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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Genocide, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Abandonment, War
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
THE LISTENERS by Maggie Stiefvater
During World War II, several five star hotels were given the job of minding/imprisoning the Axis diplomats until a decision could be reached about what to do with them. Stiefvater takes this very real world event, and sets it in the fictional hotel of Avallon, a place infused with “sweetwater” that gives this story a magical realism twist. Its general manager June is in charge of “balancing” the waters to make sure they don’t turn and give the place bad luck, and struggles when her hotel is taken over by the FBI as part of the war effort.
I’m a fan of Stiefvater’s YA and NA work, I’m always shocked that The Raven Cycle isn’t more popular on bookstagram/booktok, and I really loved All The Crooked Saints. Her writing is always beautiful and descriptive, but here I struggled to find the point in it. At 400 pages this book felt too long, or maybe it’s that it took too long for revelations to happen.
The romantic subplot was sweet but not particularly credible. I felt, a little disturbingly, that the point of it was the rigidity of the class system and how no matter the pretence or climbing these characters did, they would always be two kids from West Virginia. There’s definitely something freeing in there, but also something pessimistic that I wish she’d explored a little more.
The plot also heavily featured two disabled characters whose treatment as plot points made me a little uncomfortable. Disability is real, it was real in the 1940s too, and does not tie neatly into plots nor does it have tidy loopholes. I think I would have loved Hannelore and Sandy much more if they, like the other characters, had felt well developed, but instead they, along with everyone else, felt veiled behind the veneer of pretty turns of phrase and heavy description.
I still love Stiefvater, but this definitely felt stodgy, a little underdeveloped and I’m not quite sure what the moral of the story was (maybe there wasn’t one). I’ll look forward to her next outing.
During World War II, several five star hotels were given the job of minding/imprisoning the Axis diplomats until a decision could be reached about what to do with them. Stiefvater takes this very real world event, and sets it in the fictional hotel of Avallon, a place infused with “sweetwater” that gives this story a magical realism twist. Its general manager June is in charge of “balancing” the waters to make sure they don’t turn and give the place bad luck, and struggles when her hotel is taken over by the FBI as part of the war effort.
I’m a fan of Stiefvater’s YA and NA work, I’m always shocked that The Raven Cycle isn’t more popular on bookstagram/booktok, and I really loved All The Crooked Saints. Her writing is always beautiful and descriptive, but here I struggled to find the point in it. At 400 pages this book felt too long, or maybe it’s that it took too long for revelations to happen.
The romantic subplot was sweet but not particularly credible. I felt, a little disturbingly, that the point of it was the rigidity of the class system and how no matter the pretence or climbing these characters did, they would always be two kids from West Virginia. There’s definitely something freeing in there, but also something pessimistic that I wish she’d explored a little more.
The plot also heavily featured two disabled characters whose treatment as plot points made me a little uncomfortable. Disability is real, it was real in the 1940s too, and does not tie neatly into plots nor does it have tidy loopholes. I think I would have loved Hannelore and Sandy much more if they, like the other characters, had felt well developed, but instead they, along with everyone else, felt veiled behind the veneer of pretty turns of phrase and heavy description.
I still love Stiefvater, but this definitely felt stodgy, a little underdeveloped and I’m not quite sure what the moral of the story was (maybe there wasn’t one). I’ll look forward to her next outing.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book took such an unexpected turn into being one of the most relatable reads I had in a very long time.
adventurous
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
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
not necessarily what i would’ve expected from Stievfater’s adult debut, but certainly an enjoyable and fascinating read nonetheless.
The metaphor of this book was personal and I can’t believe it would do this to me.
Very good. Highly recommend
Very good. Highly recommend
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
reflective
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:
Complicated
I really loved this Stiefvater's adult debut. I enjoyed her Raven Cycle and the companion Dreamer Trilogy as a teen, and was very excited for her new book. It did not disappoint. The Listeners retained her distinctive voice, rich relationships between characters, and enthralling magical elements. In this historical fiction/magical realism read, the magical elements support an exploration of a specific historical occurrence, backgrounding a deep dive into a place and the people tied to it. Just as with Stiefvater's other books, I thoroughly enjoyed this, and I am excited to see what she comes up with next :)