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obxhokie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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? No
4.0
This went from “Where the Crawdads sing” to historical darkness in a flash. It feels unbalanced drawing out so much detail in the beginning and then ending in a relatively anticlimactic finish. I enjoyed it as a read, but it left more to be desired.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Physical abuse
fkshg8465's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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? Yes
4.0
This book angered me. A great injustice was done because of older, perceived ones, and with this child, we can only hope the generational trauma will cease.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
bellebookcorner's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
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? It's complicated
5.0
“Sometimes family is not who you’ve been given, it’s who you choose.”
If you like Where the Crawdads Sing, then you’ll have to read this one.
Reading the story about Leah, a bright and cheerful young girl who went through a lot of stuff really breaks my heart to pieces, knowing that all she ever wanted was a family and a home.
Throughout the story it was filled with Leah’s longing to a life she used to know before her father had an accident at work. I can’t help but cry while listening to the audio book. The narrator did a very great job of delivering this story, her voice capture every emotions in the story.
While most of the story is heart-breaking, there are some parts that shows love and hope. Like Leah’s friend Jesse who never stop sending her letters, Mary Ann and Michael Henry that befriend her despite their wicked evil mother – Mrs. Griffin (I was so angry with her ever since she came into Leah's life, I wish I could slap Mrs. Griffin).
Then there’s that surprising twist near the ending which was totally unexpected!
I didn’t know anything about the eugenics movement before reading this one and to know it actually happen in our reality was horrifying.
Overall, this is a powerful debut novel!
This is a story that will stick with me for a long time. It’s an emotional roller coaster story filled with longing, loss and hope.
I highly recommend for you to read this book and with a tissue box beside you!
“Forgetting and forgiving are two different things.”
I received an advanced review copy for free through Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Huge thank you to RB Media and the author!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent, and Medical trauma
janelleaimi's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Child abuse, and Death of parent
bookedbymadeline's review against another edition
I really wanted to like this one but the pacing and writing style just wasn’t my cup of tea. It’s more telling than showing and not much happening in the plot so sadly I DNFd
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Child abuse
morethanmylupus's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
"History never repeats itself, but it does often rhyme.” - Mark Twain
This one was a heartbreaking read. Poor Leah can't catch a break - she has seizures, her mom died at birth, and then her dad dies when she's only 14 years old. Nothing that follows goes well for the poor girl. There's definitely a deep appreciate for nature here, but it doesn't shine through each page the way it did in Where the Crawdads Sing.
Overall, I really wanted this book to be longer. It was hard to read for Leah's sake but I felt like the plot skipped through too quickly. We don't get a deep character development of any character except Leah, we barely get a resolution to her story at the end of the book, and I generally felt like a bunch of chapters were missing. There was so much potential in this story to see how Leah could overcome these unfortunate events and truly become her own person.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to review this book ahead of publication. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
This one was a heartbreaking read. Poor Leah can't catch a break - she has seizures, her mom died at birth, and then her dad dies when she's only 14 years old. Nothing that follows goes well for the poor girl. There's definitely a deep appreciate for nature here, but it doesn't shine through each page the way it did in Where the Crawdads Sing.
Overall, I really wanted this book to be longer. It was hard to read for Leah's sake but I felt like the plot skipped through too quickly. We don't get a deep character development of any character except Leah, we barely get a resolution to her story at the end of the book, and I generally felt like a bunch of chapters were missing. There was so much potential in this story to see how Leah could overcome these unfortunate events and truly become her own person.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to review this book ahead of publication. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Classism, and Medical trauma
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