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Sigh. This could have been a favorite.
The plot is incredible. I found myself with tears in my eyes more than once throughout this book. The fantastic elements are well written and engaging.
But. But. The pacing was off. It drags and it drags. Keeps going back to the same thing. Sometimes, there was so much description in the flashbacks that I even skipped whole paragraphs just to get back to the main story. And then other times, everything happened too quickly and all at once - a lot of action packed into not a lot of space. This made me take longer than I might have in different circumstances to read the book, because I needed time to process (and time to breathe, eh). And also, for a book that won a 'romance' prize, there is a surprizing lack of romance.
Nevertheless it's still a great story with characters I quickly grew attached to like Cal and Nina and Abe - not Benji though, I thought he was childish and ungrateful and prone to throwing temper tantrums.
So yeah... 4 stars. Maybe 3,5.
The plot is incredible. I found myself with tears in my eyes more than once throughout this book. The fantastic elements are well written and engaging.
But. But. The pacing was off. It drags and it drags. Keeps going back to the same thing. Sometimes, there was so much description in the flashbacks that I even skipped whole paragraphs just to get back to the main story. And then other times, everything happened too quickly and all at once - a lot of action packed into not a lot of space. This made me take longer than I might have in different circumstances to read the book, because I needed time to process (and time to breathe, eh). And also, for a book that won a 'romance' prize, there is a surprizing lack of romance.
Nevertheless it's still a great story with characters I quickly grew attached to like Cal and Nina and Abe - not Benji though, I thought he was childish and ungrateful and prone to throwing temper tantrums.
So yeah... 4 stars. Maybe 3,5.
emotional
hopeful
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
hands down one of the best books i've read in 2017. it's magical, wonderful, complex, emotional and beautiful. it's everything you could ask for. the first half is slow but it's so necessary. the last 30% made me cry so much. i am so impressed by this. it's so complex but also controlled. really well written. i'm also pissed that this isn't more popular.
I confess to having to gear myself up for reading TJ's usual whirlwind style of writing. I don't dislike his voice, but I do find it sort of exhausting if I'm not braced for it.
Into the River was different. It was still his signature stream-of-conscience style, but I found it less tiresome and the tangents more relevant than they are in some of his other stuff.
Ultimately, though I did find the book gripping and the characters so very likeable. Knowing life can't always have everything work out for the best in all things, this book was realistic that way, and I like that. It gave me a very real sense of accomplishment when the heroes did get their ending, and it left me satisfied.
The one thing I regret about this book begins and ends with the phrase "look away". But even that was a matter of true story-telling and not a weakness, but a necessity. Still. It makes me sad.
Into the River was different. It was still his signature stream-of-conscience style, but I found it less tiresome and the tangents more relevant than they are in some of his other stuff.
Ultimately, though I did find the book gripping and the characters so very likeable. Knowing life can't always have everything work out for the best in all things, this book was realistic that way, and I like that. It gave me a very real sense of accomplishment when the heroes did get their ending, and it left me satisfied.
The one thing I regret about this book begins and ends with the phrase "look away". But even that was a matter of true story-telling and not a weakness, but a necessity. Still. It makes me sad.
re-listen April 2018
I still have no words to describe the beauty that is this story but it will forever be one of my favorite books!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Until I find appropriate words for this fantastic book, I'll leave you some pictures.
What you need:

What you can expect:



I still have no words to describe the beauty that is this story but it will forever be one of my favorite books!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Until I find appropriate words for this fantastic book, I'll leave you some pictures.
What you need:

What you can expect:




emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
“Sometimes I float along the river
For its surface I am bound
And there are times stones done fill my pockets
And it's into this river I drown”
4.5 ⭐️ While I might have enjoyed this much more have I read Burn before, I still really really enjoyed it. The way Benji and everyone else around him lived their grief, felt so raw. I had all the feels. And I gotta say, I ADORED Abe. Definitively my favourite character!
For its surface I am bound
And there are times stones done fill my pockets
And it's into this river I drown”
4.5 ⭐️ While I might have enjoyed this much more have I read Burn before, I still really really enjoyed it. The way Benji and everyone else around him lived their grief, felt so raw. I had all the feels. And I gotta say, I ADORED Abe. Definitively my favourite character!
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was nothing that I thought it would be and everything I needed it to be.
It is so much more than just a story of the love between father and son. Love and loss. It is a story about loving and learning, faith and trust, hope and betrayal, miracles and mystery. I absolutely loved it!
It is so much more than just a story of the love between father and son. Love and loss. It is a story about loving and learning, faith and trust, hope and betrayal, miracles and mystery. I absolutely loved it!
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes