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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
Marcus Zusak is a genius...
This book arrests you, takes you off guard. The writing is like a sucker-punch to the gut, and the characters as real as life itself. I truly wasn't expecting this book to resonate with me as much as it did, but alas, Zusak always does that. I finished this book with one thought ringing over and over in my head, "this is us. humanity, life, all the things that define our existence are reflected in these pages". And even now, a few days after I finished, I still feel Clay's pain as my own, I feel Matthew's dread, Rory's devastated fists, Henry's heavy responsibility, and Tommy's hopeful innocence. My lovely, hurting Dunbar boys, I hear you and I hold your story gently.
The only reason that this book does not get a five star is because of the beginning (particularly the first 75 pages or so). It is poetical, like the rest of the book, but it presents as abstract beyond understanding, unfortunately. After that point, when Zusak actually digs into the story and characters, the writing no longer felt like a hinderance, but a help.
This book arrests you, takes you off guard. The writing is like a sucker-punch to the gut, and the characters as real as life itself. I truly wasn't expecting this book to resonate with me as much as it did, but alas, Zusak always does that. I finished this book with one thought ringing over and over in my head, "this is us. humanity, life, all the things that define our existence are reflected in these pages". And even now, a few days after I finished, I still feel Clay's pain as my own, I feel Matthew's dread, Rory's devastated fists, Henry's heavy responsibility, and Tommy's hopeful innocence. My lovely, hurting Dunbar boys, I hear you and I hold your story gently.
The only reason that this book does not get a five star is because of the beginning (particularly the first 75 pages or so). It is poetical, like the rest of the book, but it presents as abstract beyond understanding, unfortunately. After that point, when Zusak actually digs into the story and characters, the writing no longer felt like a hinderance, but a help.
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
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
I could not stomach this book.
I see what kind of a book it is, and that it's not action-driven, but that is not even the thing that bothers me.
The minimalistic style makes this barely readable. The story stretched over 600 pages is fading into the background.
Maybe one day I'll give it another try, but till then, I'm putting it down and letting it rest.
I see what kind of a book it is, and that it's not action-driven, but that is not even the thing that bothers me.
The minimalistic style makes this barely readable. The story stretched over 600 pages is fading into the background.
Maybe one day I'll give it another try, but till then, I'm putting it down and letting it rest.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I listened to this as an audiobook, and I think that actually made it a little more enjoyable, but I found myself more drawn in by his actual writing and word choices than the storyline or characters. The jumps in the timeline could be confusing, and I felt like I must be missing something that it didn't feel like a phenomenal book, as I would expect from this author.