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ablotial's review against another edition
4.0
This book has been on my TBR basically since it came out, due to rave reviews posted all over the place. I'm finally getting to it now because a group I am in on GoodReads is reading four different books by this author throughout the year.
After only reading the first chapter, I knew this was going to be a powerful novel in terms of messing with my emotions. In my childhood, I only had a very brief run-in with a Pentecostal church, but it made a big impression on me for just how different it was from anything I'd ever experienced before. I traumatized my little brother at one point bringing him in and people were speaking in tongues and laying their hands on him because I told them he hadn't been "saved" ... I thought it was a funny joke; him, not so much.
And the church in this story takes it to a whole 'nother level.
While religion plays a large role in this book (and not always in a good way), I wouldn't call it religious. The people are flawed, and much more than normal "they're only human" type ways for most of them.
I found it tragic but sadly not too surprising that the idea from this story came from a real-life news article the author read at one point.
The writing style took me a bit to get used to. The author writes as if he's inside each of the character's heads, and none of them are particularly well educated so the grammar and word usage is difficult to get through at first. But once I got into it, the story sort of rolled along. It had an interesting effect, because I tend to think of that style of speaking as being slow and laid back, and yet this story was anything but.
My only real complaint is that the ending seemed very abrupt and not particularly satisfying. Especially since reading the kindle version, it turns out the book ends at something like 75% done, and then there are interviews with the author, book club questions, excerpts from another book, etc. So I was expecting more, and it just ... ended. Boom.
(Just like this review)
After only reading the first chapter, I knew this was going to be a powerful novel in terms of messing with my emotions. In my childhood, I only had a very brief run-in with a Pentecostal church, but it made a big impression on me for just how different it was from anything I'd ever experienced before. I traumatized my little brother at one point bringing him in and people were speaking in tongues and laying their hands on him because I told them he hadn't been "saved" ... I thought it was a funny joke; him, not so much.
And the church in this story takes it to a whole 'nother level.
While religion plays a large role in this book (and not always in a good way), I wouldn't call it religious. The people are flawed, and much more than normal "they're only human" type ways for most of them.
I found it tragic but sadly not too surprising that the idea from this story came from a real-life news article the author read at one point.
The writing style took me a bit to get used to. The author writes as if he's inside each of the character's heads, and none of them are particularly well educated so the grammar and word usage is difficult to get through at first. But once I got into it, the story sort of rolled along. It had an interesting effect, because I tend to think of that style of speaking as being slow and laid back, and yet this story was anything but.
My only real complaint is that the ending seemed very abrupt and not particularly satisfying. Especially since reading the kindle version, it turns out the book ends at something like 75% done, and then there are interviews with the author, book club questions, excerpts from another book, etc. So I was expecting more, and it just ... ended. Boom.
(Just like this review)
deaclayton's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
3.5
This story hurt my heart.
bunnieslikediamonds's review against another edition
3.0
The story is nicely written and told with compassion and understanding, but it felt thin. The characters could have been more fleshed out and complex. There's a lot of potential here and I wouldn't mind reading something by Wiley Cash again, but this one didn't do it for me.
rlk7m's review against another edition
4.0
This book hooked me from the first page and I simply could not put it down. I lost sleep while reading this book. (And to me, the mark of something good is how heavy the bags under your eyes are...) I liked the premise of the three narrators and their voices were different enough, but I did find them all blending together near the end. I love books that tend to focus on losing one's individuality/ability to think for oneself, and that theme continued to surprise me throughout the novel. Great dialect, too.
ctomasula's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
tylergberens7's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
hunterlikesturtles's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
I wonderful piece of southern fiction and an instant classic. This story tells a cautionary tale about the dangers of organized religion, while also exploring the complex community relationships in small town North Carolina. Overall, a wonderful book!
I wonderful piece of southern fiction and an instant classic. This story tells a cautionary tale about the dangers of organized religion, while also exploring the complex community relationships in small town North Carolina. Overall, a wonderful book!
kbranfield's review against another edition
5.0
A Recommended Read. Wiley Cash’s debut novel A Land More Kind Than Home is a spectacular and powerful story that brings life in rural North Carolina to vibrantly to life. Set in the 1980s, it is an profound tale of dark secrets, a charismatic evangelical minister and the evil that is sometimes wrought in the name of religion. To read my review in its entirety, please visit http://www.bookreviewsandmorebykathy.com/2012/04/19/a-land-more-kind-than-home/