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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
Original review:
I read this for the Hawai'i in it and was not disappointed. I was also pleasantly surprised by the presence of the Pacific Northwest.
Full length review:
I picked up Sharks in the Time of Saviors because it's set in Hawai'i. The very first scene involves Nightmarchers, and reading it in a preview of the book made me feel immediately that I had to read this. My mom grew up in Hawai'i and throughout my life she has imbued me with a deep appreciation for the culture, the nature, the geology, the flora and fauna, the personality of Hawai'i (although I still have a hard time with the concept of calling flip-flops "slippers." I have an appreciation for the rich history of the concept of slippers in cultures that developed in warm, humid climates as opposed to frigid ones, and I'll do it when I'm in Hawai'i, but on the mainland "slippers" are fluffy and "flip-flops" slap when you walk--but I digress). Anyway, I picked this book up because it is set (partially, it turns out) in Hawai'i.
The story follows the Flores family, cycling through four points of view (the mother, Malia; the older son, Dean; the younger son, Nainoa "Noa"; and the daughter, Kaui). It spans from a somewhat retrospective chapter about the night Noa was conceived (the night his parents saw the Nightmarchers), through the children's childhoods, and up to when they are about college age or just past it. It shows the way a family can fall apart because of desperation and hanging their hopes on the wrong thing.
Malia and her husband Auggie believe Noa to be special because of a couple of things that happened in his childhood, first that he was saved from drowning by a group of sharks (a school of sharks? herd of sharks? shiver of sharks?) and then, when a neighbor boy has his hand blown up by a firework, Noa touches it and it seems to magically heal. As a result, they believe that Noa is somehow connected to Hawai'i in a special way, connected to their Hawaiian ancestors ('aumakua) and is destined for greatness. This puts immense pressure on Noa, who is expected to help support the family by using his powers to heal people started when he is a very young child, and who spends the rest of his life believing that he is supposed to save the world or Hawai'i or something, he's not really sure what. Meanwhile, his older brother and younger sister are resentful because no matter what they achieve, their parents don't really care. They're not like Noa. They're not special. This leads to some pretty severe emotional turmoil for both of them, which leads to some very bad decision-making.
The writing style was wonderful. It was descriptive, both in the sense of the setting and scenery as well as the characters' emotions. And knowing even as relatively little as I do about Hawai'i (mostly secondhand), I can still tell when an author really knows Hawai'i and puts in real details (I loved seeing Leonard's Barkey referenced, and also when Auggie called out mainland/haole stuff like putting butter on rice or showering in the morning or leaving your shoes on in the house or "being all hurry-up about everything;" Things you might not know people in Hawai'i don't do unless you know people in Hawai'i).
The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is because I felt that Noa's storyline wasn't really properly wrapped up. Maybe there was a point in that. Major spoilers ahead. But it left me feeling unsatisfied about 1/4 of the POV characters and took my desire to recommend this book to people for non-Hawai'i reasons down a bit.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed Sharks in the Time of Saviors and I plan to keep an eye out for whatever the author writes next!
I read this for the Hawai'i in it and was not disappointed. I was also pleasantly surprised by the presence of the Pacific Northwest.
Full length review:
I picked up Sharks in the Time of Saviors because it's set in Hawai'i. The very first scene involves Nightmarchers, and reading it in a preview of the book made me feel immediately that I had to read this. My mom grew up in Hawai'i and throughout my life she has imbued me with a deep appreciation for the culture, the nature, the geology, the flora and fauna, the personality of Hawai'i (although I still have a hard time with the concept of calling flip-flops "slippers." I have an appreciation for the rich history of the concept of slippers in cultures that developed in warm, humid climates as opposed to frigid ones, and I'll do it when I'm in Hawai'i, but on the mainland "slippers" are fluffy and "flip-flops" slap when you walk--but I digress). Anyway, I picked this book up because it is set (partially, it turns out) in Hawai'i.
The story follows the Flores family, cycling through four points of view (the mother, Malia; the older son, Dean; the younger son, Nainoa "Noa"; and the daughter, Kaui). It spans from a somewhat retrospective chapter about the night Noa was conceived (the night his parents saw the Nightmarchers), through the children's childhoods, and up to when they are about college age or just past it. It shows the way a family can fall apart because of desperation and hanging their hopes on the wrong thing.
