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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-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
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-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
Wow, I don't know if I have the words to express how much I loved this book. It was heartbreakingly beautiful and the verse style is impeccable. Each word carries weight and right down to its placement on the page matters. And it manages to take readers on a journey that is both familiar and mysterious, with surprises along the way.
I really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite work for me. The concepts were fascinating, and I appreciated the cultural and religious elements woven into the story, but the execution didn’t fully land. Some aspects of the plot felt a bit unrealistic—like traveling across the country with no money and still managing to stay in hotels. Certain character dynamics, like Sani and Moth’s relationship and Aunt Jackie’s sudden departure, left me wanting more development and depth.
While the cultural and religious themes were essential to the story’s conclusion, they sometimes felt a bit heavy-handed, both for the reader and the characters themselves. I wonder if having a Navajo co-writer, rather than just an advisor, might have added another layer of authenticity and nuance.
I usually love novels in verse, but the poetry in this one didn’t quite resonate with me. I found myself needing to analyze it more than I wanted to in order to fully grasp the story, which made it harder for me to connect.
That said, I can see how this book might be meaningful to others, and I appreciate what it was trying to do—it just wasn’t the right fit for me.
Rose: Accurate representation of other religious beliefs.
Thorn: I had to work way to hard to understand this story.
Thorn: I had to work way to hard to understand this story.
From the acknowledgements, “I offer you a gift, an iron to smooth the creases that wrinkle up your spirit” (p. 248).
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-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
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
emotional
reflective
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