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ckiyoko's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bellygames's review against another edition
5.0
This book has stayed with me all evening. It was an easy and beautiful read with difficult content. I felt transported to the snowy mountains of Idaho, and I find myself still thinking and worrying for these characters. Mourning their journey but grateful to have gotten to come along.
daniellewalsh's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to LOVE this book, so much. Flitting between different time periods of the Mitchell family, Idaho details the life family who are destroyed by a shocking event. At the start, I was charmed by the poetic narrative, but halfway through I began to feel distanced from the characters.
Although we find out fragments of what happened gradually, there is never a full description of the reality of what occured - much of it I thought was just alluded to. There were parts and characters where I wasn't too sure how they linked directly to the story, but upon reflection I have begun to appreciate what those characters added.
I think parts of the book are ambiguous which part of me likes, but I also just wanted to ~know~.
At the heart of this book is family, grief, loss, and forgiveness. It is beautifully written, but at times the shift in narrative and non-linear format get a bit too puzzle-like (and when you get to the end, you find there are still a couple of pieces missing).
⛰
Although we find out fragments of what happened gradually, there is never a full description of the reality of what occured - much of it I thought was just alluded to. There were parts and characters where I wasn't too sure how they linked directly to the story, but upon reflection I have begun to appreciate what those characters added.
I think parts of the book are ambiguous which part of me likes, but I also just wanted to ~know~.
At the heart of this book is family, grief, loss, and forgiveness. It is beautifully written, but at times the shift in narrative and non-linear format get a bit too puzzle-like (and when you get to the end, you find there are still a couple of pieces missing).
⛰
dantastic's review against another edition
3.0
One day while out chopping wood, Wade Mitchell's wife does something unspeakable, sending their lives off course forever. Years later, Wade has remarried and is slowly losing his memories to early onset dementia. Can his second wife, Ann, piece together what happened before Wade forgets himself?
I blazed through Idaho in a couple long sittings and as I sit here, I'm having trouble quantifying how I feel about it. I thought it was going to be a literary mystery but the killer was revealed very early on. It's more about coping with loss, I guess. Life, memories, freedom, etc.
The writing had a literary feel and the story is told in a non-linear fashion, jumping back and forth through the lives of Wade, his first wife, Jenny, their daughters, and his second wife, Ann. I enjoyed piecing together what happened through the various time jumps. Jenny's time in prison was easily my favorite part.
Like I said, it's a hard book for me to quantify. It had its share of touching moments but it also had long stretches where not a whole lot happened to advance the plot. There were a couple extraneous characters that got too much time devoted to them in threads that were ultimately inconsequential. Most of all, there were some unanswered questions, leaving me thinking there should have been an epilogue to wrap a couple things up. While I enjoyed the writing, the structure was probably my favorite part.
Here we are at the end and I'm still not quite sure how to rate this. I like Idaho but it felt like a literary author "slumming it" by writing a genre book but afraid to go all-in. I guess I'll give it a 3 and call it a day.
I blazed through Idaho in a couple long sittings and as I sit here, I'm having trouble quantifying how I feel about it. I thought it was going to be a literary mystery but the killer was revealed very early on. It's more about coping with loss, I guess. Life, memories, freedom, etc.
The writing had a literary feel and the story is told in a non-linear fashion, jumping back and forth through the lives of Wade, his first wife, Jenny, their daughters, and his second wife, Ann. I enjoyed piecing together what happened through the various time jumps. Jenny's time in prison was easily my favorite part.
Like I said, it's a hard book for me to quantify. It had its share of touching moments but it also had long stretches where not a whole lot happened to advance the plot. There were a couple extraneous characters that got too much time devoted to them in threads that were ultimately inconsequential. Most of all, there were some unanswered questions, leaving me thinking there should have been an epilogue to wrap a couple things up. While I enjoyed the writing, the structure was probably my favorite part.
Here we are at the end and I'm still not quite sure how to rate this. I like Idaho but it felt like a literary author "slumming it" by writing a genre book but afraid to go all-in. I guess I'll give it a 3 and call it a day.
lynnski723's review against another edition
3.0
There is a lot going on in this book with some information not necessarily needed for the story. It also bounces between storylines and timelines, which could be confusing at times. I did enjoy it though, even though it ends without providing answers to everything I wanted to know. I just used my imagination to finish up a few pieces for my own closure instead. With all that said, I would recommend this to most but not for those that struggle following books that bounce around a lot.
macbeckyton's review against another edition
4.0
Dark. Haunting. Moments of very good, very heartfelt writing... combined with a few too many inconceivable, hard to believe characters. Immersive, though.
tyrenny's review against another edition
3.0
Honestly, I was a little underwhelmed. I had heard so many great things about this book, and technically, the writing is strong. However, I got lost in the story, and not in the good way. It was tough to keep track of what was going on, and there were too many loose ends for me. What the hell happened to June?
arielamandah's review against another edition
4.0
This book built for me as it went along. Initially, I struggled to connect with the primary narrator and was uncomfortable with the way she crafted the story she told herself about what happened (but that felt like a great parallel to the act of writing a novel or even a story, and also something we all do with/to each other), BUT the other characters far made up for it and kept me reading.
I feel that Ruskovich was in her element when writing the children’s stories. The way she sets those scenes and describes the smells and sounds was so “true” for me, and strongly resonated with my “sense memories” of growing up in rural (at the time) Washington. The chapter from the bloodhound blew me away.
By the end of the book, the way the stories wove together, the kindness of the characters, and even the way she did (or didn’t) resolve certain stories really came off beautifully.
I feel that Ruskovich was in her element when writing the children’s stories. The way she sets those scenes and describes the smells and sounds was so “true” for me, and strongly resonated with my “sense memories” of growing up in rural (at the time) Washington. The chapter from the bloodhound blew me away.
By the end of the book, the way the stories wove together, the kindness of the characters, and even the way she did (or didn’t) resolve certain stories really came off beautifully.
tensy's review against another edition
4.0
Hard to say why I loved reading this novel. Let's just say Emily Ruskovich's writing gets under your skin and you become totally engaged in the story. These are not easy characters to like or decipher, but her writing gives them great depth. Her descriptions of nature are like long prose poetry and kept me mesmerized.