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hollywobble's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
albionloveden's review
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
tracyf's review
dark
emotional
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? Yes
4.0
kiarra's review
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
esshgee's review
2.0
Not my kind of story. It's just so bleak, another novel with yet more child abuse and rape, not to mention a particularly absurd ending. I agree with the reviewer who called it a "rural misery lit piece"
gbatts's review
3.0
Laguna paints a vividly visual world where I can feel the dirt on my skin and burn of White Ox in my nostrils after taking a stroll around pop's yards. The huge amount of visual descriptions and social markers make for a slow build up.
The reader gets to know Justine intricately, the emotionally precocious but intellectually stunted narrator of this novel. Laguna does a great job in showing us the invisibility that comes with being poor and female in a small, country town.
I loved the emotional depth given to the sporting characters, how through Justine's earnestness people's fears and insecurities become revealed. Though I did find the book a little over-written and the ending felt rushed and unbelievable. Overall, it was a book worth reading
The reader gets to know Justine intricately, the emotionally precocious but intellectually stunted narrator of this novel. Laguna does a great job in showing us the invisibility that comes with being poor and female in a small, country town.
I loved the emotional depth given to the sporting characters, how through Justine's earnestness people's fears and insecurities become revealed. Though I did find the book a little over-written and the ending felt rushed and unbelievable. Overall, it was a book worth reading
kcfromaustcrime's review
4.0
Justine Lee is a little girl surrounded by males. Justine's mother abandoned the family many years ago, and her father Ray is in and out of his children's lives, leaving the main responsibility for raising Justine and her brothers to their grandfather. When Ray is around his criminal involvement is something that Justine, in particular, struggles with. She retreats to her sanctuary in The Choke on the Murray River to hide from the world, and seeks solace in the company of her Pop's chooks. In both places there's no judgement, no demands and no brutality.
Set in two distinct blocks, THE CHOKE starts out around 1971, when Justine is a 10 year old girl, and school is a turbulent place, except when it comes to her best friend - a disabled boy whose parents are supportive of both kids, a friendship without demands, and mutually supportive. Moving three years into the future, still reeling from events triggered by her father, 13 year old Justine is a vulnerable kid, naive and struggling with too many bad things happening to one little girl.
THE CHOKE isn't easy reading. Laguna has created a magnificent character in Justine Lee. Her voice is clear and utterly convincing. So much so that the sense of dread and fear over her ultimate fate is difficult to deal with. She's also created a sympathetic and very understandable man in Pops - somebody struggling with PTSD and his own demons, trying to do his best by his young granddaughter. His desire to keep her close to family, to keep her out of care is beautifully contrasted with the external viewpoint, where the options might appear more clear-cut. Against these two ultimately sympathetic characters, there's father Ray, a thoroughly noxious creature, absent aunts, cousins and family connections.
Supporting all of these characters is a strong sense of place - many kids growing up in country areas will know too well the "special places" that we find. The hidey-holes, the sanctuaries carved out in quiet corners, away from the adult world, or even siblings, hidden, private and safe. The passage of seasons, time, the impact of weather patterns, the animals, birds, flowers and natural features of those areas are often our consolation and our teachers, and Laguna gets that pitch perfect in this novel.
There's much in this book that's confronting and discomforting, and it's not straight forward reading, but it's worthwhile reading, digging into 1970's Australian rural life, dysfunctional families, and adult behaviour that has lasting consequences.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/choke-sofie-laguna
Set in two distinct blocks, THE CHOKE starts out around 1971, when Justine is a 10 year old girl, and school is a turbulent place, except when it comes to her best friend - a disabled boy whose parents are supportive of both kids, a friendship without demands, and mutually supportive. Moving three years into the future, still reeling from events triggered by her father, 13 year old Justine is a vulnerable kid, naive and struggling with too many bad things happening to one little girl.
THE CHOKE isn't easy reading. Laguna has created a magnificent character in Justine Lee. Her voice is clear and utterly convincing. So much so that the sense of dread and fear over her ultimate fate is difficult to deal with. She's also created a sympathetic and very understandable man in Pops - somebody struggling with PTSD and his own demons, trying to do his best by his young granddaughter. His desire to keep her close to family, to keep her out of care is beautifully contrasted with the external viewpoint, where the options might appear more clear-cut. Against these two ultimately sympathetic characters, there's father Ray, a thoroughly noxious creature, absent aunts, cousins and family connections.
Supporting all of these characters is a strong sense of place - many kids growing up in country areas will know too well the "special places" that we find. The hidey-holes, the sanctuaries carved out in quiet corners, away from the adult world, or even siblings, hidden, private and safe. The passage of seasons, time, the impact of weather patterns, the animals, birds, flowers and natural features of those areas are often our consolation and our teachers, and Laguna gets that pitch perfect in this novel.
There's much in this book that's confronting and discomforting, and it's not straight forward reading, but it's worthwhile reading, digging into 1970's Australian rural life, dysfunctional families, and adult behaviour that has lasting consequences.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/choke-sofie-laguna
nina_reads_books's review
4.0
I had not read a book by Sofie Laguna before but this book has made me want to read more!
The story is set in the early 1970’s in a small town in rural Victoria by the Murray River and centres on Justine who is the narrator. For most of the book she is 10 years old but towards the end we see her at around 13 or 14. Justine lives on an old farm with her Pop and sometimes her dad. She is haunted by the fact that her mum left her when she was little because she was “born back to front. My words were breech, like me.”
For most of the book I just wanted to hug Justine and tell her everything was going to be OK. She experiences the most awful neglect just through circumstance. Her dad is hardly ever there but then eventually is convicted of a crime and sent to jail. Her pop is so consumed by his previous war experiences he is simply not fit to be a carer of a child. The fact that not one adult in her life notices Justine cannot read is just heartbreaking.
The whole book feels menacing and suffocating. The men are oppressive, violent and uncaring and Justine is alone and largely friendless. She is poor and hidden but seeks solace from the river. Will her voice eventually be heard?
I found this book fascinating and horrifying. Justine is treated so poorly by almost everyone around her but I could not put the book down. The writing was incredible and having Justine narrate is perfect - her naïve and childish perspective brings so much to the story. I won't give away the ending but I felt it was a fitting triumph for Justine.
I really enjoyed this.
The story is set in the early 1970’s in a small town in rural Victoria by the Murray River and centres on Justine who is the narrator. For most of the book she is 10 years old but towards the end we see her at around 13 or 14. Justine lives on an old farm with her Pop and sometimes her dad. She is haunted by the fact that her mum left her when she was little because she was “born back to front. My words were breech, like me.”
For most of the book I just wanted to hug Justine and tell her everything was going to be OK. She experiences the most awful neglect just through circumstance. Her dad is hardly ever there but then eventually is convicted of a crime and sent to jail. Her pop is so consumed by his previous war experiences he is simply not fit to be a carer of a child. The fact that not one adult in her life notices Justine cannot read is just heartbreaking.
The whole book feels menacing and suffocating. The men are oppressive, violent and uncaring and Justine is alone and largely friendless. She is poor and hidden but seeks solace from the river. Will her voice eventually be heard?
I found this book fascinating and horrifying. Justine is treated so poorly by almost everyone around her but I could not put the book down. The writing was incredible and having Justine narrate is perfect - her naïve and childish perspective brings so much to the story. I won't give away the ending but I felt it was a fitting triumph for Justine.
I really enjoyed this.
lenin_lover_69's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Pregnancy, Violence, Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Vomit, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Death of parent