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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
Enjoyable but I would have liked it more if a short story. There were entire pages that were not needed.
While I did read this book very quickly and was immediately caught up, the senseless animal violence and discussion of animal abuse was too much and didn't serve the plot in any meaningful way. While this is a shooting at a zoo and you could expect some animals getting hurt, I thought this would take a different path than what ended up being written, and not all the senseless animal abuse described even occurred at the zoo, so it's just unacceptable.
There are certainly several points throughout where you need to suspend your disbelief, and the payoff just isn't worth it. While I can appreciate the writing of the clear strong love and devotion that Joan has for her child and what she'll do to protect him, the constant weaving of her own history into her thoughts wasn't very meaningful, and the same can be said with the other characters who got a few chapters to themselves.
There are certainly several points throughout where you need to suspend your disbelief, and the payoff just isn't worth it. While I can appreciate the writing of the clear strong love and devotion that Joan has for her child and what she'll do to protect him, the constant weaving of her own history into her thoughts wasn't very meaningful, and the same can be said with the other characters who got a few chapters to themselves.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is a very quick read that you can finish in just a couple of days. I picked it up wanting something fast paced after reading a few slower classics. It is a good book, well paced, and I liked the writing style. But for me, I just find the idea of being involved in a mass shooting so horrific that I didn’t particularly enjoy this book, so it probably wasn’t the best choice. I did not like seeing from the perspective of one of the shooters either, and trying to make sense of the f-ed up worldview he has. The mother son relationship is obviously the main thematic focus of the book though, and I did think that was well done.
Like what happened to the baby! And Mrs. Powell. Seriously cliff hangers needed a good ending. This book left me wanting so much more.
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
An intense beginning and end, with a sagging middle that lost some momentum. The story is about the protagonist, Joan and her 4-year-old son Lincoln. They find themselves in an unexpected, unfortunate situation. You learn quickly of this situation. There are chapters where you have the opportunity to learn the perspectives of the other characters in the story. Philips would describe their back stories and I often found myself skimming through these. Some of the insights were helpful to the story; however, I often couldn't see the link. Philips does a good job of putting you in Joan's perspective. I related to Joan's thought process and feel I would deal with the situation similarly. I read regularly in reviews that people felt the ending was lacklustre, but I disagree. I found the ending to be quite intense. I wasn't entirely sure what would happen, but I hoped for the best. The final ending was up to interpretation.
TW for death, shootings, violence
I'm not sure what was more powerful: my first read through of this book or all the times I've thought about it afterwards. Although this book is fiction, it only proves just how easily this could become a reality for anyone. Gin Phillips did a fantastic job, even down to the minute details.
I'm not sure what was more powerful: my first read through of this book or all the times I've thought about it afterwards. Although this book is fiction, it only proves just how easily this could become a reality for anyone. Gin Phillips did a fantastic job, even down to the minute details.
Interesting concept but it ending up being uneventful. I wouldn't call it boring; I finished it in one day. Lots of questions left unanswered. Might make a better movie than book.
As many others have said, a very amazing concept but not the best execution. The kid was just so freaking annoying. It would have been a lot more interesting to me if it followed the point of view of a single woman instead of a mother and her child. However, I’m sure it’s more interesting and gripping of a book for women with children.
As many others have said, a very amazing concept but not the best execution. The kid was just so freaking annoying. It would have been a lot more interesting to me if it followed the point of view of a single woman instead of a mother and her child. However, I’m sure it’s more interesting and gripping of a book for women with children.
I didn’t enjoy this book because the woman seemed so selfish and I couldn’t picture anything. I get that she was selfish because of her child but it just put me off. It felt like a drag to read.