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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Egyptian detail was too difficult to follow, which didn't contribute massively to the storyline
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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
I really enjoyed the first part (or should that be parts?) of this book, but enjoyed it less as I neared the end.
This book almost feels like a school textbook at times- very heavy on Egyptology. Now, that era fascinated me, but will probably put some people off. Also, VERY heavy on death themes so if that is a tender spot for you, steer clear. As always, the writing is superb and the story is compelling, not a fan of the ending.
This was an engaging read after a series of non-fiction and some textbooks. My inner archeological adventuress was triggered by reading the excerpt and I plunged in right away. Now I want to learn hieroglyphics all over again just like I wanted to when I was 13 …
One of my favorite authors and this book did not disappoint. Picoult has a master craft of being able to research and delve into specific subject matter and this was evident throughout this book. The dive into Egyptology might be much for some but I enjoyed grappling with the topics of afterlife and grief along with the book and appreciated the parallels to the current storyline. It does not have her usual theme of tackling moral and controversial topics, this seemed to me more of a personal storytelling of grief, love, and forgiveness.
Good story, but since I listened to it, I lost interest on some parts of the extensive Egyptian history sections. My favorite part was the death doula storyline which I had never heard of before and found very intriguing.
OK, Jodi Picoult is a talented writer, and her descriptions—at times—take my breath away. But something about this book didn't work. Clearly, she enjoyed her research into Egyptology, but her tangents on gods and hieroglyphics really bogged down the narrative. At the end of the book, I'd find myself rolling my eyes when she'd randomly bring up sun gods or the underworld during a scene that occurs in contemporary times. It's WAY overdone. You'd think that stuff would be fascinating—but it just doesn't work. I think she had a great concept for the book and I loved her explorations of parallel universes, how the choices we make shape our destiny, quantum physics, etc. I also enjoyed learning about death doulas. (I want one someday!) The ending didn't really pack the punch I think she was going for, as it was clear to me what choice the protagonist would make.