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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
Unlike other reviewers, I personally really loved the overly descriptive writing. The author really painted a beautiful picture and I could see/smell/feel what he was describing.
However as much as I liked the writing, I did not jive with the story. I almost DNFed at many points during the book, I just wasn’t engaged. It took me a lot longer than normal to finish this book because I avoided picking it up.
Out of all the characters I was only really interested in Kaui’s story. The gifted younger sister of a spiritual prodigy was pretty cool to read about (but not enough to bump up the rating).
A lot of people seem to really like this story and that’s fully understandable. Perhaps for someone with more connection to Hawaiian culture or spirituality is better suited for a novel like this.
However as much as I liked the writing, I did not jive with the story. I almost DNFed at many points during the book, I just wasn’t engaged. It took me a lot longer than normal to finish this book because I avoided picking it up.
Out of all the characters I was only really interested in Kaui’s story. The gifted younger sister of a spiritual prodigy was pretty cool to read about (but not enough to bump up the rating).
A lot of people seem to really like this story and that’s fully understandable. Perhaps for someone with more connection to Hawaiian culture or spirituality is better suited for a novel like this.
"That's the problem with the present, it's never the thing you're holding, only the thing you're watching, later, from a distance so great the memory might as well be a spill of stars outside a windshield at night."
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-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
SHARKS IN THE TIME OF SAVIORS by Kawai Strong Washburn is a novel set in Hawaii about a family’s hopes and dreams, the relentless burden of poverty, the islands’ legends, and the weight of unrealized expectations.
Each of the Flores family’s three children is special in their own way: Dean is a basketball star, Nainoa is touched by the gods with the power to heal others, and Kaui is whip-smart. Throughout their lives, their family teeters on the knife-edge of subsistence, one bad fall from complete indigence. Their collective hope lies in the children, who each go to the mainland for college: that Dean will make it big and play in the NBA, that Nainoa will harness supernatural abilities and become something great, that Kaui will achieve success and stability as an engineer.
However, the splinters and fractures accumulate as the kids’ paths don’t proceed as expected, and it’s only a matter of time until the entire castle of dreams collapses. How will the family go on? Will they stay together through it all? What hope is there after all hopes are burnt to ash?
Washburn’s writing is astoundingly good, vigorous and tender and magical. The story is told from four different vantage points, and he gives each character a distinct, compelling, memorable voice that epitomizes their personalities. He conveys deep love and reverence for Hawaii and its ancestors while spinning a modern tale of a family struggling against the looming legacies of imperialism, capitalism, and the lack of a safety net. It’s alchemy; it’s gold.
Just read this one! It bathed me in lush prose, it swept me into the Flores family’s tsunami, it drowned me in heartbreak. Winner of the 2020 PEN/Hemingway Award for debut novel, on Barack Obama’s favorite books of 2020 list, and named one of the NY Times Best Books of 2020, don’t miss this one, especially if you appreciate family sagas with a alternating viewpoints and a touch of magical realism.
Each of the Flores family’s three children is special in their own way: Dean is a basketball star, Nainoa is touched by the gods with the power to heal others, and Kaui is whip-smart. Throughout their lives, their family teeters on the knife-edge of subsistence, one bad fall from complete indigence. Their collective hope lies in the children, who each go to the mainland for college: that Dean will make it big and play in the NBA, that Nainoa will harness supernatural abilities and become something great, that Kaui will achieve success and stability as an engineer.
However, the splinters and fractures accumulate as the kids’ paths don’t proceed as expected, and it’s only a matter of time until the entire castle of dreams collapses. How will the family go on? Will they stay together through it all? What hope is there after all hopes are burnt to ash?
Washburn’s writing is astoundingly good, vigorous and tender and magical. The story is told from four different vantage points, and he gives each character a distinct, compelling, memorable voice that epitomizes their personalities. He conveys deep love and reverence for Hawaii and its ancestors while spinning a modern tale of a family struggling against the looming legacies of imperialism, capitalism, and the lack of a safety net. It’s alchemy; it’s gold.
Just read this one! It bathed me in lush prose, it swept me into the Flores family’s tsunami, it drowned me in heartbreak. Winner of the 2020 PEN/Hemingway Award for debut novel, on Barack Obama’s favorite books of 2020 list, and named one of the NY Times Best Books of 2020, don’t miss this one, especially if you appreciate family sagas with a alternating viewpoints and a touch of magical realism.
An incredible story of family, folklore, culture, expectations, misunderstandings, blessings, and tragedies. We get to see the same story and experiences from every family member’s point of view and with each person comes new insight as well. It was truly beautiful and heartbreaking. Thanks for the recommendation, Obama. It did not disappoint.
“If a god is a thing that has absolute power over us, then in this world there are many. There are gods that we choose and gods that we can't avoid; there are gods that we pray to and gods that prey on us; there are dreams that become gods and nightmares that do, as well.”
“If a god is a thing that has absolute power over us, then in this world there are many. There are gods that we choose and gods that we can't avoid; there are gods that we pray to and gods that prey on us; there are dreams that become gods and nightmares that do, as well.”
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"You are not a god, but there is something that moves through you that may be one."
There are stories about family that make my heart feel so raw that it hurts to read them, and this is one of them. It is a testament to love that feels more lonely than complete, yet it still shapes everything that you become and everything that you do.
There are stories about family that make my heart feel so raw that it hurts to read them, and this is one of them. It is a testament to love that feels more lonely than complete, yet it still shapes everything that you become and everything that you do.
Incredible debut novel. Would highly recommend especially if you have siblings.
100 Times yes. Quite possibly my favorite book of the year (so far of course). Nainoa Flores, our blessed main character, tries to navigate normal life after a literal miracle but of course that doesn’t happen. Parents treasure him and the other siblings are left trying to figure out who they are and what their gifts are without the praise of their parents. Weaving in Hawaiian history, gods, stories, and bitter sentiments of tourists, this story was an absolutely wonderful read.