817 reviews for:

The Antidote

Karen Russell

4.14 AVERAGE

ktdid21's review

4.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense 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

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It pays homage to the Wizard of Oz, including a witch, scarecrow, and Asphodel as Dorothy an orphan living with her uncle on a Nebraskan farm. A tremendous storm also heralds the beginning. But those seem to be only the authors nod and wink at the that fantasy when this was actually a study of how we Americans suppress and deny our collective memories of how our rapacious and genocidal nature has harmed not only the original natives of this land, but also the very land we have attempted to bend to our will. It was hard at times to read. But well worth the effort. 

jillgrauman's review

5.0

reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

gcrow28's review

4.5

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

saranova80's review

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective 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: Complicated

foster_labrq's review

3.5

dark informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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I really appreciated the parts of this book that were the recounted memories of non-main characters, but I had a hard time really liking any of the main characters. Their stories, on the whole, felt less developed and fell somewhat flat for me. The magic in this world also felt a bit too contrived and set up to force outcomes, as well. The author did do an excellent job of bringing the setting and time period to life, however. The book was very well researched. 

srm122's review

3.0

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

quackthump's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark informative 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: No

kholligardin's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

joanneadams54's review

4.0

emotional reflective tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

edecarlo11's review

4.75

emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes