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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
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
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
I'm still mulling my rating.
My favorite lines were the first: “When I'm home in Kentucky all I want is to leave. When I'm away, I'm homesick for a place that never was.”
The themes of this book captivated me even more than the characters. Except for Pop. I really loved Pop.
The themes of this book captivated me even more than the characters. Except for Pop. I really loved Pop.
Strong character development:
Yes
I loved this novel! Set in 2016 Kentucky, our main character Owen takes a job in groundskeeping at the local Ashby College after living in Colorado didn't pan out for him. He's back living in his grandfather's basement. Having a college degree, he's looking forward to getting a free English class each semester, which is a side benefit of working at the college. Set right before and after the election, Owen is a liberal, but his family is Trump supporters, and that makes him bristle.
He is quite taken with Alma, a writer in residence at Ashby College, but she is dating a man in his tiny writing class.
As Owen navigates the school year, he learns about himself and that perhaps people are more than their label.
It's difficult to articulate why I loved this book so much. I do have a fondness for books written about the South; there's a bit of a slower pace. I felt immersed in Owen's world and empathy for his strife and learning about the world. I would classify this as "new adult" and "literary," both of which aren't my favorites typically. But with this novel everything came together so well.
He is quite taken with Alma, a writer in residence at Ashby College, but she is dating a man in his tiny writing class.
As Owen navigates the school year, he learns about himself and that perhaps people are more than their label.
It's difficult to articulate why I loved this book so much. I do have a fondness for books written about the South; there's a bit of a slower pace. I felt immersed in Owen's world and empathy for his strife and learning about the world. I would classify this as "new adult" and "literary," both of which aren't my favorites typically. But with this novel everything came together so well.
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
When a book has a boring plot and you’re intrigued how an author could make an interesting book out of a boring plot and it ends up just being boring.
Listened to the audiobook. Really enjoyed this, am eagerly awaiting whatever Lee Cole gives us next.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This quiet but compelling debut novel is a love story set in Louisville, KY, which is my town, and the setting is the thing I liked most about this book, as well as the source of some annoyance. It's harder to suspend disbelief when you are personally close to subject matter or the setting. Louisville is a big part of this book - it almost functions as a character - and I loved that. I also thought some details were overwrought or just plain wrong. For example, the apparent hoards of people with walking sticks and guide dogs around Frankfort Avenue - it's really not like that, even though the Kentucky School for the Blind is nearby. Parts of this book were poetic - the ending! - and parts were clunky. Overall I enjoyed reading Groundskeeping, and look forward to reading more Lee Cole.