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A review by meghan_plethoraofpages
Astra by Cedar Bowers
5.0
This is a really impressive debut that I think many readers will enjoy!
Boasting an interesting structure, Astra is told chronologically over six decades - we follow Astra, always through the eyes of those in her life - characters both on the periphery and centrally in her story. While the structure is interesting I am happy to report, at least for me, it is seamlessly well done - an apt vehicle for a special character-driven story. Not merely a gimmick, the ten people’s eyes on Astra at various points throughout her life give us flashes of insight into this complex, enigmatic woman. Each chapter has its own unique, rich voice - it felt like each one could really be fleshed out into its own novella.
Astra experienced an unconventional and difficult upbringing, and as she’s evolved and grown as a person pieces of that past expresses itself in a number of different ways. As I was reading, I was thinking about how we really only ever have an incomplete picture of a person, even our closest loved ones. No one we meet truly knows Astra; Astra herself was still figuring it out over the years, evolving. As readers we also have the added challenge of seeing Astra through these different lenses - what is bias, unreliable narrators, and what is truth? Our perspectives are coloured by the impressions of the eyes we’re looking through.
One of the things I appreciated most about this book is the circular view we get of Astra’s life. Beginning with her birth story in a roundabout way, we finish with a chapter in her own voice. Healing, moving forward, resolution are implied but not served up syrupy sweet in conclusion. It was excellent. There’s so many beautiful passages and takeaways… it’s impressively written.
This would make for a really great book club pick. Each viewpoint makes for lots of musings and discussion. Many of the characters are unlikeable, and they feel real in all their flaws, with inner turmoils on display.
Overall, a wonderful reading experience. Definitely pick this up if your at all interested - it’s a gem. Congratulations to the author on such a special debut.
Thank you to Mcclelland & Stewart /Penguin Random House Canada, Netgalley and the author for access to a free e-copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Boasting an interesting structure, Astra is told chronologically over six decades - we follow Astra, always through the eyes of those in her life - characters both on the periphery and centrally in her story. While the structure is interesting I am happy to report, at least for me, it is seamlessly well done - an apt vehicle for a special character-driven story. Not merely a gimmick, the ten people’s eyes on Astra at various points throughout her life give us flashes of insight into this complex, enigmatic woman. Each chapter has its own unique, rich voice - it felt like each one could really be fleshed out into its own novella.
Astra experienced an unconventional and difficult upbringing, and as she’s evolved and grown as a person pieces of that past expresses itself in a number of different ways. As I was reading, I was thinking about how we really only ever have an incomplete picture of a person, even our closest loved ones. No one we meet truly knows Astra; Astra herself was still figuring it out over the years, evolving. As readers we also have the added challenge of seeing Astra through these different lenses - what is bias, unreliable narrators, and what is truth? Our perspectives are coloured by the impressions of the eyes we’re looking through.
One of the things I appreciated most about this book is the circular view we get of Astra’s life. Beginning with her birth story in a roundabout way, we finish with a chapter in her own voice. Healing, moving forward, resolution are implied but not served up syrupy sweet in conclusion. It was excellent. There’s so many beautiful passages and takeaways… it’s impressively written.
This would make for a really great book club pick. Each viewpoint makes for lots of musings and discussion. Many of the characters are unlikeable, and they feel real in all their flaws, with inner turmoils on display.
Overall, a wonderful reading experience. Definitely pick this up if your at all interested - it’s a gem. Congratulations to the author on such a special debut.
Thank you to Mcclelland & Stewart /Penguin Random House Canada, Netgalley and the author for access to a free e-copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.