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mayagdb's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
this book was really hard for me to rate because I don’t even know how to feel abt it. like this is the longest book I’ve read for a whileee and it took me so long to get thru bc the beginning was lowkey really really slow and it took so long for me to get into it but once I got into it I think I read 500 pages in like a day like I could not put this book down. I think the thing that made this book either really good or really bad depending on the person is how detailed it was. Like every encounter and thing that happened had like 3 pages of description and tbh I really liked the description but it did make it a very long read and meant I skim read some parts bc I just wanted to know what happened. But it was written really well and really beautifully and genuinelly some of the best writing I’ve read. I also think the book being so long and descriptive meant that I felt like I knew the characters SO well. like I spent so much time reading abt them and watching them grow up and have experiences that genuinelly I got so attached to them which I think was actually good. Like finishing this book felt like finishing a epic or like a massive saga it was just like woah. Not to mention the historical elements of the book and the time period was incorporated SO well like I was so invested and I also learned a lot and it felt very authentic and I loved how it fr talked abt the war and like the vibe and AHH I actually think this book may have changed the way I think tbh and omg just the entire saga of events that happened and the way one event defined so many peoples lives and omg the ending I cried so so much like I could not stop sobbing bc of how invested I was in the characters and if just felt like fr the end of something and especially the plot twist was literally crazy. Tbh this book felt like reading someone’s life story and like seeing them live their life in full. Anyway yeah I think I did actually really enjoy this book despite how long it was which is why I gave it a higher rating. I don’t think I’ll end up reading another book by the same author but this one was rlly good and would recomend
emmamerriam's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Anne-Marie does it again. Expertly paced and plotted, weaving story lines together seamlessly. She is also unmatched in writing in the voice of a child for an adult audience. It made me remeber the exact feelings of being a child who wanted to comfort adults.
I think this one is my favourite after Fayne, but it also gave me terrible dreams. So clearly it is evocative!
I think this one is my favourite after Fayne, but it also gave me terrible dreams. So clearly it is evocative!
katjamarja's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
nuscheda's review
3.0
Gifted writer but this was one book that needed a better editor. It should have been split into two books.
lovesresqdogs's review
3.0
Very disturbing. I found the main character to be annoying personally. Very unexpected ending.
jboon's review
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The character development in all Ann Marie MacDonald’s books is always so astounding. However flawed the characters may be, you can’t but help to feel almost bonded to them. I loved reading about the family in this book, and honestly I did not think it was as possible for a person to succinctly describe the events and atmosphere of the Cold War in a way that catches interest, but I honestly feel she did this; I was captivated. I also grew up in London, Ontario, and reading the author describe this place I grew up in made it feel so intimate and personal. And I got to enjoy the book with my mom, who felt similarly as she grew up in London at the same time the story was taking place.
mbrandmaier's review
4.0
Super depressing! Canadian military family returns from Germany to live on a base in Centralia. Jack, the dad, starts keeping a big secret from his family as Madeline, the daughter keeps one or two of her own.