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bookish_leslie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
My rating scale, for reference:
- 1 Star: Hated it
- 1.5 Stars: Really didn't like it
- 2 Stars: Didn't like it
- 3 Stars: Meh
- 4 Stars: Liked it
- 4.5 Stars: Really liked it
- 5 Stars: Loved it
This book was a bit of a slow burn, but the adventure and mystery kept me engaged and interested all the way to the end. I enjoyed the alternating timelines, as it really enhanced the sense of mystery for me, but I also sometimes found myself getting frustrated with it because I just wanted to know what was happening already! Alternating back and forth made it a little harder to keep track of each narrative, and also meant that both timelines reached their conclusions simultaneously, so the ending felt quite rushed and out of pace with the rest of the book. Cryptic in parts, too, with reveals that didn’t really make a lot of sense. I wish it had been better fleshed out, and that I wasn’t left with so many lingering questions.
But the last few lines of the epilogue gave me goosebumps and made me tear up (in a good way):
Jay takes a moment before she turns to see a woman walking down the road toward her, half-familiar, lifting a hand to Jay, her whole face open with joy. And Jadelynne Carr drops everything she's holding and she's running, running back into the arms of her best friend.” (pg. 371)
I didn’t really understand this greeting between the friends, since their friendship had already started to fracture a bit when they were still in high school and then by this point they hadn’t spoken for 19 years, but given their earlier closeness, it was still touching to see them reunited with so much joy.
Otherwise, I enjoyed the author’s writing style, as well as the way she employed both plot and character. There was enough happening for me to be interested, but not at the sacrifice of some character depth. I can't say I loved all of the characters, but they were more than just flat and one-dimensional. I especially loved the undercurrent of magic that the author wove throughout this book - it was just enough to add something special without feeling too heavy-handed - and it was probably my favourite part. I’m always a sucker for magical realism and portal fiction, even if this was only portal-adjacent at best, and I loved the creativity baked into the individual magic of the houses. There was a dark tone that traveled throughout the narrative, as well, but oddly this book still felt very hopeful.
At its heart, I'd say this was a book about friendship, community, and how/where we find belonging. It was a book that explored class, choices and consequences, the pain felt when we outgrow or want different things from life than the people we love, and about noticing and appreciating what’s right in front of us. And, of course, it was a book about following adventure and magic. I really enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Physical abuse, Blood, and Child abuse
Minor: Sexual content, Abandonment, Addiction, Drug abuse, and Vomit
gracescanlon's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Another new favorite! I’ve added so many to that list this year, and it’s been such a delight.
The Wonder State combines my favorite story elements within its pages: the Southern Gothic, friendships, magical realism, and a quest. It’s an utterly captivating and enchanting story about a group of six unlikely friends on a quest for local magical locations during their senior year of high school. It also follows the continuation of that unfinished quest 15 years after high school graduation, after one of them goes missing.
In The Wonder State, Murphy touches on many important themes, including classism, poverty, addiction, and abuse, among others. Her characters, their prejudices, insecurities, and struggles, are all believable, especially in their teenage minds. She has a talent for capturing the moral complexity of the human person - no one is wholly good or wholly bad. Murphy shows through her characters that people make mistakes (it’s inevitable); it’s what they do after making that mistake that determines if they are more of a good person or bad person.
I found putting this book down difficult, even if moments before picking it up I was ready to turn out my lamp and sleep for the night. I always seemed to read the whole of at least two or three chapters every time I began to read it.
The ending, though I can see how some might find it disappointing, was perfection - to me. It was, after all, the falling action. I loved how quiet the ending was, how peaceful and hopeful - a perfect contrast and conclusion to a high-tension story.
I have only one more word: Brava!!!!!
The Wonder State combines my favorite story elements within its pages: the Southern Gothic, friendships, magical realism, and a quest. It’s an utterly captivating and enchanting story about a group of six unlikely friends on a quest for local magical locations during their senior year of high school. It also follows the continuation of that unfinished quest 15 years after high school graduation, after one of them goes missing.
In The Wonder State, Murphy touches on many important themes, including classism, poverty, addiction, and abuse, among others. Her characters, their prejudices, insecurities, and struggles, are all believable, especially in their teenage minds. She has a talent for capturing the moral complexity of the human person - no one is wholly good or wholly bad. Murphy shows through her characters that people make mistakes (it’s inevitable); it’s what they do after making that mistake that determines if they are more of a good person or bad person.
I found putting this book down difficult, even if moments before picking it up I was ready to turn out my lamp and sleep for the night. I always seemed to read the whole of at least two or three chapters every time I began to read it.
The ending, though I can see how some might find it disappointing, was perfection - to me. It was, after all, the falling action. I loved how quiet the ending was, how peaceful and hopeful - a perfect contrast and conclusion to a high-tension story.
I have only one more word: Brava!!!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Grief, Addiction, Toxic friendship, Blood, Classism, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Abandonment, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, Physical abuse, and Suicide
Minor: Alcohol, Bullying, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Homophobia, Infidelity, Medical content, and Sexual content
cass_masters's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Wow. One of the most unique books I’ve ever read. Such lovely writing and world-building. I really felt the characters struggles. Not sure how I feel about the ending. I want to reread!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Addiction
Minor: Vomit and Suicide
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