You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
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:
Yes
I recommend this book highly. It's quite long (though not as long as the amount of time it took me to read might suggest; I had it on audio and only listened in the car. As I had to be off work for several weeks, I did not get through it at a normal rate), but it's fascinating. There are several different story lines intertwined, all of them eventually coming together in a satisfactory way. The book reminded me to some degree of The Goldfinch, in that it is an exploration of an adult who is still trying to escape the ramifications of a childhood trauma. The audiobook is beautifully narrated.
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Once again, I have made the mistake of not writing out my thoughts/review right away. And here I am a week-ish later trying to write them down. And I remember so few of them.
I really really enjoyed this book. I wouldn't widely recommend it since I think there's a lot of things about it that many people would actively dislike (the length mostly), but I thought it was great. Was it crazy long? Yes. But I was never bored. I was pretty much always thoroughly entertained. In fact, at the time I finished it looks like I rated it 4.25, but I think I'm going to up it to 4.5 now that I've had some days to sit on it.
Plot-wise, the book is about Samuel Anderson reconnecting with his mother (who abandoned him and his father when he was around 11 y/o) after she is accused and arrested for "assaulting" a controversial right wing politician. But really the book is a satire about.. so many things. America, capitalism, the education system, technology, social media, the news media. It was so witty and you can just tell the author is so incredibly observant of the world around him. There were times where I laughed out loud. It has multiple timelines -- taking place in present day, the 60s (during Vietnam protests/unrest), the 80s (Samuel's childhood), and maybe one more that I'm forgetting.
To be clear, I disliked every single character in this book. With the exception of Bishop and Bethany maybe? But that didn't matter.
Also there was one twelve page chapter where it was one long sentence? And in it, the video game addicted character played games for so long sitting in one position he got a PE and almost died? Like... hilarity.
I don't know. I can't write a coherent review right now. There was so much to consume. I loved it, though.
I really really enjoyed this book. I wouldn't widely recommend it since I think there's a lot of things about it that many people would actively dislike (the length mostly), but I thought it was great. Was it crazy long? Yes. But I was never bored. I was pretty much always thoroughly entertained. In fact, at the time I finished it looks like I rated it 4.25, but I think I'm going to up it to 4.5 now that I've had some days to sit on it.
Plot-wise, the book is about Samuel Anderson reconnecting with his mother (who abandoned him and his father when he was around 11 y/o) after she is accused and arrested for "assaulting" a controversial right wing politician. But really the book is a satire about.. so many things. America, capitalism, the education system, technology, social media, the news media. It was so witty and you can just tell the author is so incredibly observant of the world around him. There were times where I laughed out loud. It has multiple timelines -- taking place in present day, the 60s (during Vietnam protests/unrest), the 80s (Samuel's childhood), and maybe one more that I'm forgetting.
To be clear, I disliked every single character in this book. With the exception of Bishop and Bethany maybe? But that didn't matter.
Also there was one twelve page chapter where it was one long sentence? And in it, the video game addicted character played games for so long sitting in one position he got a PE and almost died? Like... hilarity.
I don't know. I can't write a coherent review right now. There was so much to consume. I loved it, though.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
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
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Nathan Hill weaves his way through three distinct time periods that, after a closer examination, have much more in common than you think. The basic mystery setup weaves a compelling narrative that leaves us full of empathy and a new understanding of what it means to live a life in relation to our choices and others. This book will take your emotions and screw them up into a tight little ball and then release them in a wave of catharsis as all is eventually revealed. There aren’t enough stars on StoryGraph for this novel.
adventurous
emotional
funny
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read Wellness first and absolutely loved it. This novel was equally well-written but I found some of the situations less relatable. Sometimes I forgot about characters, but they made their way back eventually.
Great read! I usually enjoy narratives like this one, that weave together different storylines and characters across time. This novel did not disappoint. Can't wait to talk about it with the book club
adventurous
funny
hopeful
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:
Yes