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3.63 AVERAGE


26 april 14:

my thoughts are not really organized on how i feel about this novel yet. i found it interesting and evocative - at times i could feel and smell the cold, wet sea. early on in the story i was noticing issues that i will attribute to editing - information was repeated within a couple of paragraphs. this settled down in the second half of the book, but during the first bit, it was distracting. (i did read an ARC/uncorrected proof, so maybe this will change upon publication?) while i was quite engaged in the reading, and where the book was heading, i felt like i wanted a bit more from it. it felt a bit surface a lot of the time. so i will be mulling on this one for a bit. maybe my thinking will become more clear.

i do feel like this will be a great summer or vacation read for many people.

03 june 14:

i have had this story pop into my head a lot since reading it - it seems to have stuck with me, so i am bumping it up to 4-stars, from 3. :)
adventurous emotional tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The voice of the narrator was unique. She was colder and more rugged than most women, but I found it believable. Perhaps that’s my description of the whole novel too. Idyllic Maine island life but colder and more ensnared in the wickedness of the world, but I found it believable.
emotional sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

The Lobster Kings by Alesi Zentner
Wanted to read this book for the pleasure of learning about the lobster industry. Just recently there was 3 fires on commercial boats and to me it was a message that they must stop lobstering...
This boat is about an island off Maine and how a family runs the lobstering business. Royalty on the island, Loosewood Island.
Love Irish tales concerning lobster, so funny! Starts with Cordelia and she's just 3 years old and hooks her fathers lip when they are out fishing. Her younger brother is born and like the other kids they don't like being on the water, only Cordelia likes it.
Journals written of the family history attract journalists who want to come to the island to interview the family....
As years go by Scott also joins her on the boat and she sees the mistakes Scott had made ...love lessons learned when on the boat...
Tragedy occurs and years later her friends try to explain what really happened. Her father confronts her on the day of the funeral. Liked hearing of her relationship with her sisters over the years.
War comes to the rival islands as we learn what the paintings mean. Loved hearing of the lobster co op. Like all the references to the paintings and what they represent.
When drugs come to the island the residents band together and fight them....deaths and births life goes on...
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

This book follow the Kings family in their lobster fishing home, Loosewood Island. The story is one of love, loss, and about Cordelia’s own coming of age in a world dominated typically by males. Part of the story reflects on the history of the land, while meeting the present day challenges that go along with the field they work in.

More about this book can be found on my blog: http://hesaidbooksorme.blogspot.com

Disclaimer: I was awarded this book in a Goodreads giveaway. While I did not pay for the book, the opinions expressed in this book are strictly my own.

botanygirl13's review

4.0

How on earth did Cordelia break the Kings curse?

Tag line-- King Lear with lobster fishermen.

Atmospheric story about the Kings family, who have fished lobster off Loosewood Island for hundreds of years. The price for their bounty is a curse that takes the life of each generation's firstborn son.

Current patriarch Woody Kings is getting old, and his eldest daughter Cordelia is ready to take on the family mantle. But with the threat of lobster fishermen in nearby James Harbor encroaching on the Kings' territory and an influx of drug dealers peddling meth, Cordelia is inheriting an uncertain throne. Add in sibling rivalry and unrequited love for her married stern man, and you get a riveting story of one woman's determination to protect her family's legacy and livelihood.

This book was beautifully written and so evocative of the ocean. I liked Cordelia's voice and appreciated the fact that her character is complex. She says and does really shitty things at times, and is realistically complicated. The Shakespearean inspiration isn't overdone, and the history of the island and the family as told through Brumfitt Kings' paintings was a very effective device. Would definitely recommend this one especially as a summer read.
Loveable characters: No
challenging dark emotional mysterious fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No