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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
This book was amazing.
I love the way the author intertwines the 'modern' story with the story of Samuel Hawley's past. He's scarred (physically....from a number of bullets) and as you walk through the book and see his daughter grow up you learn the back story.
Aside from the story of a troubled man who ultimately shifts gears completely out of love for his daughter, you also see her own coming of age and growing in strength.
I love the way the author intertwines the 'modern' story with the story of Samuel Hawley's past. He's scarred (physically....from a number of bullets) and as you walk through the book and see his daughter grow up you learn the back story.
Aside from the story of a troubled man who ultimately shifts gears completely out of love for his daughter, you also see her own coming of age and growing in strength.
adventurous
slow-paced
I just didn't love this book - it was ok. I initially picked this book based on the excellent reviews and I often found myself wondering if I was reading the same book as the one those excellent reviews were based on. The characters were developed, but unrealistic and pretty much everyone (much as in real life) is flawed, but the story was unrealistic and just fell flat.
I'm still open to reading another book by this author, and reading more reviews to see if I missed something.
I'm still open to reading another book by this author, and reading more reviews to see if I missed something.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Loo's whole world revolves around her father. At age 12, he's the only parent she's ever known. Loo's mother, Lily, drowned when she was just a baby. Hawley and Loo have lived many places since and they never stayed in one place for too long - Hawley was always ready to pack up and move on. Eventually, they came to the Massachusetts fishing town where Lily grew up and have been here long enough to call it home. Loo doesn't know much about Hawley's past but the scars on his body and the fact that a gun is never far from his reach is enough evidence that they've been running and maybe don't have to anymore. Weaving past with present, Hannah Tinti tells the violent and heartbreaking stories behind each of Hawley's bullet holes while Loo starts to become her own person, getting caught up in adventures of her own. A thread of tension runs through the novel, building very slowly into suspense before reaching a final, thrilling peak. The tone is atmospheric and can be bleak but Loo and Hawley are compellingly flawed and their journey is a worthwhile trip for the reader.
Totally good. Engrossing characters. Who wouldn’t have a crush on Samuel Hawley? It probably shows my age and apathy that he didn’t get me to four or five stars.
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Samuel has led a shady life. He has been involved in several criminal incidents and has been shot several times. When he and his wife have a baby and the wife dies, Samuel must change his ways; but will the past allow him to live in peace?
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have to wonder if my disbelief would have been suspended had I not known Samuel Hawley's 12 lives were loosely based on the 12 labors of Hercules. Hawley, a killer and a thief, should not have been a likable person, but he was. Unlike Hercules, Hawley saved his only child and wished a better life for her. Tinti kept the story moving with some jaw dropping action. I loved the characters in the town of Olympus -- Mabel Ridge, dying her wool and weaving like Arachne, Principal Gunderson, the fishermen, Mary Titus, and Loo, most of all Loo.