Scan barcode
mtehan7's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Slavery, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Suicide
colingooding's review against another edition
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
4.0
This was an interesting read after having enjoyed the movie. There are meaningful differences and it's dense enough that it didn't feel like I was just playing the movie through in my head again.
There are a lot of sort of philosophical and religious debates topics here that aren't strikingly original, but are still interesting to explore (if you truly believed in eternal salvation, why would you ever stop trying to save those you care about?). There's a large cast of characters with different viewpoints and experiences, and there is plenty of the titular talk to that kept me engrossed.
I did find it a bit strange that even with this title, the entire thing is from the point of view of a make narrator, but it does make sense in the context of the story, and I found the final monologue to be very moving.
Definitely recommend this whether you've seen the movie or not.
There are a lot of sort of philosophical and religious debates topics here that aren't strikingly original, but are still interesting to explore (if you truly believed in eternal salvation, why would you ever stop trying to save those you care about?). There's a large cast of characters with different viewpoints and experiences, and there is plenty of the titular talk to that kept me engrossed.
I did find it a bit strange that even with this title, the entire thing is from the point of view of a make narrator, but it does make sense in the context of the story, and I found the final monologue to be very moving.
Definitely recommend this whether you've seen the movie or not.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Domestic abuse
essie23's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Rape, and Domestic abuse
katbotelho's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Basically the script for the movie word for word. It was a little dull to read.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Vomit
daniellekat's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
An interesting take and fictionalization on true events. I’m not sure what I was expecting exactly, given all the hype the movie has gotten, but I flew through this in a weekend. The writing was excellent, although I never felt particularly moved or emotional while reading. This was a slow paced, not plot heavy book without use of quotations. All of those things worked together well for me and lent well to the themes, but I can understand why those factors would turn some readers off.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Sexism
Moderate: Death and Domestic abuse
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
lucyhcurtis's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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? No
4.75
Phenomenal.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse
linguaphile412's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Child abuse, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, and Misogyny
Minor: Incest, Vomit, and Pregnancy
ismerene's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
My review will echo others. In short, this is an deadened, back-and-forth circular discussion on the topic of whether to leave or stay in light of horrific abuse, all viewed through a religious Mennonite lens. The story throws some jabs, and the ending did pull some heartstrings, but ultimately I'm left confused and annoyed.
I think the biggest misstep in this novel that cascaded into other issues is the method of which the story is told. No speech is direct. Everything, save for our narrator, is spoken in passive statements, and it serves to deaden a lot of emotion about the situation at hand, as well as removing a large bit of personality from each character. There were a few moments of creepy, chill-up-your-spine implications and sudden, graphic depictions - all of which had heavier impact due to the otherwise banal narration - but overall it only served to turn much of the story into a slog.
The narrator's gender didn't bother me as much as his long-winded inserts did. Separate from him explaining certain cultural nuances, the insert of his background or his encounters outside the meeting felt frustrating. What really chapped my hide however were the comments and odes about one character he pines for. In the context of what this novel is centered on, it comes across as almost... creepy. It's all soft and emotional, but like, she's pregnant because she was raped. I'm not sure if this is to grow the narrator's character, or to illustrate a statement on men overall, but either way it was, also, annoying.
Based on other reviews, it seems as if the choices made here were stylistic, in which case I can confidently say the style is not for me. I think if this had been handled a bit differently, and maybe some choices - in narrator, particularly - were changed, this would be rated much higher. As it stands however, I didn't much care for it.
I think the biggest misstep in this novel that cascaded into other issues is the method of which the story is told. No speech is direct. Everything, save for our narrator, is spoken in passive statements, and it serves to deaden a lot of emotion about the situation at hand, as well as removing a large bit of personality from each character. There were a few moments of creepy, chill-up-your-spine implications and sudden, graphic depictions - all of which had heavier impact due to the otherwise banal narration - but overall it only served to turn much of the story into a slog.
The narrator's gender didn't bother me as much as his long-winded inserts did. Separate from him explaining certain cultural nuances, the insert of his background or his encounters outside the meeting felt frustrating. What really chapped my hide however were the comments and odes about one character he pines for. In the context of what this novel is centered on, it comes across as almost... creepy. It's all soft and emotional, but like, she's pregnant because she was raped. I'm not sure if this is to grow the narrator's character, or to illustrate a statement on men overall, but either way it was, also, annoying.
Based on other reviews, it seems as if the choices made here were stylistic, in which case I can confidently say the style is not for me. I think if this had been handled a bit differently, and maybe some choices - in narrator, particularly - were changed, this would be rated much higher. As it stands however, I didn't much care for it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual violence, Rape, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, and Incest
ptolemystoned's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Vomit, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, and Domestic abuse
danidimuzio's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
After seeing the reviews I was a bit nervous to read this book, but I’m glad I did anyway. The writing is very stylized, conversational and wandering, and every once in a while, shocking. I thought the way the author imagined the decision-making process of the women was beautiful and showed a spectrum of female strength. It’s definitely an interesting choice to tell this story from the perspective of a man but I think it highlighted that toxic masculinity is taught and learned, not something that is inherent in men. This is a great book for book clubs and I would even go so far as to say it could be assigned reading for feminist literature or sociology courses.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Rape, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Suicide