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teaturtlesandbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
tashaseegmiller's review against another edition
I don't know how to rate this book. It has two plot lines, which is fine, but I really loved one and got bored multiple times with the other. And in the end, I don't really know why there were two.
kamisha's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
mabelrooney's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
justinlife's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
It's hard with a book like this b/c I want to be honest with how I felt about it but also recognize the work it took to go into creating this novel.
My review reflects my opinion. Others might enjoy it, but for me the book left me feeling disappointed. I was disappointed with the stories Obreht chose to tell and also sad b/c it felt like there were many many others she could have told.
The book follows two characters, Nora, living in Arizona during a drought, waiting for her husband and sons to return and Lurie, who is an outlaw living with the ghosts of his past and the ghosts around him. Nora is one of the most unlikable and unsympathetic characters I've read in a while. I couldn't understand her choices and her refusal to see the present in front her. She was mean and mean spirited and seemed like someone who had to be right.
Lurie's story was interesting enough but I barely remember a lot of it. Him surviving through the west with his animal made for interesting breaks.
This book didn't grab ahold of me. It didn't make me want to read it. In fact, it did the opposite. I wanted to put it down at almost every chance. The pacing was weird and by the time the book does get interesting (about 100 pages from the end), I didn't care about any of the characters to really feel the gravity of the situations they were in.
When the book ended, it just left me feeling disappointed. There was a lot that didn't get resolved. A lot that could have been fun to read. It's like if Obreht has condensed the first 200 pages and to 100 and took some to explore the aftermaths, I would have liked it more.
My review reflects my opinion. Others might enjoy it, but for me the book left me feeling disappointed. I was disappointed with the stories Obreht chose to tell and also sad b/c it felt like there were many many others she could have told.
The book follows two characters, Nora, living in Arizona during a drought, waiting for her husband and sons to return and Lurie, who is an outlaw living with the ghosts of his past and the ghosts around him. Nora is one of the most unlikable and unsympathetic characters I've read in a while. I couldn't understand her choices and her refusal to see the present in front her. She was mean and mean spirited and seemed like someone who had to be right.
Lurie's story was interesting enough but I barely remember a lot of it. Him surviving through the west with his animal made for interesting breaks.
This book didn't grab ahold of me. It didn't make me want to read it. In fact, it did the opposite. I wanted to put it down at almost every chance. The pacing was weird and by the time the book does get interesting (about 100 pages from the end), I didn't care about any of the characters to really feel the gravity of the situations they were in.
When the book ended, it just left me feeling disappointed. There was a lot that didn't get resolved. A lot that could have been fun to read. It's like if Obreht has condensed the first 200 pages and to 100 and took some to explore the aftermaths, I would have liked it more.
echtwaarmiet's review against another edition
Het boek kon me halverwege nog steeds niet pakken, dus ik heb het aan de kant gelegd voor later.
carobobarometer's review against another edition
2.0
DNF
Perhaps I wasn't the intended audience, but the story and the characters weren't really that captivating to me. I put it down when I was about halfway finished.
Perhaps I wasn't the intended audience, but the story and the characters weren't really that captivating to me. I put it down when I was about halfway finished.
tmathews0330's review against another edition
3.0
I felt drawn to the characters, but I felt myself drifting along the top of their story when I wanted to be anchored in. An interesting concept.
timna_wyckoff's review against another edition
4.0
Read for bookclub; can't wait to see what others thought. I loved the sweep of Lurie's story, the details about the camels, the different voices and timelines, the ghosts (not even usually my thing!), and how the tragic end somehow also made me...smile. I really wanted to love Nora's story, and I really *appreciated* its various details, but it just didn't move me like I'd hoped.
drskaninchen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Grief, Animal death, Violence, Medical content, Death, and Child death
Moderate: Xenophobia, Racism, and Animal death
Minor: Islamophobia and War