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m4rtt4's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I really loved the first part, and had the rest of the book been like it, I'd probably have given this at least 4.5 stars. Still not bad, all the nature stuff was mind-blowingly incredible, but some of the (POC) characters were pretty stereotypical and I didn't really like how all their stories intertwined in the second half.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Police brutality, Violence, Ableism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicide
Moderate: Cancer, Racism, Sexual content, Infertility, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
deedireads's review
emotional
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
The Overstory is a sprawling, beautiful novel about trees, activism, and interconnectedness — both between us and the planet, and with one another.
For you if: You like climate fiction and / or books with lots of main characters and plotlines.
FULL REVIEW:
The Overstory has been on my TBR for a long time. It won the Pulitzer, it was shortlisted for the Booker, and everyone and their brother kept recommending it to me. So when I planned a trip to Northern California to visit the redwoods, I knew it was finally time to pick this book up.
As you’ve probably heard, The Overstory is about trees. But it’s also about people — quite a lot of people, in fact. A big chunk of the book is dedicated to introducing us to a huge cast of characters, one full chapter per person. It’s unclear what these people have to do with one another until we move into the other sections of the book, at which point we bounce between them and see how their stories start to merge. In some cases, they meet; in others, they hear of one another. But the throughline is that all of them find themselves protesting deforestation and protecting trees in one form or another.
If you read Bewilderment first, like I did, you know Powers can write one heck of a nature book. Please allow me to confirm that this is a book that will make you think more, and more fondly, of every tree you see. It’s just exquisite stuff. I especially loved when two of our characters spent an entire year living up inside a giant old-growth redwood to stop it from being cut down. What made this even more interesting is that I read it after I read Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard, whose research inspired this book.
I will say that I did find all the characters and storylines a bit tricky to keep track of, although to Powers’ credit, my confusion never lasted very long. It’s also a bit longer than I think it needed to be. But overall, the prose is breathtaking, the characters will make you ache, and the impression it leaves won’t fade anytime soon.
TL;DR REVIEW:
The Overstory is a sprawling, beautiful novel about trees, activism, and interconnectedness — both between us and the planet, and with one another.
For you if: You like climate fiction and / or books with lots of main characters and plotlines.
FULL REVIEW:
The Overstory has been on my TBR for a long time. It won the Pulitzer, it was shortlisted for the Booker, and everyone and their brother kept recommending it to me. So when I planned a trip to Northern California to visit the redwoods, I knew it was finally time to pick this book up.
As you’ve probably heard, The Overstory is about trees. But it’s also about people — quite a lot of people, in fact. A big chunk of the book is dedicated to introducing us to a huge cast of characters, one full chapter per person. It’s unclear what these people have to do with one another until we move into the other sections of the book, at which point we bounce between them and see how their stories start to merge. In some cases, they meet; in others, they hear of one another. But the throughline is that all of them find themselves protesting deforestation and protecting trees in one form or another.
If you read Bewilderment first, like I did, you know Powers can write one heck of a nature book. Please allow me to confirm that this is a book that will make you think more, and more fondly, of every tree you see. It’s just exquisite stuff. I especially loved when two of our characters spent an entire year living up inside a giant old-growth redwood to stop it from being cut down. What made this even more interesting is that I read it after I read Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard, whose research inspired this book.
I will say that I did find all the characters and storylines a bit tricky to keep track of, although to Powers’ credit, my confusion never lasted very long. It’s also a bit longer than I think it needed to be. But overall, the prose is breathtaking, the characters will make you ache, and the impression it leaves won’t fade anytime soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Death, Police brutality, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Infidelity and Grief
middumullu's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I read a paper copy. It was honestly a slow start, but built up really well. The book is divided into a few different sections so I guess that's how I'll break this up. I don't remember how many there were so I can't get super specific but the beginning/middle/end had very different vibes.
Beginning - sets up each of the different characters' backstories and personalities. It's a pretty diverse cast of characters, and each of their worlds at this point feels distinct and individual and real. It was slow and calm, but I wasn't sure what direction the story was going to go because many of these parts felt like they had closure. The first section ends with an absolute BANGER.
Middle - The second section starts with an absolute BANGER as well. The way the story continued over from each section was done really well. The stories started to merge here and it was interesting to see the ways that they came together, and to try to guess where and when each of the characters and story lines would meet. The middle parts of the book pick up the pace, too. You begin to feel the urgency that characters are feeling, their sense of purpose and connection to something greater. It's inspiring and makes you want to go out and do something to help the world.
End - This part slows down too. For me it was sad to read, about the state of the environment, the decline, where all of these characters find themselves in life. It felt a bit like crashing back to reality after some of the fantasy of the middle section. I honestly can't remember how it ended but I remember feeling like there was a lot to consider. Our relationship to the Earth, our relationship to each other, the extent of our responsibility for different parts of our life.
I really enjoyed all of the characters and their dynamics together. I've seen some people complaining about Neelay feeling irrelevant to the plot but I liked his parts. I thought they added a different view of the world that was much needed. Patty of course was my favorite. Icon. Overall a good and thought provoking read, but on the longer and slower side.
Beginning - sets up each of the different characters' backstories and personalities. It's a pretty diverse cast of characters, and each of their worlds at this point feels distinct and individual and real. It was slow and calm, but I wasn't sure what direction the story was going to go because many of these parts felt like they had closure. The first section ends with an absolute BANGER.
Middle - The second section starts with an absolute BANGER as well. The way the story continued over from each section was done really well. The stories started to merge here and it was interesting to see the ways that they came together, and to try to guess where and when each of the characters and story lines would meet. The middle parts of the book pick up the pace, too. You begin to feel the urgency that characters are feeling, their sense of purpose and connection to something greater. It's inspiring and makes you want to go out and do something to help the world.
End - This part slows down too. For me it was sad to read, about the state of the environment, the decline, where all of these characters find themselves in life. It felt a bit like crashing back to reality after some of the fantasy of the middle section. I honestly can't remember how it ended but I remember feeling like there was a lot to consider. Our relationship to the Earth, our relationship to each other, the extent of our responsibility for different parts of our life.
I really enjoyed all of the characters and their dynamics together. I've seen some people complaining about Neelay feeling irrelevant to the plot but I liked his parts. I thought they added a different view of the world that was much needed. Patty of course was my favorite. Icon. Overall a good and thought provoking read, but on the longer and slower side.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Bullying, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Infidelity
Sorry I cannot remember it all clearly because I finished this a while ago. There was also a protest scene where characters are pepper sprayed in sensitive areas and threatened by the police but I don't know exactly how to tag that. Guerrilla environmentalist action is a major plot point within the middle of the book.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
booksandmo's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Suicide
Minor: Death of parent, Dementia, Forced institutionalization, Infertility, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
weeta's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I saw Richard Powers speak about this title a few years back and it’s been on my TBR pile since. He has a gift for weaving information into story. This slow but sturdy world will pull you towards learning more about trees and leave you searching for something to fill the gap that is left once you finish the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Ableism, Suicide, Violence, Infidelity, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
emakay's review
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Infidelity, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Violence
lucyduller's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Police brutality, and Violence
Moderate: Car accident, Chronic illness, Confinement, and Infidelity
Minor: Infertility, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
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