Reviews

Crooked Seeds: A Novel by Karen Jennings

anvimridul's review

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

meredith_w's review

dark emotional sad fast-paced

4.5

An uncomfortable, depressing novel set in near-future Cape Town, amid water shortages, wildfires and other climate related challenges.  The main character is unpleasant, difficult, and bitter, but I was not without sympathy.  This short novel is very engaging and layered with spare writing.  Despite the depressing storyline and extremely unlikeable main character, I really liked this book. 

emmettcvt's review

tense medium-paced

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

3.5

This book made me feel like shit and pick a fight with my family.

estreetgirl's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

5.0

thebookishepicure's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

yetanothersusan's review against another edition

2.75

While an interesting story, I felt like I was missing foundational information that would have helped me understand and enjoy the story more. From beginning to end, this book felt like an excerpt from a longer book. Stories were introduced halfway or only alluded to as though the reader should already know the background story. I never quite felt like I understood the characters or what was going on. I wish there had been more.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.

markeefe's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

charlotte_molloy_'s review against another edition

I really really wanted to like this having loved her previous booker long listed novel, An Island.

This one had great promise. Reminding me of an unpolished version of the writing of Ishiguro or Galgut. Except the "bulk" wrapped around the plot and in the writing became too tedious to continue with. 

With 3 or 4 more novel attempts, Jennings could be in the same league as these two aforementioned authors. but, right now, she is an author battling against her own ambition. She knows where she wants to go, but she's a sapling trying to be a tree, she just needs more refinement & time. But there's plenty of writing potential here, as already evidenced by her booker nomintion, that speaks for itself.