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katieem's review against another edition
4.0
“You know what your grandad said it means to be a peace officer in Montana? He said it means knowing when to look and when to look away”. (Pg. 93)
mattbeatty's review against another edition
3.0
This short novel is spare and beautiful. I liked much about it, and though I didn't truly love it, it gave me a lot to reflect upon. A more modern version of the troublesome mentality of white settlers towards Native Americans. The difficulties of family, nepotism, and expectations in small communities. How our versions of reality don't always measure up to the very layered and complicated perspectives that make up the real world--especially when we are young.
Watson does a good job making his characters real, individual, and believable. His small town relationships are nuanced and thorough. In fact the town of Bentrock itself is a character, and one of my favorites at that.
I think I felt a bit too much emotional distance from the story and its tragedies, from all the characters really. And young David seemed too conincidentally to be able to find a hiding place within earshot of every significant conversation that occurred in the story (those types of conveniences don't bode well with me).
The book has great pacing and is a quick read, a novella. It does a great job invoking mid-20th century Montana. And aside from my semi-minor complaints, I came away with much to ponder. This sentiment specifically stuck with me:
"Even then I knew we were not responsible for the circumstances of our birth or the sins of our fathers." (142)
Watson does a good job making his characters real, individual, and believable. His small town relationships are nuanced and thorough. In fact the town of Bentrock itself is a character, and one of my favorites at that.
I think I felt a bit too much emotional distance from the story and its tragedies, from all the characters really. And young David seemed too conincidentally to be able to find a hiding place within earshot of every significant conversation that occurred in the story (those types of conveniences don't bode well with me).
The book has great pacing and is a quick read, a novella. It does a great job invoking mid-20th century Montana. And aside from my semi-minor complaints, I came away with much to ponder. This sentiment specifically stuck with me:
"Even then I knew we were not responsible for the circumstances of our birth or the sins of our fathers." (142)
mipa_jt's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
rebecca2023's review against another edition
5.0
David Hayden, the adolescent narrator, describes the events that unfolded in his small Montana hometown in 1948. Heartbreaking, beautifully rendered portrait of small town life in the western United States.
lullingaround's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
taaja's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
goldfishreader's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cher_n_books's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars - It was really good.
With anticipation for my upcoming trip to Montana and Yellowstone, I picked this up, hoping for an atmospheric read. It turns out that the story is set in the NE corner of Montana so I found myself in flat lands vs the mountainous backdrop I was seeking, but was rewarded with a great coming of age story nonetheless. A compact book at under 200 pages, but the author tells a compelling story that ultimately feels far more complete and satisfying than I had expected based on it's length.
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Favorite Quote: Young people are supposed to be the impatient ones, but in most circumstances they can outwait their elders. The young are more practiced; time passes slower for them and they are constantly filling their hours, days, months, and years with waiting - for birthdays, for Christmas, for Father to return, for summer to arrive, for graduation, for the rain to stop, for the minister to stop talking, for girls to stop saying, "Not now, not yet; wait." No, when it comes to patience, even the enforced variety, the young are the real masters.
First Sentence: From the summer of my twelfth year I carry a series of images more vivid and lasting than any others of my boyhood and indelible beyond all attempts the years make to erase or fade them...
With anticipation for my upcoming trip to Montana and Yellowstone, I picked this up, hoping for an atmospheric read. It turns out that the story is set in the NE corner of Montana so I found myself in flat lands vs the mountainous backdrop I was seeking, but was rewarded with a great coming of age story nonetheless. A compact book at under 200 pages, but the author tells a compelling story that ultimately feels far more complete and satisfying than I had expected based on it's length.
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Favorite Quote: Young people are supposed to be the impatient ones, but in most circumstances they can outwait their elders. The young are more practiced; time passes slower for them and they are constantly filling their hours, days, months, and years with waiting - for birthdays, for Christmas, for Father to return, for summer to arrive, for graduation, for the rain to stop, for the minister to stop talking, for girls to stop saying, "Not now, not yet; wait." No, when it comes to patience, even the enforced variety, the young are the real masters.
First Sentence: From the summer of my twelfth year I carry a series of images more vivid and lasting than any others of my boyhood and indelible beyond all attempts the years make to erase or fade them...