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whatthekatdraggedin's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Infidelity, Self harm, Suicide, Blood, Death of parent, Violence, Car accident, Abandonment, and Racism
penny_literaryhoarders's review
3.0
Another 3-star read. It was going strong for me in the beginning, but the more it went on, and the more the timeline jumped around, the greater my disconnect to the story became. I don't think there was a strong enough background story on the racial ambiguity of Marcel to support this being a reason for his alienation, in my opinion- it really wasn't a major or often talked about aspect to the story. I also did not like the sometimes wildly arcing and varying timelines on the same page. I don't know - it was just the more I continued reading the less connected I felt to the story and to Marcel. Sigh.
jooniperd's review
4.0
maclear is such a great writer. i feel like she really got into the head of this mature-before-his-years character. the idea of belonging - where one fits it? - and identity - what is their identity? how can you know yourself if you don't know your parents? - are expressed beautifully in this novel.
my only regret is that because of work commitments and lack of time, i could not read this book in a shorter amount of time. i think i would have been impacted even more strongly had i been able to read it over a couple of days, rather than more than a week.
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21-feb-13: this is a review in progress, sorry for the mess. :)
Where do we belong in this world? If we aren't even certain of our own origins, how can we possibly make our way in this world without a foundation of support and love? Especially "How?" if the person trying to figure this out is an eleven-year-old boy?
In a beautiful and poetic novel, Kyo Maclear looks at these questions and tries to help makes sense of a world that is determined to judge, label and put everyone in a tidy, little box. For a boy who is neither black nor white, someone who is without parents and just wants to belong, finding the answers to the important questions is a lifelong search.
Marcel
my only regret is that because of work commitments and lack of time, i could not read this book in a shorter amount of time. i think i would have been impacted even more strongly had i been able to read it over a couple of days, rather than more than a week.
********
21-feb-13: this is a review in progress, sorry for the mess. :)
Where do we belong in this world? If we aren't even certain of our own origins, how can we possibly make our way in this world without a foundation of support and love? Especially "How?" if the person trying to figure this out is an eleven-year-old boy?
In a beautiful and poetic novel, Kyo Maclear looks at these questions and tries to help makes sense of a world that is determined to judge, label and put everyone in a tidy, little box. For a boy who is neither black nor white, someone who is without parents and just wants to belong, finding the answers to the important questions is a lifelong search.
Marcel
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