2.78k reviews for:

The Sparrow

Mary Doria Russell

4.16 AVERAGE

dark sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Really good book. Felt like the ending was a tad rushed— could have developed the major plot points that had been mysterious for much of the book. But would absolutely read & enjoy again. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging emotional hopeful inspiring slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
adventurous dark hopeful mysterious 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: Yes
verafran's profile picture

verafran's review

3.5
sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
challenging dark emotional slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes

I get more out of this book each time I read it. It almost defies description. It's about the search for God, I think -- about the things we give up for our faith and the things we gain, about the things we lose and/or gain when we have no faith. It's heavy stuff made lighter lifting with a gripping plot and wonderful characters. One of my favorite literary characters EVER is Emilio Sandoz, the protagonist of this book. The author said she'd like for her readers to get this out of the book: "You can't know the answer to questions of faith but that the questions are worth asking and worth thinking about deeply." All that said, you do not have to be a person of faith to enjoy this book; I recommended it to one atheist and one agnostic, both of whom loved it.
adventurous dark emotional reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous emotional funny medium-paced
adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I absolutely did not plan on likIng this book, but it caught me from the start.  Why the skepticism?  I absolutely do not read sci-fi about other planets and other life forms.  And now I’ve read two in two months.  That plot line, was, for me, the reasoning behind a lower star rating.  HOWEVER, the human characters were so fabulous, and the plot so intriguing that I just read and read and read.  Talk about flaws and foibles!  Talk about the beauty of love in all its forms!  

In the afterward, Russell discusses the unlikely election of a Jesuit Pope.  In 2013.  And then there was Francis.  Talk about prescience!  And then he died the same week I was reading this about her inspirations…. There is a sequel to this book that I may read in the future.