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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
This is one of the most unique books I’ve ever read. At its core it’s a story about a Cherokee family grappling with the loss of their son. It explores illness and addiction. It also has both historical and mystical elements and it is very satisfying when you figure out how the pieces are connected. However, it took me a while to get into it and even once I was on board, I still wasn’t hooked, which is really to say that it could be written in a more engaging way. Overall, great idea but a bit disappointing on the execution. Considering what a fast read it is, I would still recommend it.
A really easy, flowing narrative that drew me in. Just one of the those books that's got something about it.
“I wondered how such a place remained firm, intact, solid, throughout its years of soaking up all the crying and pain, the laughter and longing, all the memories birthed from my swollen belly.”
A solid novel, but I struggled to feel connected I think the alternating POVs (I enjoyed Sonja’s chapters the most). There were moments of beautiful imagery and rich Native American culture interwoven within each page.
A solid novel, but I struggled to feel connected I think the alternating POVs (I enjoyed Sonja’s chapters the most). There were moments of beautiful imagery and rich Native American culture interwoven within each page.
So atmospheric and filled with really beautiful prose. This is not a plot heavy book, more of a intimate look inside several members of the Echota family's hearts and heads. The Darkening Land perspective seemed a bit caddywampus, but Maria's chapters more than made up for it. I love an ambiguous ending too, and this one was really nice.
DNF'ing this one for now because the audiobook keeps glitching for me & no matter what I do, it keeps messing up. Fingers crossed I can get my hands on a physical copy to finish this soon! (anyone else having problems with libby?).
Soild 3.5. Each chapter took a different character's perspective, which I appreciated. Some of the plot points were incredibly drawn out, while others I felt were rushed.
Told by multiple POVs and intertwined with Cherokee stories, I really wanted to love this book. It started out strong, but then I sort of lost my way with it.
This is a beautifully crafted book that uses Cherokee stories and history to tell a story of the present. There’s grief in this book, but also love. It’s well worth the read.
this one is difficult to review. i will say, I think a lot of the reviews of this are a little unfair - I wished there had been more context to some of the elements of the story, but how many books out there are based in greek, norse, etc mythology that expects you to already know the stories and keep up with the plot?
i picked this up because the loss of a sibling/child is uhhh... close to home for me, and I seek out books that include it because I love to hurt myself, lmfao. i felt like this was more of a story of intergenerational trauma and institutional racism than it was about personal loss. the beginning was confusing, the middle felt repetitive, but there were a lot of emotionally poignant moments in the end that hit for me, even if the actual ending felt abrupt.
this passage, in particular, was Very Good and Relatable: "I thought about Ray-Ray's death and how I avoided talking about him with Rae and my family. How all anyone ever wanted to d o was talk about him when he was alive, and that for some reason I despised him a little for getting the attention."
brandon hobson's writing style is really stilted, which at times helped build the uncomfortable mood but at other times made this seem really juvenile. i feel like this could have really benefited from some further editing and honestly, a longer page count.
i picked this up because the loss of a sibling/child is uhhh... close to home for me, and I seek out books that include it because I love to hurt myself, lmfao. i felt like this was more of a story of intergenerational trauma and institutional racism than it was about personal loss. the beginning was confusing, the middle felt repetitive, but there were a lot of emotionally poignant moments in the end that hit for me, even if the actual ending felt abrupt.
this passage, in particular, was Very Good and Relatable: "I thought about Ray-Ray's death and how I avoided talking about him with Rae and my family. How all anyone ever wanted to d o was talk about him when he was alive, and that for some reason I despised him a little for getting the attention."
brandon hobson's writing style is really stilted, which at times helped build the uncomfortable mood but at other times made this seem really juvenile. i feel like this could have really benefited from some further editing and honestly, a longer page count.
Even though I am Cherokee, this book went so deep into Cherokee culture that I was a little lost sometimes, so I know non-Native readers probably felt the same way. The biggest confusion for me was the Darkening Land, so I did a little research. Basically, Cherokee people believe that a person’s soul cannot rest until there has been justice for the death, and the Darkening Land is where they go while waiting. I wish this has actually been explained in the book, because I feel like this adds SO MUCH to the novel.
I liked the book a lot, but I feel like the author assumed readers would know a lot more than most do. Judging by what I’ve seen other people say, the book was really unclear. It’s disappointing because I think it had the potential to be amazing, but it just didn’t quite live up to that. It was definitely a weird book, but I think I’d the cultural parts had been better explained, the weirdness would have worked.
*read for school*
I liked the book a lot, but I feel like the author assumed readers would know a lot more than most do. Judging by what I’ve seen other people say, the book was really unclear. It’s disappointing because I think it had the potential to be amazing, but it just didn’t quite live up to that. It was definitely a weird book, but I think I’d the cultural parts had been better explained, the weirdness would have worked.
*read for school*