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dragongirl271's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Child abuse, Bullying, Sexual violence, Police brutality, War, Death, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
hashbrownwarrior's review against another edition
Bored with the story. Didn’t really care about any of the characters. Didn’t like the narrator’s voice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, War, Violence, and Domestic abuse
anouks_books's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I already look forward to rereading this book in order to understand it better and take notes of all the little, beautiful passages.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Police brutality, and Torture
Minor: Alcohol, Infidelity, Sexual content, Drug use, and War
keegan_leech's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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? It's complicated
5.0
This was a re-read and it's still an absolute favourite book of mine. Despite its flaws, which were more noticeable the second time around, it remains stunning for that rare quality in a book to fundamentally change the way you think about the world. It presents both trees and the broader environmental crisis in a rare way and does it persuasively.
I think some readers might find it at times too saccharine, or—depending on how closely you agree with the novel's assessment of humanity's prospects—either overly bleak or wildly optimistic. But whatever you think of it, it's a book to provoke and change you. I certainly think about it constantly, and for that alone I'd recommend it to everyone.
The characters, prose, and structure of the novel are all good enough that it manages to walk the knife's edge of being a book I'd recommend to everyone, but there's no doubt that they are supports for the themes and content of the novel more than selling points in themselves.
I'd recommend it, even if all my criticisms sound off-putting. If you think there's any part of you that would like to marvel at trees and growing things, or wonder at the connections between living things, then please read this book.
I think some readers might find it at times too saccharine, or—depending on how closely you agree with the novel's assessment of humanity's prospects—either overly bleak or wildly optimistic. But whatever you think of it, it's a book to provoke and change you. I certainly think about it constantly, and for that alone I'd recommend it to everyone.
The characters, prose, and structure of the novel are all good enough that it manages to walk the knife's edge of being a book I'd recommend to everyone, but there's no doubt that they are supports for the themes and content of the novel more than selling points in themselves.
I'd recommend it, even if all my criticisms sound off-putting. If you think there's any part of you that would like to marvel at trees and growing things, or wonder at the connections between living things, then please read this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Police brutality
Moderate: Infidelity, Death, Death of parent, Torture, and War
Minor: Terminal illness and Confinement
queertrash's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Moderate: War and Police brutality
abomine's review
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
WIP
The first quarter of this book was the best part, a compelling little collection of short stories about characters from all walks of life and the significant ways trees have influenced their lives. It was lovely, lyrical and subtle in its message. Everything after that was not nearly as enjoyable, between the sudden preachiness, the lack of interconnectedness between most of the characters (contrary to The Overstory's blurb), the info-dumpy rehash of information about tree communities/intelligence that would only be compelling to people who know absolutely nothing about trees, and an ending that felt less ambiguous and more like a dwindling out.
The reviews promising a mind-blowing tour de force, something that would change the way I looked at the world, an epic about humanity's role in nature that did with trees that Moby-Dick did with whales, definitely over-hyped this book for me.
The first quarter of this book was the best part, a compelling little collection of short stories about characters from all walks of life and the significant ways trees have influenced their lives. It was lovely, lyrical and subtle in its message. Everything after that was not nearly as enjoyable, between the sudden preachiness, the lack of interconnectedness between most of the characters (contrary to The Overstory's blurb), the info-dumpy rehash of information about tree communities/intelligence that would only be compelling to people who know absolutely nothing about trees, and an ending that felt less ambiguous and more like a dwindling out.
The reviews promising a mind-blowing tour de force, something that would change the way I looked at the world, an epic about humanity's role in nature that did with trees that Moby-Dick did with whales, definitely over-hyped this book for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Ableism, and War
Minor: Child abuse
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