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lain_darko's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Animal death, and Child death
Moderate: Colonisation, Grief, and Death
mandalacb19's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I never re read books. I mean, it honestly takes a miracle for me to do so. I listened to this as an audiobook probably back in 2013 with my mother, when I was around five or six years old. It entranced me then and was a book that always stuck with me. I'm always fascinated with this idea of pure aloneness, of the beauty and fear that comes with it. This book is one of what I consider 'classic' novels, and one that I will read again and get something different from the next time. Wonderful study on setting, growth, character, and love.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Violence
wolfiegrrrl's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
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
This story has stuck with me ever since I first read it as a child and, rereading it as an adult, it's easy to see why. There's something so striking about a child protagonist who is left to survive alone on an island that echoes with the whispers of everyone she has lost. Her anger, loneliness, grief, and even her eventual happiness are all so beautifully written. I smiled, I cried, and I held my breath in suspense from beginning to end. For a child who was fascinated by what I could learn from historical fiction, this book fueled my imagination and it still brought me back to that place all these years later.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Abandonment, and Grief
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Blood, Colonisation, and Violence
abomine's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Animal death
mayr3adsab00k's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Death, Colonisation, Confinement, and Blood
sarah_ann_roth's review against another edition
challenging
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? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Abandonment, and Grief
snazzysie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.75
For a book using first person narration, we never really get a look into how Karana feels about things - the writing is mostly very matter-of-fact and descriptive in that way, which personally for me, made it a bit of a boring read. This writing style made the story especially disconcerting to read, when life-changing events occured and yet it felt like Karana barely had a reaction.
It was definitely strange as the praise on the back of the book mentions - but not in a way that intrigued me. The events in the book made me feel frustrated and lonely, as I'm sure Karana had felt, and yet none of that seemed to be portrayed in the novel.
The premise of this book definitely would have made for an interesting read, but as you can tell from this review, the writing style threw me off and made reading it more confusing and less enjoyable.
Maybe I'm missing some deep symbolism or something, or, because this book is deemed a classic, this is just how books were written at the time of its publishing - but whatever the case, I don't think I'll be rereading this one.
Nonetheless, it's a good story showing Karana's strength and courage throughout difficult trials, and the real life story of The Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island is inspiring. I also liked the side plots of her friendship with the dog and the girl Tutok, so for all of this, it gets 1.75 stars from me.
It was definitely strange as the praise on the back of the book mentions - but not in a way that intrigued me. The events in the book made me feel frustrated and lonely, as I'm sure Karana had felt, and yet none of that seemed to be portrayed in the novel.
The premise of this book definitely would have made for an interesting read, but as you can tell from this review, the writing style threw me off and made reading it more confusing and less enjoyable.
Maybe I'm missing some deep symbolism or something, or, because this book is deemed a classic, this is just how books were written at the time of its publishing - but whatever the case, I don't think I'll be rereading this one.
Nonetheless, it's a good story showing Karana's strength and courage throughout difficult trials, and the real life story of The Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island is inspiring. I also liked the side plots of her friendship with the dog and the girl Tutok, so for all of this, it gets 1.75 stars from me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Violence
scottishlindsay's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
nxclx's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Reread of a childhood favorite, I enjoyed it this time around too. I didn't realize before it's based off of a real woman. For a book written in the 1960s, it surprisingly holds up fairly well.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: Blood
The deaths are not graphically described, but they are discussed and have an effect on the protagonist.
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