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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
The theme work, settings, and pacing were so expertly done! Highly recommend.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Holy shit, this was good. Not what I expected, and that's at least part of why I liked it so much.
I encountered this book as one of the finalists for the 2018 PEN awards, where it was up against works like "White Tears" (one of my all-time faves), "We Were Eight Years in Power," and "Whereas." I'd never freaking heard of Victor LaValle or his book, however. So I made a note to read the book, but didn't give it a ton of thought until I caught it on sale as an audiobook, read by the author. Given the context of the novel being a finalist for a literary award, I assumed that this would be a very high-minded novel, perhaps (given the title) a magical realist look at postpartum depression.
I wasn't wrong, exactly. But that doesn't even begin to cover it.
I don't want to give anything away. Even one little plot point would ruin the effect of this novel. All I'll say is that there is a very distinct turn--it's a little slow before the turn (beautifully written, but a little meandering), so prepare yourself for that. It's rare to see old-world fables and legends so seamlessly intertwined with the modern era. I feel like this is a book that so many people have, in their way, attempted to write. Victor LaValle succeeds, hand over fist.
I encountered this book as one of the finalists for the 2018 PEN awards, where it was up against works like "White Tears" (one of my all-time faves), "We Were Eight Years in Power," and "Whereas." I'd never freaking heard of Victor LaValle or his book, however. So I made a note to read the book, but didn't give it a ton of thought until I caught it on sale as an audiobook, read by the author. Given the context of the novel being a finalist for a literary award, I assumed that this would be a very high-minded novel, perhaps (given the title) a magical realist look at postpartum depression.
I wasn't wrong, exactly. But that doesn't even begin to cover it.
I don't want to give anything away. Even one little plot point would ruin the effect of this novel. All I'll say is that there is a very distinct turn--it's a little slow before the turn (beautifully written, but a little meandering), so prepare yourself for that. It's rare to see old-world fables and legends so seamlessly intertwined with the modern era. I feel like this is a book that so many people have, in their way, attempted to write. Victor LaValle succeeds, hand over fist.
I found this book to be quite slow. At times, it was beautifully written. A lot of the book felt like narrative, commentary, or poetry about two things: New York City and parenthood. I have little interest in either of those things, so I found myself thinking "okay get on with it" for much of the story. I can see, however, how many people would relate to this story on a much deeper level and thus really like it.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This story felt very disjointed and that really took me out of the experience.