Reviews - Sharks in the Time of Saviors

2k reviews for:

Sharks in the Time of Saviors

Kawai Strong Washburn

3.89 AVERAGE

kestrelreader's review against another edition

4.0

I'm not sure I understand the destination, but I was 200% enthralled by the journey.

lariluna's review against another edition

3.25

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

jae0141's review against another edition

3.75

emotional mysterious reflective 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

margoswood's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous emotional sad medium-paced

I liked this book! But I liked the first half of the book better than the second half. All of the magical realism got a little tad bit confusing near the end of the book and I’m not as much of a fan of books that leave a lot up to interpretation. But I loved Kaui’s character. So much. She was definitely my fav. Loved all the hawaiian imagery!!!

henrytinker's review against another edition

3.0

dark emotional hopeful mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

The writing is good, but I feel like I would have liked more from the plot. I also didn't really enjoy the second half.

alisun's review against another edition

5.0

This book broke my heart over and over and over. It follows a native Hawaiian family struggling to survive amidst the economic reality of settler colonialism and advanced Capitalism.

The story is that, while on a family boating adventure (on a commercial sight seeing boat) the youngest son falls into the water and is saved by a shark. This is the initiating event in the story and the family (mostly the mom) makes sense of this by seeing Noa as a chosen one. There is a touch of magical realism because as it turns out, Noa can heal people. The specifics of this are never made entirely clear so the reader is left to decide what this means in the larger storyline.

The novel follows Noa's siblings, one older and one younger, as they move to the mainland, pursue their own paths (with a strong sense of loyalty to "succeed for the family") and make sense of what it has meant to grow up in the shadow of Noa.

A tragedy brings the family together in the end and the novel closes on a note of hope. It's not hokey hope, though. The author doesn't sugar coat anything in this beautiful story of family loyalty, the importance of place, and the ties that bind us to our histories and futures.