A review by grazzzo
The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara

challenging dark informative mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

i spent the whole book looking for clues in the text and footnotes about what would happen later on, thinking all the scientific info and stuff about phillip tallent perina would be important to then get to the end and realise it was just an autobiography rather than a mystery. and i was wondering why include such information about a mythological turtle which provides immortality if the last 50 pages are going to have nothing to do with this plot, if immortality will in fact play no role in it - but i realised it was norton's going to the island that would cause its destruction, cause him to have to adopt the children, and give him opportunity to do what he did. so the turtle plot was just a set up for the main plotline - which is a metaphor for and criticism of colonisation
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