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A coming of age story set against the backdrop of the Soviet Union crumbling apart. Beautifully written, gripping story that lingered long past the last page. Have recommended it to so many people who also loved it.
Wow. One of the best books I’ve read this year. Maybe ever. The prose is delicious and her depictions of Perestroika Russia are familiar, haunting, bewildering, heartbreaking and overwhelmingly beautiful -- in other words, she's somehow managed to write something that mimics my own experience of Russia. Thank you Kristina for writing this book!
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Russians dying in sad ways
dark
emotional
reflective
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:
No
Graphic: Child abuse, Abortion
Moderate: Physical abuse, Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent, Murder, Deportation
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
This was a gut wrenching read, but worth it to gain some understanding.
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don’t know how much actually happened in this book. Events took place but I could never figure out the purpose or when they would coalesce into plot, which they never did.