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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book angered me. A great injustice was done because of older, perceived ones, and with this child, we can only hope the generational trauma will cease.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In 1935, Leah’s lumberjack father died during a logging accident—her mother passed away when Leah was born. Suddenly without parents and homeless, Leah is forced to leave the wild yet peaceful coastal Carolina town to live with strangers in the city - the Griffins, a wealthy family with a terrible secret. Here, at the age of 14, she’s forced to be a helpmate instead of a member of the family. But as secrets come to light, Leah must fight for her own future.
I enjoyed Leah’s coming-of-age story. Her love for nature is her one constant as she loses everything: her family, her home, her friends, her pet, her education. Yet, her spirit will not break. Leah constantly strives to be part of her new surroundings even though she deeply longs for home: the ocean. I appreciate the historical thread of eugenics woven into the last part of the story, but I wish eugenics history played a more prominent role. Also, I would have loved Leah’s journey even more if the book was longer, experiencing more of Leah’s perseverance rather than simply an epilogue as a sneak peek into Leah’s future.
Meagan Church is a talented writer. Leah is a well-developed character, and the vivid setting descriptions fill my imagination. Don’t miss the author’s note which includes her inspiration, research, and eugenics data. I might even suggest reading it first. I recommend this book, especially to book clubs who enjoy historical fiction, since there’s a wealth of discussion material!
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A very emotional and powerful novel that follows Leah through her childhood and the challenges she faces. Meagan Church did such a spectacular job writing this that I had visceral reactions while reading. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in historical fiction with strong female protagonists as well as fans of Where the Crawdads Sing.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The strength of this book lies in the protagonist, Leah Payne. Not only due to her strong traits as a character: although orphaned and possibly epileptic, she is independent, determined, caring, and a visionary who creates her dreams despite the most unbelievable misfortunes. The way her perspective melts into and molds the descriptions of this book is what I found the most special. Every description uses the boundaries of Leah's life; the similes and analogies rely on what Leah knows, such as the softness of her cat or love of her best friend.
This book would be an excellent "buddy read" for a mother and daughter. There are many opportunities to reflect on what constitutes a family and to discuss what daughters need from their mothers.
I found the book more inspirational than heartbreaking- almost too inspirational. I prefer my characters to have a bit more of an internal struggle. Leah fights are mostly external. This felt a but too simplistic for me, but I'm sure it will be fine for readers who aren't seeking to be destroyed every time they read a book. :)
While there are historical elements, they mostly play into the setting and allow a backdrop for us to understand the characters. However, there is an important historical element which focuses on the presence of eugenics in the American south. This element affects the main character greatly. The author handles this topic with care and, I personally believe, in a way that brings light to the subject without creating too much trauma for younger readers. However, the author does not shed light on the details of eugenics and therefore does a disservice to the minority communities which were most affected by racial eugenics in this time-period.
Overall, I enjoyed the narration of the audiobook. It was a nice touch for it to be told in a southern tone, which especially captured some aspects of how speech could represent class differences during the time period. The story was easy to follow, even when there were breaks in the timeline.
Thank you to NetGalley and Recorded Books for access to the audiobook in exchange for my honest review. It's always appreciated <3
This book would be an excellent "buddy read" for a mother and daughter. There are many opportunities to reflect on what constitutes a family and to discuss what daughters need from their mothers.
I found the book more inspirational than heartbreaking- almost too inspirational. I prefer my characters to have a bit more of an internal struggle. Leah fights are mostly external. This felt a but too simplistic for me, but I'm sure it will be fine for readers who aren't seeking to be destroyed every time they read a book. :)
While there are historical elements, they mostly play into the setting and allow a backdrop for us to understand the characters. However, there is an important historical element which focuses on the presence of eugenics in the American south. This element affects the main character greatly. The author handles this topic with care and, I personally believe, in a way that brings light to the subject without creating too much trauma for younger readers. However, the author does not shed light on the details of eugenics and therefore does a disservice to the minority communities which were most affected by racial eugenics in this time-period.
Overall, I enjoyed the narration of the audiobook. It was a nice touch for it to be told in a southern tone, which especially captured some aspects of how speech could represent class differences during the time period. The story was easy to follow, even when there were breaks in the timeline.
Thank you to NetGalley and Recorded Books for access to the audiobook in exchange for my honest review. It's always appreciated <3
Thanks to NetGalley for this advance preview!! What a beautifully written book! It was hard to put down and a fascinating dive into American eugenics. I also read The Foundling about this movement but I really appreciated the author’s well researched information about this movement.
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
The beginning of this book doesn't portray at all how you think this book will read. By halfway through I could barely put it down, it had sunk its claws into me with how emotional and attached you get.
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Similar vibes to WTCS and before we were yours
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The Last Carolina Girl is a coming of age story set in North Carolina in 1935. Fourteen year old Leah lives with her father in a one room workhouse on the property of her father’s employer. One day, a tragic accident occurs and Leah becomes an orphan. She’s eventually sent off to lives with another family expecting to be apart of the family only to be classified as the help. Traumatic experiences happen to Leah and yet somehow she endured and survived despite the odds stacked against her.
I’m conflicted with this story- it’s heartbreaking and upsetting but it also speaks to the strength and resilience of others and what they endure. I was absolutely appalled by what Mrs Griffin did and how she acted and I hope karma came for her. But sadly her actions weren’t that uncommon and my heart hurts for the real life people who went through that.
I wish some of the loose ends would have been wrapped up better in the epilogue cause I would have liked to know what happened to the Griffin children and if Leah ever got the justice/closer she deserved. If you don’t mind a tough hitting coming of age, historical fiction read then definitely pick up this book. Just be prepared to experience an array of emotions.
Thank you @bookmarked and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.
I’m conflicted with this story- it’s heartbreaking and upsetting but it also speaks to the strength and resilience of others and what they endure. I was absolutely appalled by what Mrs Griffin did and how she acted and I hope karma came for her. But sadly her actions weren’t that uncommon and my heart hurts for the real life people who went through that.
I wish some of the loose ends would have been wrapped up better in the epilogue cause I would have liked to know what happened to the Griffin children and if Leah ever got the justice/closer she deserved. If you don’t mind a tough hitting coming of age, historical fiction read then definitely pick up this book. Just be prepared to experience an array of emotions.
Thank you @bookmarked and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.