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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
The narrative of this story was well written but in general a depressing enough story that I wouldn't think about rereading it. If you want a true look at what life can be then this is a story for you.
This was wonderfully written, and even though it's a first person account of all these people's lives, somehow towards the end there's this clarity about everyone and you understand everyone's motivations and circumstances that made them how they are. It's tragic and raw, and a very realistic look into the lives of this poor family in the country without making it cartoonish or cliche. It's well done and original, sad, hopeful, and funny.
Another of the book group reads that I remember liking but not making enough of an impression on me for it to stand out.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
openly crying in the coffee shop
So I think this is more like a 3 1/2 star book. Very strange characters but having said that, I liked many of them. And the ending is surprising and sad. I think the biggest thing I liked was the characters perception of herself as opposed to how others saw her.
OMG THIS BOOK WILL KILL YOU DEAD. Seriously. I can't even. Only . . . don't read it if you are upset easily. I mean it. BUT OMG SO GOOD. That is my incredibly sophisticated and eloquent review.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
Ruth's story is one of small-town isolation and the dysfunction of families stuck together through claustrophobic winters. The main character, abandoned by her father, left behind by her brother when he finds prospects beyond their tiny Illinois farm, is left trapped between her overbearing mother and the drug-addled man she eventually marries. The birth of the narrator's baby boy brings the hope for a new chance for all of them, but the oppressive circumstances they exist in moved inevitably toward tragedy.
The characters in this story are deeply nuanced, and the narrator's voice is powerful through all of her quirkiness. I like the development of multiple layers of complexity in even the minor characters who at first appear very one-dimensional. The author also does a great job of bringing the setting to life.
The climactic scene is extremely violent, much more so than the rest of the story up to that point, although it is certainly foreshadowed. The ending is left very open, and perhaps a bit intentionally unsatisfying, taking the approach that there will never be true closure to the events that have unfolded. Definitely not a happy story, but an engaging one.
The characters in this story are deeply nuanced, and the narrator's voice is powerful through all of her quirkiness. I like the development of multiple layers of complexity in even the minor characters who at first appear very one-dimensional. The author also does a great job of bringing the setting to life.
The climactic scene is extremely violent, much more so than the rest of the story up to that point, although it is certainly foreshadowed. The ending is left very open, and perhaps a bit intentionally unsatisfying, taking the approach that there will never be true closure to the events that have unfolded. Definitely not a happy story, but an engaging one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Abandonment, Alcohol