Reviews

A Good Hard Look by Ann Napolitano

jilligan's review against another edition

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emotional sad medium-paced

4.0

mjchenyay's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

4.0

rawrsammeh's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.0

ronniemcclellan's review against another edition

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reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes

3.75

shannahaun's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

nancypriley's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

nathel's review against another edition

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5.0

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I am a fan of Flannery O’Connor and Ann Napolitano and was completely mesmerized by this novel. Napolitano captured my attention with her gut-wrenching portrayal of the tragedies of the famous and ordinary people in Milledgeville. I stopped buying books several years ago and use my local library, but I would buy this book so that I could read it again and again.

akramer221's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

krobart's review against another edition

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2.0

The novel is well written but not evocative. It does not evoke the 60′s South, and my feeling is that it does not evoke Flannery O’Connor. I am not an expert on her or her life, but the incisive spirit I would expect from her is missing in this character. Napolitano uses O’Connor’s peacocks to great effect, but I found that the novel tidied things up a bit more neatly than I would expect from one inspired by O’Connor’s life and works.

See my complete review here:

http://whatmeread.wordpress.com/tag/a-good-hard-look/

elevyn's review against another edition

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4.0

3.5 rounded up. This is an excellent book, but I’m reading it after her more recent book, Dear Edward, so my critique is bound to be more sharp. This one took a little longer to take hold. If I could start over with Ann Napolitano’s writing, I would start from the beginning (as I am coming to realize, should be the case with most authors)!