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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Even though I'm not a diehard Stiefvater fan, I still feel pretty let down by this novel, even though I am giving it 3 stars. Her descriptions of the setting are masterful, giving the reader insight into the reality of a place as well as the perceptions people have the setting (and how that also reflects who they are). Clearly she did extensive research into hotels around this period, into West Virginia as a culture and resource, and WWII diplomatic relations as well - it was fascinating to read these parts. Unfortunately, when it came to the actual story, none of this research seemed to matter much. These characters and this story really could have taken place at any time. There is the running thread of realizing that neutrality can indeed be a position of violence, an important message that is relevant with our current events now. But nothing really happens "on-screen" for 95% of the book, in fact a lot that happens is revealed later on in one or two chapters at the end when we haven't even formed a connection to any of the main characters. The realization that June has about her position and her desires felt stilted because she didn't learn anything new in order to uncover these things about herself, it's like she flips a switch as soon as the reader is informed about her past (which is something she already knew because she lived through). None of the characters in fact go through any reflection - they start out as bland, flat characters, tell you their tragic backstory, and instantly change who they are to be better at the end. Even Hannelore, whose story in the middle of the book kept me going, to me had an unsatisfying end because she's essentially used as an object and not a real person with feelings. To wrap it up, I would still try again with Maggie Stiefvater, but with more characterizations that align with the Raven Cycle - perhaps series are where she shines, because this one felt simultaneously too long and finished too quick.
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The writing was beautiful.
The storyline was engaging and well plotted.
The magical realism element of the sweet water fell completely flat.
The Listeners provided an exploration into how political hostages were being treated during World War II within the United States. The author used very true stories from prominent hotels throughout the United States to create a fictional world that felt more realistic than many memoirs of the time. The book dealt with class differences, political alliances, the divides within united fronts, and the things people would do for their countries.
If it were not for the (in my opinion) completely unnecessary addition of the sweet water, this could have easily been a five star read for me based on everything else that was done properly. The sweet water felt like a narrative tool to explain away how things were known by some and not others and how the hotel itself was a character instead of a backbone feature of the land and the people that come from it.
4 out of 5 children that fell in the well
The storyline was engaging and well plotted.
The magical realism element of the sweet water fell completely flat.
The Listeners provided an exploration into how political hostages were being treated during World War II within the United States. The author used very true stories from prominent hotels throughout the United States to create a fictional world that felt more realistic than many memoirs of the time. The book dealt with class differences, political alliances, the divides within united fronts, and the things people would do for their countries.
If it were not for the (in my opinion) completely unnecessary addition of the sweet water, this could have easily been a five star read for me based on everything else that was done properly. The sweet water felt like a narrative tool to explain away how things were known by some and not others and how the hotel itself was a character instead of a backbone feature of the land and the people that come from it.
4 out of 5 children that fell in the well
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
🐌"The hotel wasn’t for those who deserved it. It was for those who came."
I was so excited to see what Stiefvater's first Adult novel would look like, & I was blown away.
"June had long ago discovered that most people were bad listeners; they thought listening was synonymous with hearing. But the spoken was only half a conversation."
The main focuses of this book are the hotel, the sweetwater, our fmc, the guests (including our other 2 MCs) & hotel staff, the family who owns the hotel, & listening, more or less in that order.
"Belief was contagious. When you believed in one intangible thing, why not a second, why not a third. If God, then why not the listeners in the water, if the listeners in the water, why not ghosts, if ghosts, why not unicorns—"
I devoured this in 36 hours (& most of that time was spent binging Star Wars: Skeleton Crew 😅). Once I got hooked tho, this book was addictive, & I couldn't stop. I fell asleep reading, & woke up & started reading again immediately.
"All these years, she had thought she was content, but now she realized she had been complacent, which was not the same at all. And now that she had felt the difference, she could not remember how long it had been since she had been happy. Incandescent."
Representation: Mute child occasional narrator/MC; Black supportive characters; Minor Japanese characters
"The Avallon was in the habit of happiness."🐌
I was so excited to see what Stiefvater's first Adult novel would look like, & I was blown away.
"June had long ago discovered that most people were bad listeners; they thought listening was synonymous with hearing. But the spoken was only half a conversation."
The main focuses of this book are the hotel, the sweetwater, our fmc, the guests (including our other 2 MCs) & hotel staff, the family who owns the hotel, & listening, more or less in that order.
"Belief was contagious. When you believed in one intangible thing, why not a second, why not a third. If God, then why not the listeners in the water, if the listeners in the water, why not ghosts, if ghosts, why not unicorns—"
I devoured this in 36 hours (& most of that time was spent binging Star Wars: Skeleton Crew 😅). Once I got hooked tho, this book was addictive, & I couldn't stop. I fell asleep reading, & woke up & started reading again immediately.
"All these years, she had thought she was content, but now she realized she had been complacent, which was not the same at all. And now that she had felt the difference, she could not remember how long it had been since she had been happy. Incandescent."
Representation: Mute child occasional narrator/MC; Black supportive characters; Minor Japanese characters
"The Avallon was in the habit of happiness."🐌
This was such a fascinating novel, loved the premise and the story, it was so entertaining to read!
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated