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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
3 1/2 stars.
I liked the imagery, I liked that it happened in and around New Orleans, so I'm very familiar with the area, and the people, etc. I seem to always snag a book that has something in common with my life, I guess we all do that.
There is probably a need for a trigger warning. Sexual and Domestic abuse, and suicide.
Well written, engaging, good pacing. I started it on the treadmill and was crying while treading. I didn't want to put it down. I liked it, but it's a heavy subject, and wasn't happy with some events in the book.
Overall, good read, well written, I'd definitely recommend it, but it's not a light book.
I liked the imagery, I liked that it happened in and around New Orleans, so I'm very familiar with the area, and the people, etc. I seem to always snag a book that has something in common with my life, I guess we all do that.
There is probably a need for a trigger warning. Sexual and Domestic abuse, and suicide.
Well written, engaging, good pacing. I started it on the treadmill and was crying while treading. I didn't want to put it down. I liked it, but it's a heavy subject, and wasn't happy with some events in the book.
Overall, good read, well written, I'd definitely recommend it, but it's not a light book.
New Orleans is known for a lot of things: Mardi Gras, the French Quarter, Hurricane Katrina, to name a few. But human trafficking? I would not have linked the two.
In The Feathered Bone, author Julie Cantrell does. She also tackles such subjects as domestic abuse, grief, suicide, natural disaster, and divorce. When I think about the number of "heavy" issues in this novel, I'm surprised at how uplifting the story is. That's the beauty of Cantrell's storytelling for me. (Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for my review.)
But The Feathered Bone is all about holding on to hope, no matter the circumstances. And the analogy of hope being like a feather, a strong, bendable support that doesn't break under pressure, is a beautiful reminder that pain and suffering don't have to be the end of the story.
Cantrell starts the story pre-Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, where a class field trip ends tragically after one of the 12-year-old girls goes missing. What follows is a heart-breaking chronicle of grief and enduring hope. This is no fluffy escapist read. Some of it is shockingly difficult to process.
But it's an important story, one of the best I've read recently. Take your time with this one and proceed with caution. The journey is worth it. Hope is its promise.
In The Feathered Bone, author Julie Cantrell does. She also tackles such subjects as domestic abuse, grief, suicide, natural disaster, and divorce. When I think about the number of "heavy" issues in this novel, I'm surprised at how uplifting the story is. That's the beauty of Cantrell's storytelling for me. (Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for my review.)
But The Feathered Bone is all about holding on to hope, no matter the circumstances. And the analogy of hope being like a feather, a strong, bendable support that doesn't break under pressure, is a beautiful reminder that pain and suffering don't have to be the end of the story.
Cantrell starts the story pre-Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, where a class field trip ends tragically after one of the 12-year-old girls goes missing. What follows is a heart-breaking chronicle of grief and enduring hope. This is no fluffy escapist read. Some of it is shockingly difficult to process.
But it's an important story, one of the best I've read recently. Take your time with this one and proceed with caution. The journey is worth it. Hope is its promise.
Super triggery. This book went very dark. Too much Christianity for my tastes as well.
I generally am not the type of person who cries when reading a book. It’s rare for me to feel a deep connection with a character, so deep that I have a physical response to what they are experiencing. This book caused me to gasp, cry, and feel sickness in my stomach.
The story is a beautiful, gritty tale of tragedy, grief, and hope. It follows Amanda, who loses track of her 12 year old daughter’s friend while chaperoning a field trip in pre-Katrina New Orleans. It is not an easy or entertaining book to read…there are many things that are difficult to swallow, especially when considering that these are things that actually occur in the world today. My heart broke for most of the characters and raged against one of them. I wanted to reach through the pages and hug these people who were facing so much anguish. (Again, this is extremely rare for me).
If ever there were a thought-provoking book, this is it. It will stick with me for years. Hope is sprinkled throughout the book and the grittier parts are implied or referred to in a way that allows the reader to understand what’s occurring without reading graphic details. I was very thankful for this…I have read books in the past about abductions and was often turned off by the graphic descriptions as they didn’t add to the story, in my opinion.
I flew through this story as I needed to know how it would end, I recommend this to anyone who’s up for a good cry.
