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A review by write_of_passages
A Purpose That Restores Us by Michele Notaro
4.0
I’m honestly so thrilled by the level of action/adventure/found family/hurt/comfort/supernatural intensity that I’m finding in this series. The world itself is incredibly dangerous for the main characters and Michele doesn’t ever have them all escaping unscathed, which makes it so realistic. And she allows us to have the comfort after the hurt, whether simply taking the time to write it, or switching POVs so we don’t suddenly miss out on half of the story. It’s incredible to read. And there are threads throughout the whole series that keep developing which are really neat to follow! I love it!
Would I go back in time and still read this book, knowing what I know now?
Absolutely. So much yes.
See below for the four criteria I use to decide whether and when to read a book
CHARACTERS: I keep getting a chance to enjoy the same characters I’ve come to love from the previous books, as well as some new people who arrive that end up being just as lovely. I nearly squealed when I noticed two instances where Michele actually described people! Granted, one of them was a reiteration of the color of Jude’s hair, but she actually described Ash and that was really exciting to read. I think what I appreciate the most about the characters is getting the chance to see the flip side to the main ones. For example, its clear just how much trauma Mads and Jude have, and yet, to see them turn around and take what they’ve learned from that trauma to ensure that those they care about don’t incur their own, even on much smaller scales? It’s beautiful to read. So many of these pieces could become a conflict for a book, but that isn’t what’s important here. The importance is the team, their growth and love and working together and I LOVE this so so much.
PLOT: The plot on this one is slightly slower, in my opinion, than the previous book. I think that’s partly because we have a side plot occurring that’s a little more political and Michele takes the time to show that to us, rather than tell. It’s just borderline too much, but she never goes over! There are plenty of moments where we get to pause and catch up and breath, especially because there are some incredibly intense moments that occur. She somehow weaves in the high stakes while also making sure I know somehow, that everything is going to turn out alright. Because of that, I can invest fully and completely and ‘feel all the feelZ’, which isn’t easy to achieve!
EMOTIONAL INTENSITY: There is no good/bad here. Sometimes I just want a low-investment entertainment read whereas other times a high-stakes 'I need a therapist to recover' is what I need.
4 out of 5/high. I’m definitely completely immersed in this world. I think it’s really neat and there’s always more to find out.
CATHARTIC FULFILLMENT: Is the emotional journey worth it? Do I finish this book feeling that I've crested the wave of the climactic moment and everything has been settled, leaving me settled and fulfilled?
99%. Wow, the climax and ending of this one. Wow. But the denouement is there, my beautiful, glorious denouement. And for the middle book of a series, the events of this major conflict are wrapped up as well. I only take off 1% because the epilogue is weirdly so far into the future that it felt too far to be believable, given how fast things have occurred in the timeline of the first three books. Maybe this time I’ll read the companion pieces and they’ll have some of that information.
Would I go back in time and still read this book, knowing what I know now?
Absolutely. So much yes.
See below for the four criteria I use to decide whether and when to read a book
CHARACTERS: I keep getting a chance to enjoy the same characters I’ve come to love from the previous books, as well as some new people who arrive that end up being just as lovely. I nearly squealed when I noticed two instances where Michele actually described people! Granted, one of them was a reiteration of the color of Jude’s hair, but she actually described Ash and that was really exciting to read. I think what I appreciate the most about the characters is getting the chance to see the flip side to the main ones. For example, its clear just how much trauma Mads and Jude have, and yet, to see them turn around and take what they’ve learned from that trauma to ensure that those they care about don’t incur their own, even on much smaller scales? It’s beautiful to read. So many of these pieces could become a conflict for a book, but that isn’t what’s important here. The importance is the team, their growth and love and working together and I LOVE this so so much.
PLOT: The plot on this one is slightly slower, in my opinion, than the previous book. I think that’s partly because we have a side plot occurring that’s a little more political and Michele takes the time to show that to us, rather than tell. It’s just borderline too much, but she never goes over! There are plenty of moments where we get to pause and catch up and breath, especially because there are some incredibly intense moments that occur. She somehow weaves in the high stakes while also making sure I know somehow, that everything is going to turn out alright. Because of that, I can invest fully and completely and ‘feel all the feelZ’, which isn’t easy to achieve!
EMOTIONAL INTENSITY: There is no good/bad here. Sometimes I just want a low-investment entertainment read whereas other times a high-stakes 'I need a therapist to recover' is what I need.
4 out of 5/high. I’m definitely completely immersed in this world. I think it’s really neat and there’s always more to find out.
CATHARTIC FULFILLMENT: Is the emotional journey worth it? Do I finish this book feeling that I've crested the wave of the climactic moment and everything has been settled, leaving me settled and fulfilled?
99%. Wow, the climax and ending of this one. Wow. But the denouement is there, my beautiful, glorious denouement. And for the middle book of a series, the events of this major conflict are wrapped up as well. I only take off 1% because the epilogue is weirdly so far into the future that it felt too far to be believable, given how fast things have occurred in the timeline of the first three books. Maybe this time I’ll read the companion pieces and they’ll have some of that information.