Reviews - The Sparrow | The StoryGraph

2.8k reviews for:

The Sparrow

Mary Doria Russell

4.16 AVERAGE

cjardieu's review against another edition

5.0

What else do you want in a work of science fiction?

I hope they never adapt it to the screen.

megganj's review against another edition

4.0

I liked this one very much! But I wonder how much my low expectations played into it. If you told me to read a book about Jesuit missionaries colonizing another planet I'd tell you I'd rather eat cement. But it turned out very good in the end. It read like a vivid, engrossing TV drama. The ending was dark as hell, but also kind of hilarious in its delivery. I could tell this was intentional. I also love it when good social science is so well hidden in the storytelling that you don't even notice its there. In this way, "The Sparrow" is soft scifi perfection. I still don't buy that the Catholic Church in year 2019 would sanction a scientific/cultural mission over an opportunity to dominate and oppress, but whatever. For this reason I think the human characters suffer from being too pure and innocent. No one succumbs to temptation or exudes loathsome qualities. This book was saved by a memorable main character who made linguistic anthropology look cool. Minus a star for not being a stand-alone. My heart sunk when I saw the #1 after the title. Stop the sequel madness!

keeganrobinson's review against another edition

5.0

challenging 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

sapereaude's review against another edition

5.0

emotional reflective sad 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

jmcneeley's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

natashamuse's review against another edition

3.0

Read this probably over ten years ago. Kinda loved everything about this book as I read it, but one of the only things I remember clearly is that ending.

Spoiler

It's not just that it was sad but it also felt somewhat cheap. Like, I don't mind getting my heart tugged, but I don't wanna see the strings.

lefflerjbuell's review against another edition

3.0

I'm having such a hard time putting this review into words. The anthropological side of this book was super interesting. The societal structure on Rakhat was interesting. The author built an incredible world, but there's just something I wasn't sold on. I wasn't in love with the characters. Nothing really happened for so long in the book that the ending felt rushed. I had less than 100 pages to go and I was still confused as to what was wrong with Emilio. I think that this could be a really great read for the right person, but that person wasn't me. I think too much energy was wasted exploring the dynamic between the group and not enough time on the characters to flush them out and make the reader love them. I'm glad I read it, and maybe I'll come around and increase my rating, but something about this fell flat for me.

****SPOILERS****

****SPOILERS****

Because I have to get this out, how on EARTH do two people look at Emilio in chains and bloody and kept in a cell and think that he chose that life? That's the biggest issue I have with this book. The conclusion they came to had literally no logic. You're going to trust another species before your own about what life that person wanted? Emilio had obviously cracked. He was malnourished and half insane, and you think he's in that state because he enjoyed it. Nope. I can't accept that. Emilio's killing Aksama was obviously a horrible mistake brought about by his desperation to regain control of his life. I refuse to believe that two people from the UN selected for the mission to bring the original party home would be so stupid as to overlook all the evidence at their disposal and jump to a conclusion so baseless.