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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wanted so badly to love this book more. As an Australian born half Maōri woman it was wonderful reading a book rich with culture I wish I could see more in the mainstream, the concept of the book, the themes of fairy tales and folklore really spoke to me. I do have to say thought that the characters for the most part, particularly Esther and Freya were so unlikeable and hard to connect with, which isn't necessarily an entirely bad thing, an unlikeable main character can be super interesting, however we spend a lot of the book with Esther speaking about how she feels like a ghost in the shadow of her sister, then we have a moment with Flosi (Esther's sisters ex fiance's best friend) where they speak about how she needs to find something uniquely hers, which somehow culminates in Esther fucking her dead sisters ex fiance and father of her stillborn neice?????? It just doesn't make sense to me, and by the end of the book I was left enraged. Change the ending and cut out some of the filler and this could be something truly beautiful.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death, Drug use, Infertility, Miscarriage, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Alcohol
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-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
I don't usually read slower-paced books, I like to race through things, I found this book forced me to slow down and enjoy how each sentence was crafted. It's not for everyone - I found I was in a place to really take in this book, and so I relished the slowness, the repetition, the thoughtfulness and the imperfections of the characters.
I'm joining with the chorus of folks who did not like the romantic subplot - and I also appreciate the author for challenging me with it. This book will stay with me for a long time.
I'm joining with the chorus of folks who did not like the romantic subplot - and I also appreciate the author for challenging me with it. This book will stay with me for a long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Miscarriage, Suicide, Grief, Abandonment
Moderate: Confinement
Beautifully written, with a distinct sense of time and place. Deals with family relationships through loss, but also about self discovery and strength in finding yourself. Set between Tasmania and Copenhagen, there are mythical elements intertwined, which add a relatable magical and historical element.
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I almost DNFed this book early on, but I am glad I persevered.
The first few chapters something didn’t feel right. It’s hard to describe. The writing was both too intimate and too distant, like I was being asked to care too much for characters I didn’t even know or like yet, as well as lavish descriptions of things I had no basis of the import of.
I am not sure what eventually won me over. Maybe the relatability of a main character who cries all of the time?
The first few chapters something didn’t feel right. It’s hard to describe. The writing was both too intimate and too distant, like I was being asked to care too much for characters I didn’t even know or like yet, as well as lavish descriptions of things I had no basis of the import of.
I am not sure what eventually won me over. Maybe the relatability of a main character who cries all of the time?
The writing felt laborious and the dialogue felt overly dramatic. I gave it 100 pages but no, not interested.
Interesting but too slow for what I needed 😭