I received this book from Booklookbloggers and the publisher in exchange for an honest reveiw.
The story is a beautiful, gritty tale of tragedy, grief, and hope. It follows Amanda, who loses track of her 12 year old daughter’s friend while chaperoning a field trip in pre-Katrina New Orleans. It is not an easy or entertaining book to read…there are many things that are difficult to swallow, especially when considering that these are things that actually occur in the world today. My heart broke for most of the characters and raged against one of them. I wanted to reach through the pages and hug these people who were facing so much anguish. (Again, this is extremely rare for me).
If ever there were a thought-provoking book, this is it. It will stick with me for years. Hope is sprinkled throughout the book and the grittier parts are implied or referred to in a way that allows the reader to understand what’s occurring without reading graphic details. I was very thankful for this…I have read books in the past about abductions and was often turned off by the graphic descriptions as they didn’t add to the story, in my opinion.
I flew through this story as I needed to know how it would end, I recommend this to anyone who’s up for a good cry.
I received this book from Booklookbloggers and the publisher in exchange for an honest reveiw.
So maybe a miracle is anything that gets us through another day when life gets too hard.
I saw this book on the Anticipated 2016 Literary Fiction GR list, and decided to read it just because hurricane Katrina formed the background to the story. Because of this I did not realize that The Feathered Bones is classified as Christian fiction, which I've never tried before, as I've always been scared that these would be "preachy". I am very happy to say that this was not the case at all. The writing was beautiful, and the characters and their emotional journeys were incredibly authentic. Amanda, Sarah and Ellie's stories will stay with me. Once started I could not put this book down, and had to read it in one sitting. As the author says in her notes this is a novel about the many forms of slavery and all the ways our souls can become trapped in dark places, so don't expect a happy reading experience. Some of the issues tackled are human trafficking, teenage depression, natural disasters, suicide, and domestic abuse, and although I cried for hours, in the end I felt uplifted and hopeful. I loved this haunting tale of loss and acceptance, and highly recommend it to anyone.
The Story: Amanda Salassi accompanies her daughter Ellie’s sixth-grade field trip to New Orleans in October of 2004. The city is alive with energy, and in the chaos, Ellie’s best friend Sarah disappears. As they spend the next few weeks searching to no avail, Amanda is sick with guilt and Ellie slips into a deep depression. Amanda’s marriage disintegrates and they all despair of ever seeing Sarah alive again.
Real, raw, utterly heartwrenching but hope-filled. Can't wait to discuss it in book group.
Considering the fact that this was my first heavy content literary fiction of the year and reading this book actually coincided with a lot busy times at school, I was able to get through this in almost a month. But don’t let that disconcert you in picking this book up.
The beginning was a bit drab. Other than Sarah going missing and the foreshadowing of more trouble to come in Amanda’s life, nothing really happens in the first 100 or so pages. And this is a hefty book.
The story actually takes place in a span of around five years and hence is not as fast paced as I originally thought it would be (misunderstanding caused while reading the blurb). Amanda is a grief counselor. On a trip to New Orleans her daughter’ best friend gets kidnapped. This event leaves Amanda’s life spiraling out of control and this is the story of how she deals with such devastation.
The characters were very well developed. Each unique. The women were strong and varied which I actually enjoyed considering the book opens with references to feminism and its origins. Depictions of abuse (mental and physical) were very aptly done. And the fact that people who help others get through such tough times may also need help themselves doesn’t go amiss.
The book deals with a lot of heavy concepts. Sometime it just felt like there was just too much sadness –stuff these people couldn’t possibly cope with so easily in real life– but the note at the end by the author should definitely be read taken into consideration in this case.
This is a religion heavy book. For someone like me I usually don’t enjoy reading that but I felt in this case it wasn’t overbearing. Although some people could actually relate to some of the messages Cantrell wanted to deliver.
Also amazing scenic descriptions of Louisiana, The Bayou, New Orleans etc.!
The beginning was a bit drab. Other than Sarah going missing and the foreshadowing of more trouble to come in Amanda’s life, nothing really happens in the first 100 or so pages. And this is a hefty book.
