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cocacolor's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
My review of THE SPARROW boils down to "this is an exquisitely crafted, thought-provoking book, but I can't decide whether the author is saying something very compassionate or very unethical about a slew of political issues." In CHILDREN OF GOD and its author interview, her position is much clearer. It does have its problems--there are character choices can well be argued as being antisemitic, ableist, or anti-Indigenous as well as they can be argued that they're just the natural result of portraying Jewish, autistic, and Indigenous characters as real, flawed people. This is a novel that is far more grounded in unfolding action than THE SPARROW, and that, along with the sense that I felt there were a few moments where characters preached instead of spoke authentically (honestly, it's a book about Jesuit clergy; it's a testament to Russell's skill that these moments didn't happen more often), meant that I didn't find this book as compelling as the first in this duology. That still puts it head and shoulders above the vast majority of books I've ever read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Antisemitism, Ableism, Grief, Genocide, War, Colonisation, Slavery, Kidnapping, and Racism
Moderate: Child death, Drug abuse, Medical content, and Cannibalism
Arguable antisemitism, anti-Indigenous racism, and ableism (against autistic people) are inherent in the narrative voice, not just portrayed.
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