Reviews

Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke

aviautonomous's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

3.75

zmull's review against another edition

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5.0

This is a pretty great mystery novel. Start of a great series hopefully.

nataliastovall's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

callunavulgaris's review against another edition

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challenging emotional sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

naisinkoi's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

Thrillers rarely disappoint me and I am happy to report that this one did not. 

Stories around solving a murder are always interesting, as much as that sounds quite dark. 

The nuances around the culture of the southern part of North America were brought out quite clearly and I definitely enjoyed the twists and turns. I kinda would have guessed that the final guilty party was guilty, I just didn't know how it would all be brought together. 

All in all, this is a listen I quite enjoyed. 

bioteacherbooknerd's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

ibeforem's review against another edition

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4.0

This book is very atmospheric and tense, and I think Locke does a great job of illustrating the racial divides. It dragged a little for me in the middle (and I just couldn't get invested in the Mack storyline beyond whether Darren keeps his job, nor did I give a fig about his marriage), but I thought it all came together very well in the end. I'm not sure if I'll pick up the second Darren Matthews book, but I would pick up Locke's work again. 

fourwhitetrees's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

samantha1020's review against another edition

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4.5

Bluebird, Bluebird isn't always an easy read but it was completely worth it. I'm so glad that I finally pulled this one off of my shelves because it is going to stick with me for some time. I'm really not sure that I can do this book justice with my review, but I'm gong to try because it's a smart, thought provoking read. In this book the author explores what life is like for a Black man in Texas - and especially how much more difficult it is as a black Texas ranger. Darren Mathews himself is a complicated main character - struggling with his drinking and marriage but also trying to live up to the expectations of the two uncles that raised him. I found myself immersed in this book and the story the author was telling. It wasn't easy to read, it was very dark at times, but it really moved me as the reader. The only thing that kept me from giving it a full five stars (I'm rounding up) was that the "who" behind the murders felt very obvious from early on. I would argue that the point of this book though is less the mystery and more the other topics that the author explores within the pages.

Mystery readers and those looking for a thought provoking, suspenseful read should pick this book up. I'm excited to continue on with this series and also explore the rest of her backlist. 4.5 stars and a book from my own shelves that I purchased.

CW - Racism, racial slurs

omg_lyds's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5