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seymone's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
Mary Doria Russell, is an excellent writer. This book was intense, brilliant, complex and the synonyms, go on. At this point, I don’t think I can take the intensity of the follow up novel. However, I will read in the future.
Mary Doria Russell, is an excellent writer. This book was intense, brilliant, complex and the synonyms, go on. At this point, I don’t think I can take the intensity of the follow up novel. However, I will read in the future.
lunarflare's review against another edition
5.0
not one sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. but the sparrow still falls.
cloud_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Rape, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Murder, Vomit, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Drug use, and Kidnapping
Minor: Pregnancy
kglasgow001's review
on the question: Does God leave us?
"No. He watches. He rejoices. He weeps. He observes the moral drama of human life and gives meaning to it by caring passionately about us, and remembering,'
'Not one sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it,'
'But the sparrow still falls'"
I think about this often
"No. He watches. He rejoices. He weeps. He observes the moral drama of human life and gives meaning to it by caring passionately about us, and remembering,'
'Not one sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it,'
'But the sparrow still falls'"
I think about this often
adinr's review against another edition
4.5
My favorite sci-fi book. The characters are easily loveable and the setting is fantastic. I really enjoyed getting to know the world of Rakaht with its intelligent life forms, geography, political systems, etc. It never felt overwhelming and was digestible unlike other sci-fi books (*cough* Dune *cough*).
This is also the best implementation of multiple timelines in a novel. It is rarely confusing or hard to follow. Each chapter in Naples only piques my curiosity and the chapters on Rakhat help visualize the beauty and the horror of their travels.
What really stood out to me were the questions it asked about religion. Through loss and trauma, can you find hope once again?
While this book was slow at times and was especially heavy near the end, it was a pleasure to read and it will be in my head for a long itme.
This is also the best implementation of multiple timelines in a novel. It is rarely confusing or hard to follow. Each chapter in Naples only piques my curiosity and the chapters on Rakhat help visualize the beauty and the horror of their travels.
What really stood out to me were the questions it asked about religion. Through loss and trauma, can you find hope once again?
While this book was slow at times and was especially heavy near the end, it was a pleasure to read and it will be in my head for a long itme.
nickscoby's review against another edition
5.0
There came a point in time where I literally could not read the book at night. I had this consuming sense of dread knowing (for the most part) how the space mission turns out but not wanting to know the grim details of how the voyagers got there. This book came highly recommended from my boy, Patrick Furlong, and others, and now I know why. As an employee of a Jesuit institution, I think that every student should experience this text because it raises very important questions about faith, science, "service trips," etc. But I also think that this is great book for ANYONE who doesn't mind thinking hard and deeply.
svenseven's review
To slow of start. Too much of action told in past tense or flashbacks. Was wrong time for a slow book. May try again in future
cbeliveau's review
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
yarnmouse's review
I just don't like the characters at all. Not one of them. I'm neurodivergent and the characters are all so far from my way of thinking that I'm just completely unable to hold onto anything here. I don't just read about characters like me, but these ones, and there's many, are all so so so removed from anything I could possibly relate to that it feels like they can't be realistic.
I don't like how the women get ahead based on their hotness. In one scene basically a male character tells a successful woman she should join a potentially deadly space mission because she's easy on the eyes. I don't like that they are unusually brilliant (like the character who speaks like a dozen languages) or traumatized (like the one shuffled around in childhood) but somehow also act painfully typical and are all renown for their amazing successful careers. Normally savants and those with PTSD aren't known for their fantastic lives and perfect social skills and having so much success.
So I'm conflicted because so many people rave about this and I cannot seem to latch onto anything here. It's very slow moving, plotwise. The characters are very unloveable and made little sense. The science is confusing and fantastical at best. And I'm 33% through this long book and I just can't keep spending time here hoping it will become interesting to me.
I don't like how the women get ahead based on their hotness. In one scene basically a male character tells a successful woman she should join a potentially deadly space mission because she's easy on the eyes. I don't like that they are unusually brilliant (like the character who speaks like a dozen languages) or traumatized (like the one shuffled around in childhood) but somehow also act painfully typical and are all renown for their amazing successful careers. Normally savants and those with PTSD aren't known for their fantastic lives and perfect social skills and having so much success.
So I'm conflicted because so many people rave about this and I cannot seem to latch onto anything here. It's very slow moving, plotwise. The characters are very unloveable and made little sense. The science is confusing and fantastical at best. And I'm 33% through this long book and I just can't keep spending time here hoping it will become interesting to me.