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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
With curiosity for the story, but trepidation for the time-commitment, I decided to devote the necessary 22 listening hours to this novel. I'm happy I went the listening route because the narrator was fantastic. One of the best I've heard. However, on too many occasions I regretted that I wasn't reading since there are some absolutely wonderful sentences throughout the book that I'd have like to reread and even write down as favorite quotes. Reviews abound as to the storyline, so I will simply note that for me the multiple stories and intriguing characters made up for what at times was excruciating detail.
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’ve had this in my physical tbr for quite some time, and per the recommendation of a friend, finally picked it up. I was absolutely blown away. Hill’s character writing is absolutely fantastic, and Fliakos did an incredible job bringing those characters to life as a VA. Astounding and would wholly recommend. 9.25/10.
700 pages and I was engaged the whole time. I’ve been getting back into reading as a hobby, and this book reminded me why I love it so much. Hill has such an excellent grasp on what makes a book interesting. His characters, who often begin as hate-able caricatures, each feel fully-formed, real, and messy. Plus I love an ensemble cast. I was a bit leery of reading a book written by a white dude about a white dude writing a book, but even though it’s framed through Samuel’s novel, the world is so much larger than that. This book truly created a fully fleshed out world that I wanted to keep returning to.
Hill has a mastery of technical writing that doesn’t bog down the book at all. Hill isn’t afraid to experiment, like the 10-page long sentence about a dude who’s trying to quit gaming. His writing style always lends itself excellently to feelings of being lost, stuck in a rut, and spiraling (which is great, since that’s such a huge theme in the book). My favorite technique he uses is his imagery. We’ll be listening in on an important conversation, intercut with prose about a seemingly mundane detail in the background, like the goods being sold in an airport. Hill uses these details to build on the themes in the scene and really show us the lens of who is telling us about the world—Samuel’s inner monologue is so vastly different from Ginsberg’s and Faye’s and Perwinkle’s (and WHAT a character Periwinkle is).
My one concern early on was Laura. As a college student who’s had to formally complain against professors… that’s not how it works, lol. But I always got the sense that we were seeing Laura through a specific lens and that she was being made into a caricature for thematic reasons. This all made sense and paid of when it’s really implied that we’re reading Samuel’s novel. Also, oh my God, I loved that ending. I’m such a sucker for utilizing the medium through which you’re telling the story as an important part of the story itself.
Overall, this book was masterfully written and is going to stick with me for a long, long time. Can’t wait to force everyone in my life to read this book.
Hill has a mastery of technical writing that doesn’t bog down the book at all. Hill isn’t afraid to experiment, like the 10-page long sentence about a dude who’s trying to quit gaming. His writing style always lends itself excellently to feelings of being lost, stuck in a rut, and spiraling (which is great, since that’s such a huge theme in the book). My favorite technique he uses is his imagery. We’ll be listening in on an important conversation, intercut with prose about a seemingly mundane detail in the background, like the goods being sold in an airport. Hill uses these details to build on the themes in the scene and really show us the lens of who is telling us about the world—Samuel’s inner monologue is so vastly different from Ginsberg’s and Faye’s and Perwinkle’s (and WHAT a character Periwinkle is).
My one concern early on was Laura. As a college student who’s had to formally complain against professors… that’s not how it works, lol. But I always got the sense that we were seeing Laura through a specific lens and that she was being made into a caricature for thematic reasons. This all made sense and paid of when it’s really implied that we’re reading Samuel’s novel. Also, oh my God, I loved that ending. I’m such a sucker for utilizing the medium through which you’re telling the story as an important part of the story itself.
Overall, this book was masterfully written and is going to stick with me for a long, long time. Can’t wait to force everyone in my life to read this book.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
it got much better, with a very beautiful ending, but it seemed so long in getting there
adventurous
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes