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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I love this book. It definitely is not perfect and actually I do think it suffers from issues of pacing and also unclear writing at time.
However, the things that it nails it really nails down well.
The set up of the story is excellent, one of my favorite first chapters of any book. I found the beginning section to be the strongest of the entire novel. I do think the books pacing definitely drops down quite a bit in the middle however by that point the characters in the family had endeared themselves to me fully. I felt really invested in seeing where the family would end up. To be frank, I wasn't a big fan for how the storylines ended up for any of the siblings. Thankfully, I don't really evaluate books on what happens to the characters but ultimately how its told and the impact it has on me as a reader.
The books final message is one that I find deeply compelling and for that reason alone I will continue to sing the praises of the book despite all of its issues.
However, the things that it nails it really nails down well.
The set up of the story is excellent, one of my favorite first chapters of any book. I found the beginning section to be the strongest of the entire novel. I do think the books pacing definitely drops down quite a bit in the middle however by that point the characters in the family had endeared themselves to me fully. I felt really invested in seeing where the family would end up. To be frank, I wasn't a big fan for how the storylines ended up for any of the siblings. Thankfully, I don't really evaluate books on what happens to the characters but ultimately how its told and the impact it has on me as a reader.
The books final message is one that I find deeply compelling and for that reason alone I will continue to sing the praises of the book despite all of its issues.
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Thank you to the publisher for providing this ARC is exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
One day in 1995 a young boy falls off a boat into shark infested waters off the coast of Hawaiʻi. Instead of meeting a quick and terrible end, this boy is delivered back to the arms of his waiting family in the jaws of a shark. Sharks in the Time of Saviors follows this one Hawaiʻian family as they struggle with implications of this event, among other things.
One word to describe this book: brutal. It cuts right to the bone both in tone and content. The former is most obvious in the author's use of visceral and unnerving description that always gave me the gut-churning feeling of not being able to look away from something terrible. The latter being the horrible reality that is the classism and poverty experienced by many Hawaiʻian families. The author's masterful use of prose as a vehicle for themes is consistent throughout the story.
Hawaiʻian mythology remains at the forefront of the book. After being saved by the sharks it becomes increasingly apparent that Nainoa was gifted with special abilities seemingly by the gods of Hawaiʻi. With this comes mounting pressure and a (kind of) self-imposed savior-complex that Nainoa will be the salvation of Hawaiʻi and its people. As Nainoa finds himself more and more isolated, his siblings feel more and more forgotten by their family and their community. The story is split perspective between every member of the Flores family. The family as a unit feels like our main character with their relationships with each other being the main focus. I thought this was a beautiful and unique way of writing a family saga.
Despite its melancholy (over)tones there is still just a shimmer of hope and magic, cursed or otherwise, that kept me reading even in its darkest moments. Truly a strong and brilliant debut from an author I will definitely continue to follow.
But ships from far ports carried a new god in their bellies, a god who blew a breath of weeping blisters and fevers that torched whole generations, a god whose fingers were shaped like rifles and voice sounded like treaties waiting to be broken. And money was the name of that god, and it was the sort of god that preyed on you, made demands and laid its hands on you with such force as to make the Old Testament piss its pants.
We were made, eventually, to pray to it, whether we wanted to or not.
One day in 1995 a young boy falls off a boat into shark infested waters off the coast of Hawaiʻi. Instead of meeting a quick and terrible end, this boy is delivered back to the arms of his waiting family in the jaws of a shark. Sharks in the Time of Saviors follows this one Hawaiʻian family as they struggle with implications of this event, among other things.
One word to describe this book: brutal. It cuts right to the bone both in tone and content. The former is most obvious in the author's use of visceral and unnerving description that always gave me the gut-churning feeling of not being able to look away from something terrible. The latter being the horrible reality that is the classism and poverty experienced by many Hawaiʻian families. The author's masterful use of prose as a vehicle for themes is consistent throughout the story.
Hawaiʻian mythology remains at the forefront of the book. After being saved by the sharks it becomes increasingly apparent that Nainoa was gifted with special abilities seemingly by the gods of Hawaiʻi. With this comes mounting pressure and a (kind of) self-imposed savior-complex that Nainoa will be the salvation of Hawaiʻi and its people. As Nainoa finds himself more and more isolated, his siblings feel more and more forgotten by their family and their community. The story is split perspective between every member of the Flores family. The family as a unit feels like our main character with their relationships with each other being the main focus. I thought this was a beautiful and unique way of writing a family saga.
Despite its melancholy (over)tones there is still just a shimmer of hope and magic, cursed or otherwise, that kept me reading even in its darkest moments. Truly a strong and brilliant debut from an author I will definitely continue to follow.
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Oh my goodness. What a book.
This book gives such a strong impression of Hawai'i and it's people. The author has given each POV character their distinct voice (bonus: the audiobook is narrated by a full cast).
Nainoa'slife on the ambulance as a paramedic was too realistic. Not graphically so (though there is a bit) but just the feelings. The death cooties. His fall hurt.
This book gives such a strong impression of Hawai'i and it's people. The author has given each POV character their distinct voice (bonus: the audiobook is narrated by a full cast).
Nainoa's
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
The audiobook is *fantastic.* by the time I’d met each character through their POV, I was so invested in their family and in the magic they felt in their native Hawaii.
emotional
slow-paced
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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