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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
Around the World in 52 Books 2023: 39. a western
Read Round the Country 2023: Alaska, Idaho, North Dakota, Montana, South Dakota (Montana)
This book is as spare and bleak as the wintry Montana plains upon which the book is set. Adelaide Henry has reason to disappear to somewhere remote. In Montana in the early 20th century, women were not excluded from being able to "prove up" land. In other words, if women could successfully homestead for 3 years, they had the ability to own their own property, which was almost unheard of during this time period. Adelaide is dragging her past with her in a giant, heavy trunk.
She meets quite a few different sorts of folks as she begins to create a new life for herself. As happens in so many post-apocalyptic novels too, the most dangerous things on the plains are other people, more so than weather, starvation, or accident. And Adalaide meets some dangerous people. But people are also her salvation. She meets people with whom she forms bonds in adversity and begins to wonder if she could perhaps trust someone with the truth of her past after all.
The book goes quickly. I could maybe have used a bit more time on certain things. And although gore isn't the point of this book, there is suffering and death and some gore too. Victor LaValle said he wrote this book to write people of color and women back into the history where they had always been, but never seen.
Read Round the Country 2023: Alaska, Idaho, North Dakota, Montana, South Dakota (Montana)
This book is as spare and bleak as the wintry Montana plains upon which the book is set. Adelaide Henry has reason to disappear to somewhere remote. In Montana in the early 20th century, women were not excluded from being able to "prove up" land. In other words, if women could successfully homestead for 3 years, they had the ability to own their own property, which was almost unheard of during this time period. Adelaide is dragging her past with her in a giant, heavy trunk.
She meets quite a few different sorts of folks as she begins to create a new life for herself. As happens in so many post-apocalyptic novels too, the most dangerous things on the plains are other people, more so than weather, starvation, or accident. And Adalaide meets some dangerous people. But people are also her salvation. She meets people with whom she forms bonds in adversity and begins to wonder if she could perhaps trust someone with the truth of her past after all.
The book goes quickly. I could maybe have used a bit more time on certain things. And although gore isn't the point of this book, there is suffering and death and some gore too. Victor LaValle said he wrote this book to write people of color and women back into the history where they had always been, but never seen.
adventurous
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is the second Levalle book I’ve read, and I think I don’t like him. He writes well, but his execution leaves much to be desired. This was all over the place. Too many characters, too many POVs, completely random storylines that don’t tie in, and at the heart is an incredibly stupid “horror” story. Maybe there’s supposed to be some deeper metaphor but if there is it went right over my head. Skip it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
sad
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:
Yes
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I have mixed feelings about this book but they are overall positive and I think it was worth the read!
And my favorite line:
"Adelaide Henry and Fiona Wong took the fuck off."
And my favorite line:
"Adelaide Henry and Fiona Wong took the fuck off."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Child death, Sexual content, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Deadnaming, Gore, Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really interesting premise that had me sucked in initially - but the mystery was revealed and solved at about the halfway point and after that the twist was very easy to spot. Shame because that’s what really kept me hooked.