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brittelkins's review against another edition
3.0
Great book, and I'd probably consider it a 4 star book overall, but gave it a 3/5 as far as Ron Rash's books go. It's not my favorite, but it has all the elements I've come to expect, and love, from Ron Rash. Still, a great read, and like most of Rash's books, has left me with a desire to get out of the city and back to nature.
kamckim's review against another edition
4.0
This was a quick read about a retiring officer's last week on the job. Someone has poisoned the river just above a posh hunting and fishing lodge, and all fingers point to Gerald, a long-time local resident. Park ranger and poet, Becky, is the only one who believes Gerald wouldn't do it. Working through a network of local pot dealers, meth heads and pawn brokers, will the sheriff be able to locate the saboteur and retire in peace.
Honestly, the plot was straightforward and modern for Rash. The characters all had a bit of back-story which could use a bit more explaining, but I have a feeling we may have more books about these people in the hopefully near future. The best part, and the biggest surprise was the absolutely delightful use of the poetic techniques of Gerard Manley Hopkins via the voice of Becky--so appropriate for any discussion of speckled trout. Glory be to God for dappl'd things.
Ron Rash is lovely reading.
Honestly, the plot was straightforward and modern for Rash. The characters all had a bit of back-story which could use a bit more explaining, but I have a feeling we may have more books about these people in the hopefully near future. The best part, and the biggest surprise was the absolutely delightful use of the poetic techniques of Gerard Manley Hopkins via the voice of Becky--so appropriate for any discussion of speckled trout. Glory be to God for dappl'd things.
Ron Rash is lovely reading.
gouda's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
emilyisreading2024's review against another edition
5.0
I'm a big fan of Ron Rash's work and this is no exception. His writing is simply beautiful. In ABOVE THE WATERFALL I especially enjoyed the back and forth between the poetic Becky and the more action-oriented Les. There's also a good amount of suspense in this tightly crafted story, which kept me turning the pages.
iacobus's review against another edition
3.0
I was excited to pick up this book based on the description provided by Goodreads. While, on the whole, I enjoyed the book, I really struggled with the poetic half. The chapters from the perspective of Becky were just too poetic, flowery and difficult to read. While I could accept this, they also generally failed to contribute to the plot in any meaningful way.
The more I read, the more I struggled with these chapters. Les's chapters clearly seem to be told from the perspective of Les's current knowledge and place of being. However, Becky's chapters could not come in this same time-frame; indeed, the book features her editing a line after writing it. The language in these chapters is far too complicated and polished to be written "in the moment."
These chapters, while some may appreciate the beauty of the language (I didn't), really seem to be misplaced inside a work of crime fiction. They neither advance the plot or fit within the confines of the other chapters.
I'd probably give the base fiction novel a 3-4 stars and the poetry part a 1-2 star rating. I settled for a generous three stars but if I recommended it to a friend I would advise them to skip every one of Becky's chapters unless they really wanted to read some pretentious poetry while trying to work through a crime story.
The more I read, the more I struggled with these chapters. Les's chapters clearly seem to be told from the perspective of Les's current knowledge and place of being. However, Becky's chapters could not come in this same time-frame; indeed, the book features her editing a line after writing it. The language in these chapters is far too complicated and polished to be written "in the moment."
These chapters, while some may appreciate the beauty of the language (I didn't), really seem to be misplaced inside a work of crime fiction. They neither advance the plot or fit within the confines of the other chapters.
I'd probably give the base fiction novel a 3-4 stars and the poetry part a 1-2 star rating. I settled for a generous three stars but if I recommended it to a friend I would advise them to skip every one of Becky's chapters unless they really wanted to read some pretentious poetry while trying to work through a crime story.
rocketiza's review against another edition
2.0
Felt like it tried too hard and had a entire subplot that was unessessary other than to shoe horn in writing about nature and a meaningless overly dramatic backstory
rmmcdowell's review against another edition
4.0
Told from alternating perspectives, Rash used simple narrative and beautiful prose to capture the thoughts of Les and Becky. This is a complex tale of right and wrong and how our pasts color so much of who we are today. It was well written and a good story that challenged my thoughts on what I believe and how I would respond.
magmae's review against another edition
3.0
I wish this was longer so I could've followed the characters a bit longer, dug in a bit deeper. Strangely hypnotic, even if a tad overwritten at times.
joeydragonfly's review against another edition
5.0
I'm not usually a big fan of mysteries, but I gave this one 5 stars because of the superb writing. The story, set in a small Appalachian town, alternates between two main characters: Les, a sheriff who is weeks away from retirement, and Becky a park ranger who suffered a horrific childhood trauma. Becky's POV is poetic when she's out in the natural world.
I'm off to discover more books by this author.
I'm off to discover more books by this author.