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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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:
No
The character development in all Ann Marie MacDonald’s books is always so astounding. However flawed the characters may be, you can’t but help to feel almost bonded to them. I loved reading about the family in this book, and honestly I did not think it was as possible for a person to succinctly describe the events and atmosphere of the Cold War in a way that catches interest, but I honestly feel she did this; I was captivated. I also grew up in London, Ontario, and reading the author describe this place I grew up in made it feel so intimate and personal. And I got to enjoy the book with my mom, who felt similarly as she grew up in London at the same time the story was taking place.
Super depressing! Canadian military family returns from Germany to live on a base in Centralia. Jack, the dad, starts keeping a big secret from his family as Madeline, the daughter keeps one or two of her own.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
While I thought this book was way too long - that there were WAY too many details - I loved how the author portrayed the mental life of a nine-year-old. She got it perfectly. I also thought that the mystery at the center of the novel was interesting, with a twist I wasn't expecting at the end.
While the writing was excellent, I found the content too disturbing
I really just thought this book was okay, but I had to add an extra star because the writing is so wonderful.
This is one of those stories that I just can't (or maybe won't, who can say) appreciate. The drama, the characters, the mystery, the why's and wherefores, I just lost interest. The entire middle part of the book was a dead loss to me, though I thought the beginning and the end superb. I loved how it started, with the little girl telling the story of moving, with her fears and understanding of her parents. It was almost magical in the telling. But then the story moves on to her new teacher and her fathers work and became less enchanted, it moves to murder and secrets and I'm not charmed but getting bored, right though to the modern day life of the little girl, all grown up. And then it get better, with her parents retired and the mystery getting solved, the end was good, with just the right amount of closure but leaving some to the imagination.
There is no doubt the the author is extremely talented, it is not easy to take your reader through the emotional wringer and still leave that hope at the end. But for me, this isn't the kind of book I can get invested in.
This is one of those stories that I just can't (or maybe won't, who can say) appreciate. The drama, the characters, the mystery, the why's and wherefores, I just lost interest. The entire middle part of the book was a dead loss to me, though I thought the beginning and the end superb. I loved how it started, with the little girl telling the story of moving, with her fears and understanding of her parents. It was almost magical in the telling. But then the story moves on to her new teacher and her fathers work and became less enchanted, it moves to murder and secrets and I'm not charmed but getting bored, right though to the modern day life of the little girl, all grown up. And then it get better, with her parents retired and the mystery getting solved, the end was good, with just the right amount of closure but leaving some to the imagination.
There is no doubt the the author is extremely talented, it is not easy to take your reader through the emotional wringer and still leave that hope at the end. But for me, this isn't the kind of book I can get invested in.
4.5 stars. A bit of a slow burn, and definitely not a light read, but this is a beautiful novel, richly vivid and poignant. And the ending, wow. It's almost impossible to describe without spoiling it... so just go read it.
content warnings for: child abuse, rape/pedophilia, racist/ableist/homophobic language as indicative of the time period.
content warnings for: child abuse, rape/pedophilia, racist/ableist/homophobic language as indicative of the time period.