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h4e1bemily's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
The characters, setting, everything felt so real that it seemed like I was reading a memoir. Raw emotion, tension that turned the pages for me. I cried for, I hated, I loved each character. The ferocious beauty of the Alaskan wilderness cut through each page. It truly keeps only the strongest alive.
I dont want to spoil the story, but will say that domestic abuse is a main plotline, and it's honestly written.
Not quite 5 stars because towards the end it did pass the point of believability for myself, but it is a novel, not memoir, I need to remember...still definitely worth the read. Highly recommend.
Graphic: Death of parent, Gore, Domestic abuse, and Death
Moderate: Sexual content
heytaytayhey's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Blood and Murder
Minor: Sexual content
torturedreadersdept's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Vomit, War, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Colonisation, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Car accident, Child abuse, Classism, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual content, Violence, and Physical abuse
sarahfeller's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Medical content, Alcoholism, Car accident, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Gore, Grief, Murder, Addiction, Blood, Cancer, Abandonment, Alcohol, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Animal death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Suicidal thoughts, War, Mental illness, Violence, and Vomit
tallhousecookies's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Sexual content and Gun violence
samburkhouse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Gore, Medical trauma, and Violence
Moderate: Terminal illness, Cancer, Gun violence, Xenophobia, Alcoholism, Animal death, and Car accident
Minor: Sexual content, Confinement, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, and Vomit
sadiejericho's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Gun violence, Death of parent, Violence, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Moderate: Pregnancy, Sexual content, Sexism, Murder, Medical content, Terminal illness, War, and Car accident
Minor: Torture
kabornman's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I also felt this was a good setting for more native representation, but with Large Marge’s character coming dangerously close to the magical negro / mammy trope, it’s probably best they were minimally included.
Ultimately, I’ll hold on to my love for the beginning and give more books by Hannah a try, but unlikely to recommend.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Animal death, Grief, Car accident, Murder, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Fatphobia
kelly_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Author: Kristin Hannah
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: February 6, 2018
T H R E E • W O R D S
Emotional • Layered • Atmospheric
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Alaska, 1974. Ernt Allbright came home from the Vietnam War a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes the impulsive decision to move his wife and daughter north where they will live off the grid in America's last true frontier.
Cora will do anything for the man she loves, even if means following him into the unknown. Thirteen-year-old Leni, caught in the riptide of her parents' passionate, stormy relationship, has little choice but to go along, daring to hope this new land promises her family a better future.
In a wild, remote corner of Alaska, the Allbrights find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the newcomers' lack of preparation and dwindling resources.
But as winter approaches and darkness descends, Ernt's fragile mental state deteriorates. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own.
💭 T H O U G H T S
As an avid historical fiction reader, it will come as no surprise that Kristin Hannah is a favourite author of mine. I knew The Great Alone was going to be just as hard hitting emotionally as The Nightingale, yet covering a completely different time and place. And it certainly delivered.
Hannah has an incredible gift in delivering horrific, yet beautiful stories that cut right to the heart. In this case, the lives of the Allbrights go from dark to darker. When a book can take the reader on such an emotional journey, it is the sign of a good book. And this one does that. It made me angry, it made me sad, it made me empathic, and it made think. The characterization is fantastic. In fact, the author brings Alaska to life, making it its very own character. I felt the heard reality and beauty of the wilderness, which mirrored the plot. Additionally, Hannah paints a realistic picture of the struggles of post-war America, capturing the history, the environment, and the culture of 1970s Alaska.
The relationships are another standout with one of the most genuine pictures of the unbreakable bond mother and child. My heart was with Leni and her mother through the whole story, and I could understand the internal struggles of each. Additionally, the community and family aspect were incredibly well done.
My one criticism would have to be the ending. With so much time spent getting to know the setting, the characters, and having the story sink deeply into my bones, the ending felt rushed and jumbled. Considering the build up, it simply left me feeling less than satisfied, something I am not used to with Hannah's books.
Overall, The Great Alone is a heartbreaking, yet beautiful story of life's fragility, of survival and resilience, and most importantly, of love. While I cannot say this is my favourite of her works, it still had me completely immersed and took me on a deeply emotional journey with the characters. I will continues to make me way through her backlist, and look forward to her next novel.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Kristin Hannah devotees
• historical fiction readers
• mother/daughter trope lovers
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"In the silence, Leni wondered if one person could ever really save another, or if it was the kind of thing you had to do for yourself."
"You don’t stop loving a person when they’re hurt. You get stronger so they can lean on you."
"Nature never deceives us; it is always we who deceive ourselves."
Graphic: Murder, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Gun violence, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Mental illness, Alcohol, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death of parent, Animal death, Car accident, Terminal illness, Medical content, Confinement, Death, Cancer, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Medical trauma, and Grief
Minor: Gaslighting, Cursing, War, Pregnancy, Vomit, Sexual content, and Racism
PTSD, domestic violencedeagaric's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Like other Kristin Hannah books I've read, this one found a hundred different ways to break my heart. It follows Lenora Allbright, a 13-year-old who moves from Seattle to a small town in Alaska in the 1970s when her father spontaneously inherits a property there. Her father is a Vietnam veteran and prisoner of war, who's severe PTSD makes it difficult for him to keep his temper or hold down a job, and her mother who is madly in love with him regardless of those faults.
Lenora and her parents are entirely unprepared for the Alaskan wilderness, and the first third of the book is beautifully written tale of survival and personal growth. That quickly changes as Lenora and her mother find that the long, dark Alaskan winter means that they are trapped in a small cabin with a patriarch who's stress response is violence. With a police station a boat ride away and neighbors acres apart, the book follows the Allbrights across 5 years of struggles with mental health, paranoia, domestic violence, and a star-crossed teen relationship.
Overall, I give the book a 4.75, rounded to 5. Would have been a 5+ read if it wasn't for the last few chapters that follow Lenora into her 20s. That part felt a bit soapy to me and some events felt avoidable and frustrating (seriously,
Some of the domestic violence in the book is explicit and hard to read, but the story is impactful and will stick with me. Beautiful, descriptive portrayal of the wonders and dangers of Alaska and the strength of the human spirit.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Cancer, Car accident, Death, Murder, Mental illness, Death of parent, Medical trauma, and Alcoholism
Minor: Terminal illness, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Sexual content, and War