Malia and her husband Auggie believe Noa to be special because of a couple of things that happened in his childhood, first that he was saved from drowning by a group of sharks (a school of sharks? herd of sharks? shiver of sharks?) and then, when a neighbor boy has his hand blown up by a firework, Noa touches it and it seems to magically heal. As a result, they believe that Noa is somehow connected to Hawai'i in a special way, connected to their Hawaiian ancestors ('aumakua) and is destined for greatness. This puts immense pressure on Noa, who is expected to help support the family by using his powers to heal people started when he is a very young child, and who spends the rest of his life believing that he is supposed to save the world or Hawai'i or something, he's not really sure what. Meanwhile, his older brother and younger sister are resentful because no matter what they achieve, their parents don't really care. They're not like Noa. They're not special. This leads to some pretty severe emotional turmoil for both of them, which leads to some very bad decision-making.
The writing style was wonderful. It was descriptive, both in the sense of the setting and scenery as well as the characters' emotions. And knowing even as relatively little as I do about Hawai'i (mostly secondhand), I can still tell when an author really knows Hawai'i and puts in real details (I loved seeing Leonard's Barkey referenced, and also when Auggie called out mainland/haole stuff like putting butter on rice or showering in the morning or leaving your shoes on in the house or "being all hurry-up about everything;" Things you might not know people in Hawai'i don't do unless you know people in Hawai'i).
The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is because I felt that Noa's storyline wasn't really properly wrapped up. Maybe there was a point in that. Major spoilers ahead
Spoiler
I thought he was the main character, because he was the special 'aumakua one, and so maybe his plot line just kind of ending and having his siblings finally be able to step out of his shadow and become important for their own stuff was the entire point of the book? But it still feels weird to me that that was all he got. He was just gone. idkOverall, though, I really enjoyed Sharks in the Time of Saviors and I plan to keep an eye out for whatever the author writes next!
emotional
reflective
slow-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
emotional
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
I really enjoyed the first half of this book, with the siblings of the family trying to find their places in the world. But then there was a HARD left turn in the middle of the book and after that it was kind of...eh? There were a lot of really questionable decisions made that I didn't feel really fit in, and the ending sequence was very odd, too, feeling just off from even the other magical realism bits of the book.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The quality of the writing in this novel is insane. All of the characters have such distinct voices, emotions, and make choices well-aligned with who the author constructed them to be. Listening to the audiobook only amplifies this experience -- it is like the characters are recounting their lives to the reader.
I would recommend really setting aside the time to read this book. The first time I attempted the audiobook, I expected it to be an easier listen than it was, but it ended up being something I really needed to dedicate my attention to. And I'm so glad I did.
I would recommend really setting aside the time to read this book. The first time I attempted the audiobook, I expected it to be an easier listen than it was, but it ended up being something I really needed to dedicate my attention to. And I'm so glad I did.
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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
The title was what drew me to the book. And, when it started, I was not sure. By page 30 I was totally hooked.
The power of family, both good and bad. The truth of mythology. And language that often sings.
I also found that there was no more certainty in the book than there is in life.
It is not a perfect book, but so much more than a "4" :-)
The power of family, both good and bad. The truth of mythology. And language that often sings.
I also found that there was no more certainty in the book than there is in life.
It is not a perfect book, but so much more than a "4" :-)
This is one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read. Kawai Strong Washburn has a talent for taking you from your own conscious into someone else’s, bringing you into their world without describing every minute detail that they might see.
This book is extremely character driven, delivering us with various character experiences from the first person POV. Their tones of voice, experiences, emotions, thoughts, and reasonings, etc., are all so so customized and specific to their individual stories. One of my favorite things about this book is how well-written and thought out each character is. You can truly feel their personalities coming off of the page, and I love every single one of them for who Washburn has created.
The way Washburn illustrates the magical elements in this novel are also so seamless. He defined the line where these concepts could become otherworldly by rooting them in realism. The struggles that come with Noa’s sense of fantasy ground the entire concept, making it nearly relatable to the reader.
This novel is essentially about lost identity, family dynamics, culture and exile, grief, financial survival, and much more. This is one of my favorite books to date.
This book is extremely character driven, delivering us with various character experiences from the first person POV. Their tones of voice, experiences, emotions, thoughts, and reasonings, etc., are all so so customized and specific to their individual stories. One of my favorite things about this book is how well-written and thought out each character is. You can truly feel their personalities coming off of the page, and I love every single one of them for who Washburn has created.
The way Washburn illustrates the magical elements in this novel are also so seamless. He defined the line where these concepts could become otherworldly by rooting them in realism. The struggles that come with Noa’s sense of fantasy ground the entire concept, making it nearly relatable to the reader.
This novel is essentially about lost identity, family dynamics, culture and exile, grief, financial survival, and much more. This is one of my favorite books to date.