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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
This was a slow burn. It took a while to start off but it was a great story showing the unconventional dynamic between the brothers and the history of their parents. I appreciated the relationships and the characters, and the narratives. While it wasn't linear, it did tell the story in a meaningful way that left a genuine impact once the story was over.
Jesus christ. What a slog. Not because it was a difficult read, but because it was so god damn pretentious. I think what Zusak has done here is try to write a grounded story in the style of The Book Thief which is a book narrated by Death. DEATH. You can get away with this shit when it's Death saying it, but not when it's just a regular guy. And why is it so long? Get over yourself, Zusak.
This isn't an easy book to read. It takes a while to get used to the writing style and time shifting, but without realising, I was captivated. The Dunbar boys are truly horrible at times but they work their way into your soul.
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Good, but not truly great like the book thief. I want to read again because I feel it needs another read through the really get the full scope of the story.
Je-sus Christ
I rarely write reviews but there are just some books that stick to you and refuse to let go. My edition of this book advertises it as “rowdy and joyous” and boy is it really so. But it’s also heartfelt and human, and messy, and slow, and fast, and so many more things that I did not expect when I picked it up. It would seem that Zusak is one of the authors who know how to grab hold of my heart and make it ache.
I loved this book, I loved the beautiful moments and the ugly moments and the slew of metaphors that threatened to drown me as I read. I loved the Dunbar boys and their messy love for each other. I loved the pets and most of all Achilles, he’s grand. I loved the pieces of the puzzle slowly coming together to reveal the full pictures, the details that eluded us in the beginning.
I don’t think this book is everyone’s cup of tea and it shouldn’t be. But to me it was and is important.
I rarely write reviews but there are just some books that stick to you and refuse to let go. My edition of this book advertises it as “rowdy and joyous” and boy is it really so. But it’s also heartfelt and human, and messy, and slow, and fast, and so many more things that I did not expect when I picked it up. It would seem that Zusak is one of the authors who know how to grab hold of my heart and make it ache.
I loved this book, I loved the beautiful moments and the ugly moments and the slew of metaphors that threatened to drown me as I read. I loved the Dunbar boys and their messy love for each other. I loved the pets and most of all Achilles, he’s grand. I loved the pieces of the puzzle slowly coming together to reveal the full pictures, the details that eluded us in the beginning.
I don’t think this book is everyone’s cup of tea and it shouldn’t be. But to me it was and is important.
Stick with this one! The beginning is slow, but I continued on because I do admire Markus Zusak and it was WORTH it. He combines characters and narratives with such cleverness and I always enjoy what he has to share.
Oh my goodness. I have never in my life felt so many emotions reading a book. It is definitely the first book to make me cry. The love, the heartache, the mystery, my God it was incredible.
I recommend it to everyone, the last chapter is just perfect. I absolutely loved this book.
_______________________
Okay the initial review I wrote was at 3am with raw emotions, now that I’ve slept on it, I would like to give some input.
I would like to acknowledge that the writing and the narration of this book is not easy to follow and I found myself confused at so many points while reading. Because of this, I found myself taking long breaks and putting it down for a week or two before picking it up again.
But at no point did I feel like the story was lacking, or bad. I loved the plot, I fell in love with the main character, the beautiful boy Clay, and all the heartbreak he went through, and the journey he faced that made him mature.
I still recommend this book to anyone who needs a good reminder of what passionate love is. Despite how long the book is, you wouldn’t regret it, especially after reading the final few chapters where everything falls into place.
I recommend it to everyone, the last chapter is just perfect. I absolutely loved this book.
_______________________
Okay the initial review I wrote was at 3am with raw emotions, now that I’ve slept on it, I would like to give some input.
I would like to acknowledge that the writing and the narration of this book is not easy to follow and I found myself confused at so many points while reading. Because of this, I found myself taking long breaks and putting it down for a week or two before picking it up again.
But at no point did I feel like the story was lacking, or bad. I loved the plot, I fell in love with the main character, the beautiful boy Clay, and all the heartbreak he went through, and the journey he faced that made him mature.
I still recommend this book to anyone who needs a good reminder of what passionate love is. Despite how long the book is, you wouldn’t regret it, especially after reading the final few chapters where everything falls into place.
2.75 stars, rounded up to 3.
This was a Christmas gift from my eldest, and it was a really wise choice. I read The Book Thief multiple times and loved it so much I made her read it when she was in 4th grade and studying the Holocaust and Anne Frank. I love that she recognized the author and thought of me.
That said...this book could not be further from The Book Thief.
What it had in Common? Beautiful prose, strong characters, a dark/strange undercurrent.
What it didn't? Although it had great characters, the ones you were meant to adore were so odd and the pace of the telling so disjointed, that it just did not come together for me. I was confused a lot and literally found myself wondering if I'd missed a page or zoned out because I had no idea what was happening. Then 2 or 3 chapters later it would become clear.
I read many reviews from people that couldn't finish. And I totally get that. I'm glad I did. Because if I had left it DNF it would have been a 1.5. It redeemed itself with the love BETWEEN the characters. But it was just overall, odd & lacking. Not a favorite.
This was a Christmas gift from my eldest, and it was a really wise choice. I read The Book Thief multiple times and loved it so much I made her read it when she was in 4th grade and studying the Holocaust and Anne Frank. I love that she recognized the author and thought of me.
That said...this book could not be further from The Book Thief.
What it had in Common? Beautiful prose, strong characters, a dark/strange undercurrent.
What it didn't? Although it had great characters, the ones you were meant to adore were so odd and the pace of the telling so disjointed, that it just did not come together for me. I was confused a lot and literally found myself wondering if I'd missed a page or zoned out because I had no idea what was happening. Then 2 or 3 chapters later it would become clear.
I read many reviews from people that couldn't finish. And I totally get that. I'm glad I did. Because if I had left it DNF it would have been a 1.5. It redeemed itself with the love BETWEEN the characters. But it was just overall, odd & lacking. Not a favorite.
Took me a while to get into this book but once I did I really enjoyed it