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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
Esempio lampante di vorrei, ma non posso.
Butler ha sicuramente una buona penna, che sa catturare e non annoiare, ma la trama è veramente scadente. I personaggi, tutti bellissimi e innamoratissimi l’uno dell’altro, sono solo la punta di un iceberg di banalità.
Butler ha sicuramente una buona penna, che sa catturare e non annoiare, ma la trama è veramente scadente. I personaggi, tutti bellissimi e innamoratissimi l’uno dell’altro, sono solo la punta di un iceberg di banalità.
File this under Wisconsin nostalgia. It made me miss Wisconsin something fierce. Which is probably why it landed at 5 stars. Man, I miss Wisconsin.
reflective
slow-paced
I read this book slowly and deliberately. Butler paints Wisconsin so perfectly- his descriptions of the seasons were fantastic and created such perfect imagery. I feel like I have spent time in my life in Little Wing and like the characters exist in the real world. I see myself re reading this again just to revisit the characters and their lives.
The outline of Lee to Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver) was thought provoking and had me listening to his old albums over and over again.
The outline of Lee to Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver) was thought provoking and had me listening to his old albums over and over again.
I quit halfway through this book, which is not at all like me, but my god, I couldn't take it anymore. As I was steeling myself for tonight's chapters, I turned to other reviews in hopes that, well, I'd find a reason to be hopeful about continuing. And there are plenty of great reviews about this book. But I found one that aptly described it as "dude lit" and another that hinted at a twist ending, leading me to suspect that the very conclusion I've been dreading is likely the one that was written. Look, if you like chick lit you will probably enjoy this book. But I don't, and life is too short and my TBR list too long for me to see this through. The only reason this is 2 ⭐ instead of one is that I enjoyed the beginning. For me, though, it was all downhill from there.
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There are parts of this novel that are so breathtakingly beautiful that I have a distinct "I wish I'd written that" pang. Then the ending rather surprised me. I'm thinking I should've read this one in a shorter time frame to really appreciate it. All in all, if Nicki Salcedo tells you to read a book, you read the book, knowing you'll be the better for it. Such is the case with Shotgun Lovesongs.
Sometimes, you read a novel at just the right time in your life, and it resonates immensely. That was the case with Butler's debut. But even if this hadn't been the perfect novel for the perfect time, it's still an incredibly good read — my favorite of the year so far. It's about a group of childhood friends who return to their small-town Wisconsin homes. It's told from the varying perspectives of the characters, as we see how their pasts inform their present relationships to each other and others. It's a novel about loyalty and love, and it's effing fantastic. Highly, highly recommended!
From Dot:
I am so glad this book was rescued from the slushpile! I read it in one day and when I finished I wanted to have a good cathartic cry - not because I was sad, but because I was so happy to be part of the characters' lives and to have lived their experiences through the book. The story is set in the American Midwest in a small town where longtime friends (some who have left and returned and some who never left) are living. The story is told in alternating voices and those voices ring true - all the heartbreak, workaday events - marriages, divorce, financial hardships and some betrayal - feel like they are happening to people you know and care about. If you like Michael Chabon I think you will like this too. Get your hands on a copy!
From Judy:
As someone who grew up in a small town I identified immediately with the sense of place and the sense of home that pervaded this book. I found the characters engaging and realistic and I cared about what happened to them and how they related to each other.
I am so glad this book was rescued from the slushpile! I read it in one day and when I finished I wanted to have a good cathartic cry - not because I was sad, but because I was so happy to be part of the characters' lives and to have lived their experiences through the book. The story is set in the American Midwest in a small town where longtime friends (some who have left and returned and some who never left) are living. The story is told in alternating voices and those voices ring true - all the heartbreak, workaday events - marriages, divorce, financial hardships and some betrayal - feel like they are happening to people you know and care about. If you like Michael Chabon I think you will like this too. Get your hands on a copy!
From Judy:
As someone who grew up in a small town I identified immediately with the sense of place and the sense of home that pervaded this book. I found the characters engaging and realistic and I cared about what happened to them and how they related to each other.
Interesting plot enhanced by the multiple viewpoints throughout the story. Each chapter alternates between several main characters in a midwestern small town taking turns as the narrator, one of which is a key member of the circle of friends who has made it big as a rock star. His ascent and decline in the national headlines has an interesting impact on the others who knew him "way back when."
Strange ending though.
Strange ending though.