to balance parallel narratives that slowly unravel and inform each other at precisely the right moments. The book is suspenseful in a subtle way—no gratuitous cliffhangers here—revealing enough to paint the picture but without the ‘look at how clever I’ve been here!’ overreach that befalls many novelists delivering their reveals and the expense of leaving some things to the reader’s imagination.
While I didn’t immediately fall in love with her prose, it is for the most part, very good. There were a few clumsy moments (think: “A fox was being made love to somewhere in the woods and her shrieks cut straight into my room”) but she managed to create authentic, complex characters without resorting to too many ‘Straya cliches.
But, overall I have to say it has still left me pretty meh. The often-confronting content doesn’t make this a pleasant read by any stretch of the imagination, but that has never stopped me from enjoying reading books before (I mean, I loved The End of Alice and it doesn’t get much more dark and creepy than that). For me, this book is the oyster of the book world: I definitely understand why people love it, and can appreciate its quality, but will pass it to someone who will truly enjoy it.
charliesolon's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
jennybpenny's review against another edition
4.0
"Over the other side of the hill, I found a pregnant ewe stuck in the drainage...She was in up to her armpits, and while I wrapped myself around her middle and pulled hard, she shifted only the smallest amount and when I let go the mud sucked her deeper. Her feet had already made holes for themselves and she farted back into them."
gabriellaruivo's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
mollylovesbooks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
starthelostgirl's review against another edition
5.0
This was incredibly well written and totally sucked me in. I read it in two sessions but would have done it in one had I gotten the book earlier in the day. I found myself thinking about this book long after I finished it, and not just because a lot of questions are left unanswered.
I didn’t realize when I began that this was written by someone from Australia, so between that and the sheep farming, I looked up a lot of the slang and technical terms. I don’t mind having to do that but I wanted to note it here. I also did not realize this was magical realism, which I tend to avoid.
The writing was gorgeous and I loved the characters. The ending was too rushed and far too vague, ultimately leaving me unsatisfied. I gave 5 stars anyway because of how much I loved the rest of it. I could feel the heat and the bugs and smell the sheep’s wool because of how vivid her descriptions were.
I didn’t realize when I began that this was written by someone from Australia, so between that and the sheep farming, I looked up a lot of the slang and technical terms. I don’t mind having to do that but I wanted to note it here. I also did not realize this was magical realism, which I tend to avoid.
The writing was gorgeous and I loved the characters. The ending was too rushed and far too vague, ultimately leaving me unsatisfied. I gave 5 stars anyway because of how much I loved the rest of it. I could feel the heat and the bugs and smell the sheep’s wool because of how vivid her descriptions were.
rhiannem's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The timeline jumping is interesting and engaging
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, and Physical abuse
annadixon76's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sanneroemen's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book in two sprints. It captivated me. I love the tension build up. She jumps back and forth through time. Some storylines pick up tension as you read along, others, walking back in time, become more 'normal-ish'. There are some loose ends purposely left open. It leaves me with a couple of questions, but that's nice.
I'd like to read more of this author
I'd like to read more of this author