Reviews

The Last Kings of Sark by Rosa Rankin-Gee

stellarreads's review against another edition

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emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Real weird - it starts very nicebut the last 1/3 it plummets, and because an entirely different book. Struggled to finish. 

mrs_bonaventure's review against another edition

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4.0

Beautiful and poignant, like the warmth of summer or first love slipping through your fingers. And so satisfyingly well written - I was smitten from the first three pages, where the description of flying to Sark is so precise that it makes you think, Yes, that's exactly it.

eacrunden's review

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reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

velvet_snow's review

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emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

guylou's review

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2.0

I won this book in a Goodreads.com giveaway.

The book started well and had a good story line. It got fuzzy in the second part and what would have made this book so interesting was lost on the ferry ride between the Island of Sark and Guernsey. The book read like an old cinema noir French movie. I did enjoyed reading about the Island of Sark. I had never heard of this place and my curiosity was picked enough to Google it and learn more about the rich history of the island. I would love to go there one day.

mightymeep's review

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3.0

2.2 - 3 stars

lmthompson's review against another edition

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4.0

This was an interesting read for me, as the characters were quite relatable but all most too much so. There was a point where I started to dislike Jude just for reacting the way I think I would have in a couple of situations. Other than that I really really enjoyed everything else about this novel

cphunter's review against another edition

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3.25

Mixed feelings about this book. Wanted to like it but didn’t enjoy the writing. 
I was really put off by the threesome, I could r figure out the ages of the 3 of them but having placed Jude at 23-ish, Sofi at 21-ish, and Pip at 15/16-ish, it made me rally uncomfortable. The second half of the book then just felt so lost and pointless, I couldn’t keep track of characters and locations, and just found myself skimming and waiting for something to happen. It felt like a few short stories tied together.  

chelsea_jack's review

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4.0

This is a book that cries out for a book club. It's a discussion book. There's an elegance to the earthiness of this tale - it's a very literary mainstream novel that bobs quietly from moment to moment. And let me be very clear - this is a series of moments tied together with deliberately vague impressions of the time and space that links them together.

The book succeeded at drawing me in and making me participate in the storytelling process. I had an understanding - not necessarily the "correct" one, but one nevertheless - of what might have happened over the course of the idyllic summer in Sark. I could piece together what went on between that summer and the years and moments that followed - and because I wanted to know more about these characters, I was eager to pick up on and extrapolate from the clues in the book.

In the end, I don't think this was a 'fun' read - it had me thinking and analysing and wanting to discuss the heck out of it. The ending wasn't what I had hoped for, nor was any of the book nearly as solid or straightforward as I might have liked for a piece of pure entertainment. Instead, this is a different kind of reading experience - one that improves and expands the more time you spend thinking about the book, or discussing it with friends.

I recommend it, but only if the above sounds like something you'd enjoy!

See my complete review at: ToEachTheirOwnReviews.com

comet_or_dove's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75