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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This wasn't what I expected it to be. Going into it I thought it was a novel about a refugee and everything surrounding the escape from war and settling in a new country. That's not what this is about. I enjoyed the first part, still thinking this book would meet my expectations and then suddenly everything changed. This was three short stories all tied together in the end, but basically three seperate stories.
I went into this book without any expectations, and came out wondering how Ryan was able to weave such a beautiful story (or stories) in such a short book. I loved each person's stories, and every sentence was beautifully crafted to convey each person's emotions as they revealed parts of their lives. I definitely did not expect how this book unfolded, and I urge every one of you give this book a try. The rollercoaster of emotions Ryan takes you on is definitely worth the read.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I guess it all came together in a neat kind of way, but I really struggle with narratives that build dread around plots based where you know something terrible is going to happen. In this case the three strands all end up coming together in a kind of short-story twist, but it's all pretty depressing. There's nothing wrong with this book, but I'd rather read something that values hope over despair.
This gets 3.5 stars for the writing alone. Donal Ryan writes beautifully and he creates and develops characters that are believable, relatable and (for the most part) a treat to read. That said, I sped through the first two stories but couldn't connect with John's story at all. I was also not a fan of the somewhat overly sentimental underlying message (we are all connected) and found myself disappointed with a (too) neatly tied up ending. This was exquisitely written, but I'm not sure it had a whole lot to say.
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes