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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-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
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thick unusual language - takes awhile to adjust, but then really memorable story.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-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
Her writing is torture. The story takes forever to get going and just when it's beyond fantastic, and it definitely is especially the relationship between Simon and Kere - it takes a sharp turn, never recovers, and it ends so trivially that I'm simply upset. After 545 pages, I wanted better closure. I suspect I won't forget this book. She does have beautiful scenes and disturbing human relationship issues, but I'm close to saying I kinda hated it.
I almost didn't read this book. I don't usually have the patience for literary or realistic fiction, and fifteen pages in I was considering giving up. I wasn't expecting the patchwork stream-of-consciousness style, and I wasn't really intrigued by anything that was going on.
Until Simon came into the picture. Simon really is the life of this book. Kerewin, while interesting (and, admittedly, maybe a bit Mary Sue-ish, but not to the point that it annoyed me), didn't really grab me. Simon did. His character, his conflicts, his pain... that's what really made the book for me.
I'm not sure how I feel about the end of the book. I'm glad it ended happily, because I'm tired of those "deep" sad endings that just feel pretentious. But I don't think Still, I enjoyed the book, and it was definitely a memorable experience.
Until Simon came into the picture. Simon really is the life of this book. Kerewin, while interesting (and, admittedly, maybe a bit Mary Sue-ish, but not to the point that it annoyed me), didn't really grab me. Simon did. His character, his conflicts, his pain... that's what really made the book for me.
I'm not sure how I feel about the end of the book. I'm glad it ended happily, because I'm tired of those "deep" sad endings that just feel pretentious. But I don't think
Spoiler
anything Joe did was justified, or that he and Kerewin and Simon should have all ended up together in the end. On some level, I do feel the need for everything to be "healed", but it seems to gloss over child abuse more than I'm comfortable with.
Really interesting narrative style & I appreciated the complexities given to love and different kinds of love
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad