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nowns's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
twicomb's review
2.0
A lot of people seem to have strong opinions about this book. Many laud it as great storytelling about a wide cast of interesting characters. Others frown on it as reinforcing gender essentialism. So I was looking forward to reading it. After all, a book that inspired such a wide range of strong opinions was sure to at least be interesting. And after finally getting all the way to the end, I can honestly report that I found it…boring.
That’s right. It was dull. I couldn’t even care enough about it to get worked up one way or another. I never felt attached to or interested in any of the characters beyond them being part of an ongoing list of characters passing through the book. I didn’t find any of the commentary compelling enough to be excited by it, or irritating enough to be offended by it. It just felt like one long slog. There was no particular story arc of any kind, either, which is often difficult with a book that spans multiple generations. But “it’s difficult to do” doesn’t mean it can’t be done. This book did not succeed.
Honestly, the best word I can think of was “boring” - and I know I used it already, but no other word sums up how I felt for nearly the entire book. Clearly many people love it - or hate it. I did neither, and perhaps that’s why I found it so forgettable.
That’s right. It was dull. I couldn’t even care enough about it to get worked up one way or another. I never felt attached to or interested in any of the characters beyond them being part of an ongoing list of characters passing through the book. I didn’t find any of the commentary compelling enough to be excited by it, or irritating enough to be offended by it. It just felt like one long slog. There was no particular story arc of any kind, either, which is often difficult with a book that spans multiple generations. But “it’s difficult to do” doesn’t mean it can’t be done. This book did not succeed.
Honestly, the best word I can think of was “boring” - and I know I used it already, but no other word sums up how I felt for nearly the entire book. Clearly many people love it - or hate it. I did neither, and perhaps that’s why I found it so forgettable.
christinajcraig's review
4.0
I loved many things about this book: its settings in Kansas, New Orleans, the north woods, Mars; many of its characters; the tracing of a family lineage over 7 generations; the overlapping themes of war, love, loss, and rebirth. Some aspects of the plot were disappointing, however, and the last third of the book read pretty slow. Would recommend for people who like climate/science fiction, Parable of the Sower, etc!
alicetragedy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
biggshelf's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Incest, and Sexual assault
allie_rose's review against another edition
3.5
This was much more about motherhood than I was anticipating and very depressing, though I did like the back and forth and piecing together how everyone was related
memol's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0