7.62k reviews for:

The Great Believers

Rebecca Makkai

4.45 AVERAGE

charla_t's review against another edition

5.0

challenging emotional reflective

gio_shelves's review against another edition

2.5

emotional slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

astallbaumer's review against another edition

5.0

emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

tlz812's review against another edition

5.0

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

wyoungmn's review against another edition

4.25

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

helene_m5's review against another edition

5.0

emotional reflective sad 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

alainaloo2's review against another edition

4.0

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4.5

gouldme's review against another edition

4.0

challenging emotional reflective sad 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: Complicated

agravereader's review against another edition

5.0

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Oh. My. God. I will never ever stop thinking about and crying over this book for as long as I live. 

Both time lines (the 1980s in Chicago and 2015 in Paris) begin in media res, which is my favorite way to start a book. Zero exposition. Zero explanation. Just dropping into the story and letting it see where it takes you. And I was immediately engrossed. I never wanted to put this book down. Ever time I had to pause, I got separation anxiety from Yale and Fiona and all the incredible characters who are real and exist and whose losses I mourned as if they were friends of mine. Fiona's struggle with her daughter was so poignant and raw, and at first, it was kind of jarring to swap between that story and the Boystown story, but as both progressed, it became clear how the stories intertwined, and honestly it was perfect. 

I will now be reading everything Rebecca Makkai has ever written, but I don't know how anything could ever top this. 

cleffert's review against another edition

4.0

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated