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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
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
Tess is a Londoner who is married to Richard, a farmer. He transports her to the English countryside where birds hover over the fields, buses only run twice a day, neighbors barter, and no one looks like her or her children.
As time goes on, Tess years for the comforts of the city, and Richard obsesses over getting his crops planted instead of dealing with conversations he doesn’t bear to have.
As the seasons change, can the family start to heal?
This was an interesting story, a window into this family. Not much happens necessarily over the course of the book, it is more of a character study over anything else. We dive into the complex trauma of the parents, each of which we get from their point of view. We also get the point of view of their two children. I always find it interesting to get the points of view of children in books, and in this case, I found the children to be written older than they were stated as being. I do think that there was just something lacking from each one, just something I can’t quite put my finger on, but it held me back from fully connecting to the characters. This book was beautifully written, and the descriptions were wonderful, it was just that little extra, however, I did enjoy this story. I found the “twist” to be a bit of a let down and I kind of felt that it was a cop out in a way, or an old cliché ringing true. I enjoyed how the book was laid out by seasons, it helped break the book apart for me in a meaningful way.
If you are looking for a beautifully written character study with some beautiful descriptions, then check this one out.
Thank you to Henry Holt & Company, @Henryholtbooks and Netgalley @Netgalley for this e-arc. All opinions are my own.
As time goes on, Tess years for the comforts of the city, and Richard obsesses over getting his crops planted instead of dealing with conversations he doesn’t bear to have.
As the seasons change, can the family start to heal?
This was an interesting story, a window into this family. Not much happens necessarily over the course of the book, it is more of a character study over anything else. We dive into the complex trauma of the parents, each of which we get from their point of view. We also get the point of view of their two children. I always find it interesting to get the points of view of children in books, and in this case, I found the children to be written older than they were stated as being. I do think that there was just something lacking from each one, just something I can’t quite put my finger on, but it held me back from fully connecting to the characters. This book was beautifully written, and the descriptions were wonderful, it was just that little extra, however, I did enjoy this story. I found the “twist” to be a bit of a let down and I kind of felt that it was a cop out in a way, or an old cliché ringing true. I enjoyed how the book was laid out by seasons, it helped break the book apart for me in a meaningful way.
If you are looking for a beautifully written character study with some beautiful descriptions, then check this one out.
Thank you to Henry Holt & Company, @Henryholtbooks and Netgalley @Netgalley for this e-arc. All opinions are my own.
Pick this book up if you love:
- literary fiction
- multiple pov
- character driven stories
- lyrical writing
- literary fiction
- multiple pov
- character driven stories
- lyrical writing
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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:
Yes
Heartbreakingly human. A beautiful story at times, and a frustrating glimpse into the reality of dealing with grief with your partner.
I was so surprised at how gripped I was reading this book, it is character driven which I personally love and Fiona's writing style is so beautifully poetic!
Cannot wait to read more of her work!
Easy 4 Stars!
Cannot wait to read more of her work!
Easy 4 Stars!
First, thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for providing me with an eARC of The House of Broken Bricks. Secondly, thank you directly to Fiona Williams for writing a book that manages to capture grief in its various forms, discuss race tastefully and tactfully, and keep its core story about a family in healing. This book is beautiful, written so poetically that it becomes lyrical at many points. The points of view shifting between members of the family add so much context to the story at hand, and the use of a small town where fitting in when you stand out is difficult as the main setting creates a feeling that is easy to get immersed within. I loved every second of this book and the last 20 pages or so had me reading through tears in a very unexpected way. I am so excited for anyone who picks this book up and gives it a chance.
dark
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes