Reviews with content warning for Slavery - The Sparrow

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The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

21 reviews

sarahschwehn's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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jedore's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

“You know what’s the most terrifying thing about admitting that you’re in love?…You are just naked. You put yourself in harm’s way and you lay down all your defenses. No clothes, no weapons. Nowhere to hide. Completely vulnerable. The only thing that makes it tolerable is to believe the other person loves you back and that you can trust him not to hurt you.”

This is a captivating science fiction novel that intertwines deep themes, like love, faith, humanity, and the unknown. The story follows a Jesuit priest, Emilio Sandoz, and his eclectic team of scientists and scholars on a mission to make first contact with an alien civilization on the planet Rakhat. The narrative is structured in two timelines, one detailing the mission’s hopeful beginnings and the other unraveling the tragic aftermath, which keeps readers engaged and chomping at the bit to understand the full picture.

This may very well be my very first true science fiction book! I’m not typically a fan of sci-fi, but I found myself thoroughly enjoying this one. The blend of speculative fiction with profound philosophical questions made it a compelling read.

I was initially apprehensive about the religious aspect of the book, given its heavy focus on Jesuit priests. However, Mary Doria Russell handles the religious themes objectively and the story remains balanced by her inclusion of both non-religious and Jewish characters who are integral to the plot. The religious characters are portrayed as complex humans, not as dogmatic zealots trying to convert others, which I very much appreciated. This approach made the interactions between religious and non-religious characters feel authentic and respectful.

There were so many fascinating facets to this story. The book delves into Catholicism, linguistics, alien culture, interpersonal relationships, sanctioned body mutilation, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Boredom is never an option!

Character development is fantastic. Each character is given a distinct voice and personality, making them feel real and relatable. The description of the alien species is really well-done. Russell’s vivid imagery allowed me to easily visualize the aliens and their environment.

I highly recommend "The Sparrow" to anyone interested in an intelligent and multifaceted story…whether you're a fan of science fiction or not!

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reenelou's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I wanted it to be more gorey.

There was so much exposition at the begining and it felt like the last part of the book was rushed, the horror element was more implied than gratuitous and gd I wanted to witness the true horror of the surgery, hasta'akala, emillo underwent.

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mdiffer's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I should hate this book. Yet I couldn't put it down near the end.
A heartbreaking nightmare that was deeply terrifying to me in unexpected ways. It's about all the ways that "first contact" with alien cultures could go wrong. Intercultural misunderstandings and cultural contamination. But it's also about a Catholic Jesuit finding his god and absolution through a horrible experience.
It was almost cathartic to finish. I'm shooketh.
Kudos to author Mary Doria Russell for writing this horror masterpiece-- you almost scared 'god' into this atheist.

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