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A review by safekeeper
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Update: just startet listening to this for the third or fourth time, so safe to say it stuck with me. One of my favourite books of all time.
Be warned, this one is tough. I've read a fair few really difficult books before, and this one still forced me to take breaks throughout. Everything from the tension and fights of a household ridden with trauma and domestic violence, to gruesome accidents and injuries, will be described in graphic detail. If you're like me, it won't be a book you'll finish in one sitting.
If you can stomach a challenging read, though, this is also one of the best books I've read. The descriptions of the Alaskan wilderness, its people, and the events of the story are top-notch, so clear and crisp they'll do a wonderful job at bringing Alaska to life for you. It's a fascinating Bildungsroman where the insecure 13 year old main character is shaped and hardened by Alaska, showing bravery and courage in the face of the rugged frontier life.
The story itself has wonderful characters, and all of them, from the protagonist and her mom to the traumatized father of the house to the residents of the Alaskan village, feel believable. The plot has challenges in store for its characters, but their successes and resilience make up for the tougher moments, and all the events are treated with insight and the seriousness they deserve -- Kristin Hannah is above including terrible events simply for cheap shock value, and the protagonists give each others so much love and support throughout. No one suffers alone in this novel, and it's as if their support and compassion rubs off on you.
My only complaint is that I wish Hannah would've used the excellent Alaskan setting even more -- there were some things I would've loved to see described in more detail, such as when they canned goods for the winter. Loved the scenes where Lennie learns to fire a rifle or shoots a bunny and eats the heart, for example, and I wish there were even more scenes like that.
All in all, the author has done an excellent job at writing both the Alaskan wilderness, and the love and companionship of the tightly-knit community of the village -- and the inner workings of a dysfunctional family. This one will stick with you.
Be warned, this one is tough. I've read a fair few really difficult books before, and this one still forced me to take breaks throughout. Everything from the tension and fights of a household ridden with trauma and domestic violence, to gruesome accidents and injuries, will be described in graphic detail. If you're like me, it won't be a book you'll finish in one sitting.
If you can stomach a challenging read, though, this is also one of the best books I've read. The descriptions of the Alaskan wilderness, its people, and the events of the story are top-notch, so clear and crisp they'll do a wonderful job at bringing Alaska to life for you. It's a fascinating Bildungsroman where the insecure 13 year old main character is shaped and hardened by Alaska, showing bravery and courage in the face of the rugged frontier life.
The story itself has wonderful characters, and all of them, from the protagonist and her mom to the traumatized father of the house to the residents of the Alaskan village, feel believable. The plot has challenges in store for its characters, but their successes and resilience make up for the tougher moments, and all the events are treated with insight and the seriousness they deserve -- Kristin Hannah is above including terrible events simply for cheap shock value, and the protagonists give each others so much love and support throughout. No one suffers alone in this novel, and it's as if their support and compassion rubs off on you.
My only complaint is that I wish Hannah would've used the excellent Alaskan setting even more -- there were some things I would've loved to see described in more detail, such as when they canned goods for the winter. Loved the scenes where Lennie learns to fire a rifle or shoots a bunny and eats the heart, for example, and I wish there were even more scenes like that.
All in all, the author has done an excellent job at writing both the Alaskan wilderness, and the love and companionship of the tightly-knit community of the village -- and the inner workings of a dysfunctional family. This one will stick with you.