Reviews with content warning for Gore - North Woods

Reviews tagging 'Gore'

North Woods by Daniel Mason

7 reviews

danaaliyalevinson's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I liked this book. Though it came highly recommended and I wanted to love it. And I didn’t. This said, some of things that made me not love it are things that may be right up the alley of other readers: an omniscient third person narrative voice that can sometimes feel a little emotionally detached (not to be confused with the book being unemotional, it’s a very emotional book. Only that the narrator is giving us that emotion from a very outside perspective), and nearly every chapter featuring a totally new central character all linked together through living in or attachment to a single house over centuries.

Which for me, I tend to be attracted to very character driven books, and so being presented with a new central character each chapter just as I was getting to know the previous one was difficult for me to get into. But what I will say is, the book is super interesting. It’s very concept driven and the concept is incredibly compelling. One of the things I really did love in its concept was the usage of ephemera. Oftentimes, between chapters, there would be things like photographs, news clippings, obituaries, poems, journal excerpts, etc, which really made the world feel so real and palpable.

So for those who love somewhat experimental concept driven books, you will likely love this. And there are multiple characters who I did find incredibly compelling and was sad to depart from so quickly when the book moved on to a new inhabitant of the house. The book is also undeniably very well written and constructed. I think that while it wasn’t a five star read for me, it would be a five star read for many others. In fact I already recommended it to two different friends who I think would absolutely lose their minds over this book based on their reading tastes. So don’t let my criticism deter you if this is the kind of storytelling you like!

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madison_mls's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.25

I didn’t expect to like this as much as I did! The writing was beautiful and each story had such a unique voice and style, it tied in the passage of time so effectively. I was surprised that the story took a magical realism route but it made it all the more better in my opinion! Just a truly unique way to demonstrate human vs nature and how the history of a place always leaves a mark on it and us, or can even haunt us at times.

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ashleylynn's review against another edition

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4.0

“In any case, George didn’t shut up, and Mary, whose longing for precision and clarity extended even into language, thought that there really should be a word for this particular kind of explaining boys did to girls…”

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wordswithjustine's review against another edition

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challenging emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

4.5

I almost DNF'd this book because I wasn't in a murdery frame of mind nor do I pre er books with much sex and it seemed like those things were maybe going to be the focus. I am glad I stuck with it. The nature focus shines through in the second half. The writing is absolutely extraordinary with so many strands woven together.

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mselvis's review against another edition

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informative reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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atiek's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I give this book beyond a five point oh. It'll break your heart and allow you to see justice in the same breath. It'll build you back up once broken down. All of the characters's voices are palpable and I strongly recommend listening to North Woods on audio for the best experience. I will be buying a physical copy of this book some day, it is that freaking great.

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jesselynn's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Rapturous, moving and eternal.

An incredible book. It is a true epic of life, death, nature, history, succession and reclamation. Told in many voices and styles, we follow hundreds of years of history revolving around a house deep in the woods of Massachusetts. This book haunts its reader with the voices of the past, rallies the timeless human and non-human experiences that are held in a perpetual clandestine shroud between walls, branches and soil. It is sweeping and vibrant and rich in longing and grief and nature. A truly fascinating literary joy and stellar achievement by Daniel Mason.

Thank you to John Murray Press/Hachette for the advanced reader copy.

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