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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Didn't love it. Couldn't read the whole thing. The short sentence structures were losing me. Bet it will be a good movie though, like Crash.
reflective
Meh. It was ok. I wanted to like it more than I did. I think the first few chapters of book two were what really threw me off. All the other stories really fit together, but I never got that feeling of resolution from the story of the California phone phreakers.
challenging
emotional
reflective
I think t would make a great movie, there were some great plot twists.
This book checked all the boxes and then some : interesting setting (gritty NYC in the 70s), complicated characters that are none-the-less relatable; sentences that you can sink your teeth into; coming away feeling wiser than you went in. Plus this narrative of the tight rope walker woven in :: really clever! I can't wait to read more by this author.
I guess I just didn't really understand this book. I got the same vibes as I did when reading Normal People, in the sense that it's just normal people going about what they consider their everyday lives. And I guess I just don't really like that style of writing.
I also struggled with the format of the book. Every time you switch perspectives you don't know which one you're jumping into. For me, it made the book jolty and unengaging. Instead of focusing on what was being said about the story, I was so focused on figuring out who the character was and how they related to the bigger picture.
The connection to 9/11 was also more elusive for me than anything. I'm part of the first generation that wasn't really around to see the immediate after effects of 9/11, and so maybe it's on me for not having a broader connection to the event, but with limited discussion about 9/11 within the story, it all felt like I had to make up the connections in my head. And those connections weren't there. It seemed a little far fetched.
I will say I can appreciate McCann's writing. While it didn't always flow for me at times, there was something about the way he wrote that was captivating, watching the characters weave together.
(read for my college English class)
I also struggled with the format of the book. Every time you switch perspectives you don't know which one you're jumping into. For me, it made the book jolty and unengaging. Instead of focusing on what was being said about the story, I was so focused on figuring out who the character was and how they related to the bigger picture.
The connection to 9/11 was also more elusive for me than anything. I'm part of the first generation that wasn't really around to see the immediate after effects of 9/11, and so maybe it's on me for not having a broader connection to the event, but with limited discussion about 9/11 within the story, it all felt like I had to make up the connections in my head. And those connections weren't there. It seemed a little far fetched.
I will say I can appreciate McCann's writing. While it didn't always flow for me at times, there was something about the way he wrote that was captivating, watching the characters weave together.
(read for my college English class)
emotional
reflective
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:
Complicated
dark
reflective
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, War
This was a good book... it took me a while to get into it but the different stories and how they weave together is definitely interesting.