The story actually takes place in a span of around five years and hence is not as fast paced as I originally thought it would be (misunderstanding caused while reading the blurb). Amanda is a grief counselor. On a trip to New Orleans her daughter’ best friend gets kidnapped. This event leaves Amanda’s life spiraling out of control and this is the story of how she deals with such devastation.
The characters were very well developed. Each unique. The women were strong and varied which I actually enjoyed considering the book opens with references to feminism and its origins. Depictions of abuse (mental and physical) were very aptly done. And the fact that people who help others get through such tough times may also need help themselves doesn’t go amiss.
The book deals with a lot of heavy concepts. Sometime it just felt like there was just too much sadness –stuff these people couldn’t possibly cope with so easily in real life– but the note at the end by the author should definitely be read taken into consideration in this case.
This is a religion heavy book. For someone like me I usually don’t enjoy reading that but I felt in this case it wasn’t overbearing. Although some people could actually relate to some of the messages Cantrell wanted to deliver.
Also amazing scenic descriptions of Louisiana, The Bayou, New Orleans etc.!
I wasn't sure what to think of this one. It was the first novel I've ever read on my iPad (I'm a diehard paper book lover) which was a different and not so great experience... but I did like this one! It kept me hooked because I knew enough of the plot to know something dramatic was going to happen, and I really wanted to see how it played out. It wasn't as suspenseful as Gone Girl and it definitely wasn't writing of any extraordinary caliber, but it did keep me engaged and flipping pages quickly! It was a quick read and a fun look at New Orleans living around the time Katrina happened, but it was pretty shallow overall and not terribly shocking or engrossing, even though the themes could have gone to much darker, deeper, more intense places. If you like books with some twists and suspense but don't like all the gory, gross, super dark details, this is a great one for you!
3 1/2 stars.
I liked the imagery, I liked that it happened in and around New Orleans, so I'm very familiar with the area, and the people, etc. I seem to always snag a book that has something in common with my life, I guess we all do that.
There is probably a need for a trigger warning. Sexual and Domestic abuse, and suicide.
Well written, engaging, good pacing. I started it on the treadmill and was crying while treading. I didn't want to put it down. I liked it, but it's a heavy subject, and wasn't happy with some events in the book.
Overall, good read, well written, I'd definitely recommend it, but it's not a light book.
I liked the imagery, I liked that it happened in and around New Orleans, so I'm very familiar with the area, and the people, etc. I seem to always snag a book that has something in common with my life, I guess we all do that.
There is probably a need for a trigger warning. Sexual and Domestic abuse, and suicide.
Well written, engaging, good pacing. I started it on the treadmill and was crying while treading. I didn't want to put it down. I liked it, but it's a heavy subject, and wasn't happy with some events in the book.
Overall, good read, well written, I'd definitely recommend it, but it's not a light book.
The Feathered Bone is probably one of the saddest books I have ever read. Tragedy after tragedy made me cry into my pillow. The ending offered hope but maybe not enough. Amanda Salassi loses sight of her best friends daughter on a school field trip. Sarah is taken and Amanda and her daughter Elli blame themselves. Day after day Amanda and Sarah’s parents search for Sarah but years pass and there are no leads. Meanwhile, Elli sinks into depression. This story is set against the backdrop of murky parishes in rural Louisiana. The story began pre- Katrina, but as the years pass, Katrina strikes and I live through the awful storm all over again. Things continue to get worse as the months and years tick by and it’s not until everything that could possibly go wrong does that things finally take a turn for the better.
Everything about The Feathered Bone was visual. It was atmospheric and evocative of the time period and circumstances. The writing seemed fresh, yet precise. Everything made sense and tied together nicely despite the story itself being quite tragic. I loved the believability of the story and characters. I really enjoyed this book. The conclusion offered some hope, just not enough. After tearing my heart out time and time again I just needed more.
I received this book from The Fiction Guild in exchange for my review.
Everything about The Feathered Bone was visual. It was atmospheric and evocative of the time period and circumstances. The writing seemed fresh, yet precise. Everything made sense and tied together nicely despite the story itself being quite tragic. I loved the believability of the story and characters. I really enjoyed this book. The conclusion offered some hope, just not enough. After tearing my heart out time and time again I just needed more.
I received this book from The Fiction Guild in exchange for my review.