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_raachreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
slow-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
5.0
illusie's review against another edition
4.0
It took me a while to get into the story because there were so many characters. But once I got to know them I was able to loose myself in the story and I really enjoyed it
libertyclaydon's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
scorpiogirl93's review against another edition
reflective
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? Yes
3.75
floer009's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? Yes
5.0
Absolutely, beautiful book for a first-time author. I'm in school so the drag in reading wasn't due to the content. I want more of her for sure!
rebleejen's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
Really enjoyed this story. No notes.
bandgeek3997's review against another edition
5.0
I try to pretend sometimes that I pick books to read because I read the brief summary and found it compelling, or that I heard so many wonderful things about it. I'll be honest, though. I picked this book up because it was pretty. I was right: it was pretty.... awesome! (It's okay, you can hate me for that.)
The story focuses on Chava, a golem, and Ahmad, a jinni. I am not one who knows much about other cultural folklore, so I did have to look up what those two creatures were. The both were explained within time, though, but impatience gets the best of me sometimes. These two magical beings are brought to live in circumstances beyond their control, and though being of different nature completely, experience the same struggles in their own way. It isn't until almost half of the 500 page book that our two main characters finally meet. Some might call that slow, but the story of how they each live their life in different communities of late 19th century NYC is completely needed.
This is a hard book to review. I don't want to give too many details away, and then again, there are so many intricate and important details that I would run out of space if I listed them all. But you should read this book. The entire time is such a magical experience of both Arabic and Jewish folklore. (How she was able to masterfully tell it from perspectives of multiple cultures is beyond me.) The characters are so real that you experience everything with them. The story so captivating that you never want it to end.
It felt like a fairy tale, and there hasn't been a book since The Night Circus to be such a magical read the entire time. I definitely look forward to more works by Helene Wrecker in the future!
The story focuses on Chava, a golem, and Ahmad, a jinni. I am not one who knows much about other cultural folklore, so I did have to look up what those two creatures were. The both were explained within time, though, but impatience gets the best of me sometimes. These two magical beings are brought to live in circumstances beyond their control, and though being of different nature completely, experience the same struggles in their own way. It isn't until almost half of the 500 page book that our two main characters finally meet. Some might call that slow, but the story of how they each live their life in different communities of late 19th century NYC is completely needed.
This is a hard book to review. I don't want to give too many details away, and then again, there are so many intricate and important details that I would run out of space if I listed them all. But you should read this book. The entire time is such a magical experience of both Arabic and Jewish folklore. (How she was able to masterfully tell it from perspectives of multiple cultures is beyond me.) The characters are so real that you experience everything with them. The story so captivating that you never want it to end.
It felt like a fairy tale, and there hasn't been a book since The Night Circus to be such a magical read the entire time. I definitely look forward to more works by Helene Wrecker in the future!
lisamchuk's review against another edition
5.0
An enchanting story of old magic in a nostalgic time. Though the plot was slow, it seemed to fit and didn’t lag. I enjoyed reading about folklore I haven’t read much about before, and thought this a charmingly refreshing tale.
navyredrose's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
annashiv's review against another edition
5.0
This book was amazing. It is one of my favorites ever now, and I say that about very few books. I do know that this book isn't for everyone, but it was great for me. It was beautifully written, which really surprised me since it is the author's first novel. The story was woven beautifully and with a lot of thought which I appreciate. Every character was important and the ending was perfect. It was just a great story about life as an immigrant and learning what it means to be human. It holds so many great lines about life and choices. I took a long time to read it, and the first hundred pages were a little tough to get through, but I did enjoy it. It may not be full of action, but it has plenty of things happening all at the same time. I just loved everything about this story. I loved the characters and the stories of their lives. I recommend everyone at least give it a chance. The ending is definitely worth any work you put into reading it.