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johnnyb1954's review
3.0
Did not finish. Could not get interested in the story or the characters. I really liked The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store but this one seemed to me just to be rambling on. I read a few reviews and even a couple 4 star reviews said they don’t really get it until well into the book. I’m not willing to invest the time. Since I can’t give zero stars, I gave it there to be fair.
manntan's review
reflective
slow-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
4.25
joykirr's review
5.0
New York, 1960s. Sooo many vivid characters! I’m thankful to the parent that suggested this challenging (for me) book! I wanted to share every other page with someone who could appreciate the way James McBride composed his sentences. I didn’t know what I was getting into, and I had no idea the plot would be so convoluted, and I still don’t know why Sportcoat (the Deacon) shot Deems in the first place, but I’m glad I read this. It brought me hours of entertainment!
angela_boyce's review
5.0
I struggled to get into this book right away, the dialogue and many characters were hard to follow at first, I almost stopped but I’m so glad I didn’t! I laughed and cried and throughly enjoyed this story. It’s a story set in housing projects, a place often seen only for its crime and poverty and struggle. While the book shows these things, it more importantly shows the humanity and community, love and joy behind what so many just see as a statistic. As the story progressed I grew to care deeply about the characters even if I still got some of them confused, and the dialogue got easier to read and often made me laugh out loud. One of my favorite reads this year!
jeanneb's review
3.0
3.5
I eventually really enjoyed this book, but it took about 1/4 of the book to get in to it. The story was good, although you could figure out the ending to some storylines early on. Others were a surprise at the end. At times I found the writing a bit redundant and overly descriptive, but overall it was lovely.
I eventually really enjoyed this book, but it took about 1/4 of the book to get in to it. The story was good, although you could figure out the ending to some storylines early on. Others were a surprise at the end. At times I found the writing a bit redundant and overly descriptive, but overall it was lovely.
sammerp219's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5