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3.51k reviews for:
Кажи на вълците, че съм си у дома
Карол Рифка Брънт, Владимир Венчарски, Carol Rifka Brunt, Владимир Молев, Ина Бъчварова
4.09 AVERAGE
3.51k reviews for:
Кажи на вълците, че съм си у дома
Карол Рифка Брънт, Владимир Венчарски, Carol Rifka Brunt, Владимир Молев, Ина Бъчварова
4.09 AVERAGE
The story was so evocative of that time period in New York, and particularly of the beginning of the AIDS epidemic and the fears and misunderstandings that went with that. That part brought back many memories for me, good and bad.
The rest of it was a let-down for me. I think the emphasis was jarring and repeatedly took me out of the story. Is the reader supposed to believe she actually had a great love by age 14? I initially thought that the author would clarify that this young adolescent had confusing feelings (as all young adolescents do), but then she repeatedly returned to that theme. I know there was some higher meaning, but I thought it really detracted from the story.
I thought the beginning was compelling and fascinating and different and the rest? Mostly meh.
The rest of it was a let-down for me. I think the emphasis
Spoiler
on her "romantic" love for her uncleI thought the beginning was compelling and fascinating and different and the rest? Mostly meh.
I felt like grabbing the paintbrush right out of his hand so I could color him in, paint him back to his old self.
This was a very effective, heartbreaking book about grief in the first decade of AIDS emerging and being recognized in society. It is extremely frustrating that Carol Rifika Brunt throws in a whole bunch of other stuff and ultimately drags down her skilled handling of the topic with a whole slew of half-baked complications.
There is so much Rifka gets right. She leads you through the guilt, bitterness, nostalgia, anger, up-and-down struggle of grief with a gentle but firm hand. She blends in the frustrating and entirely upsetting presence of extreme prejudice and ignorance beautifully.
I do not understand why Rifka clearly felt that her debut novel needed to be so much more than that.
There are arguments to be made, I suppose, for the idea that the main characters needed big back stories and side conflicts to be complete, well-rounded characters. Unfortunately those additional details and plots just did nothing for the main through-line. Whatsoever. It ended up feeling like a half-hearted way to bulk up what probably should've been a shorter novel or even a novella.
I thought about Finn. How he did whatever he wanted. Just like my mother said. He never let the tunnel squash him. But still, there he was. In the end he was still crushed to death by his own choices.
Also - I love Finn and Toby, and I felt intensely protective of them both throughout the book, but they... felt one-dimensional. They were the good, kind guardian angels, perfectly patient and perfectly there - very much like Angel in Rent. Instead of being genuinely complex characters, they are treated like cruel victims of a world for which they were simply too good. It just feels lazy.
This book should've been unmissable. I want to know what Rifka's editors were doing that led to the more bloated parts of the stories being kept in.
'Except... well, except we have AIDS instead of the plague.'
'They're not the same.'
'Well, not exactly, but—'
'Not at all. You couldn't help it if the plague got you. It was nobody's fault. It just happened. Nobody was to blame.'
This was a very effective, heartbreaking book about grief in the first decade of AIDS emerging and being recognized in society. It is extremely frustrating that Carol Rifika Brunt throws in a whole bunch of other stuff and ultimately drags down her skilled handling of the topic with a whole slew of half-baked complications.
There is so much Rifka gets right. She leads you through the guilt, bitterness, nostalgia, anger, up-and-down struggle of grief with a gentle but firm hand. She blends in the frustrating and entirely upsetting presence of extreme prejudice and ignorance beautifully.
I do not understand why Rifka clearly felt that her debut novel needed to be so much more than that.
There are arguments to be made, I suppose, for the idea that the main characters needed big back stories and side conflicts to be complete, well-rounded characters. Unfortunately those additional details and plots just did nothing for the main through-line. Whatsoever. It ended up feeling like a half-hearted way to bulk up what probably should've been a shorter novel or even a novella.
Spoiler
Like, seriously... the little story where June comes to terms that she was in love with her uncle?? Why?? Totally and completely unnecessary. It almost felt like the author was jumping on a soapbox to justify her own feelings for a family member...I thought about Finn. How he did whatever he wanted. Just like my mother said. He never let the tunnel squash him. But still, there he was. In the end he was still crushed to death by his own choices.
Also - I love Finn and Toby, and I felt intensely protective of them both throughout the book, but they... felt one-dimensional. They were the good, kind guardian angels, perfectly patient and perfectly there - very much like Angel in Rent. Instead of being genuinely complex characters, they are treated like cruel victims of a world for which they were simply too good. It just feels lazy.
This book should've been unmissable. I want to know what Rifka's editors were doing that led to the more bloated parts of the stories being kept in.
'Except... well, except we have AIDS instead of the plague.'
'They're not the same.'
'Well, not exactly, but—'
'Not at all. You couldn't help it if the plague got you. It was nobody's fault. It just happened. Nobody was to blame.'
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
sad
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:
No
This is my first piece of fiction that deals with this disease during this era. I felt like the author adequately shows the ignorance of the time, the impact and reactions of loved ones, and the grief experienced.
I loved this book. It was beautifully written and told a tragic tale in an understated way. I could not put it down.
emotional
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:
Yes
This book is a wonderful story about a family and dealing with AIDS and death. June has to learn to forgive and open her heart again. I think we can all relate to the story even though the main character is 14 and it's placed in the 1980s. Carol Rifka Brunt is a beautiful writer and I enjoyed this novel very much.
Was not crazy about this book. Did not love the characters. However, I felt I could have gone to high school with the main character, and even though I couldn't really relate to her, I enjoyed seeing through her POV.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
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:
Yes