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3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
I truly liked this book, and I loved Kenzie's attitude and feelings toward her child. It was a refreshing perspective. I liked the opportunity to get to know, at least a little bit, the flavor of living in this area of Spain.
I think that if I had the opportunity to travel there myself, I would be able to relate more to Kenzie's experiences and would like the book that much more.
One of the good things about this book is also one of the frustrating things about the book -- there is so much which is left unsaid. Perhaps it's a cultural thing, or perhaps it's a literary thing, so that we can flesh out the backstories and futures of the characters for ourselves.
Personally, I always want to know a little more. What is the fate of the characters beyond the ending of the book?
I think that if I had the opportunity to travel there myself, I would be able to relate more to Kenzie's experiences and would like the book that much more.
One of the good things about this book is also one of the frustrating things about the book -- there is so much which is left unsaid. Perhaps it's a cultural thing, or perhaps it's a literary thing, so that we can flesh out the backstories and futures of the characters for ourselves.
Personally, I always want to know a little more. What is the fate of the characters beyond the ending of the book?
3,237 days later, I can finally mark Small Damages as read. I'm a very different person than I was when I first became interested in this book in 2012, but I'm glad to see that it held up to the test of time. The book is written from the perspective of Kenzie to her child. She's a high school graduate who recently lost her father and is sent away to Spain to escape (her mother's) shame of an unplanned pregnancy so the baby can be adopted by a local couple. Although this is marketed as YA, it read much more poetic and adult than the books I remember reading around this book's release. Kenzie and Estrela felt very real to me, but the other characters seemed to lack depth.
In the end, this was a beautiful book. Well written, emotional, though incredibly slow and hard to get into at the beginning. Worth it in the end; glad I stuck with it.
this was different and may not be for everyone. it's beautifully written, and very descriptive but also kind of stream of consciousness-y. it took a bit to get used to that. conversations were not defined, so you had to pay attention to follow. i reread more than one passage to make sure i understood what was being said. lastly, it sort felt like a long short story instead of a book. the climax was subtle, and the resolution was rather brief.
overall, a really good story and worth a read.
overall, a really good story and worth a read.
I can always count on Kephart’s pure writing-style to create a seamless story that will entertain my imagination. Rich in detail and a poetic prose, she effortlessly transports you to the peaceful countryside of Spain. Vibrant images of its people and culture spill from every page and as the story unfolds you feel as though you are in a dream. I will however admit that I’d have loved for the story to continue on further for the sake of tying up a few loose ends I was still curious about. While the book is not particularly long, the unassuming characters and their story do easily hold their own. Overall Small Damages beautifully displays love, loss, and the challenges faced when making choices; Kenzie’s evolution is a magical example of self discovery in a coming-of-age novel!
2.5
This seems to be one of those cases where this book just wasn't totally for me. There was nothing wrong with it, per se, it's just that the writing style of the book and I didn't mesh all that well.
Although it was a pretty quick read (I had it finished in around three hours, give or take) the story kind of dragged on without much happening. Half-way through I was still waiting for anything to happen, or for some of the character relationships to develop. The whole relationship between Kenzie and Esteban just seemed out of nowhere. We hardly witness them spend time together or talk often, and yet at the end they're suddenly in love. I just didn't feel it between them. The only relationship that I thought actually progressed with any significance was between Kenzie and Estella. That was probably the best thing about the book.
I wasn't a fan of the end because it just felt so abrupt. It made it seem like a good majority of the novel hadn't served much of a purpose. Honestly I don't think I have any strong feelings about this book either way. I liked the idea of it, but in the end it just didn't do it for me. Of course these are just my own personal feelings and it is very likely that another person will pick this up and love it. [b:Small Damages|12849260|Small Damages|Beth Kephart|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348692732s/12849260.jpg|17393174] and I, we just weren't meant to be.
This seems to be one of those cases where this book just wasn't totally for me. There was nothing wrong with it, per se, it's just that the writing style of the book and I didn't mesh all that well.
Although it was a pretty quick read (I had it finished in around three hours, give or take) the story kind of dragged on without much happening. Half-way through I was still waiting for anything to happen, or for some of the character relationships to develop. The whole relationship between Kenzie and Esteban just seemed out of nowhere. We hardly witness them spend time together or talk often, and yet at the end they're suddenly in love. I just didn't feel it between them. The only relationship that I thought actually progressed with any significance was between Kenzie and Estella. That was probably the best thing about the book.
I wasn't a fan of the end because it just felt so abrupt. It made it seem like a good majority of the novel hadn't served much of a purpose. Honestly I don't think I have any strong feelings about this book either way. I liked the idea of it, but in the end it just didn't do it for me. Of course these are just my own personal feelings and it is very likely that another person will pick this up and love it. [b:Small Damages|12849260|Small Damages|Beth Kephart|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348692732s/12849260.jpg|17393174] and I, we just weren't meant to be.
At times, I felt like this plot was just an excuse to enjoy the lush scenery of Southern Spain. But I don't fault, Kephart, as her writing made me fall for it just as quickly as she did.