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A review by jojodoug55
The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka
2.0
3/5 for the first half
2/5 for the second half
The connection between the first and second half of the book is not entirely clear. Yes, Alice is mentioned in the first half, but she is not a standout character, let alone the protagonist, so it is odd that she becomes the focus in the second half. This makes it feel disjointed from the first half of the book. The first half is quite interesting and creatively written. The second half is too sarcastic and pessimistic for me. It is also very repetitive, so its rhythm becomes tiring and loses its effect. The speculative nature of the novel is very well done, however. I loved the use of the first person plural with the third person.
2/5 for the second half
The connection between the first and second half of the book is not entirely clear. Yes, Alice is mentioned in the first half, but she is not a standout character, let alone the protagonist, so it is odd that she becomes the focus in the second half. This makes it feel disjointed from the first half of the book. The first half is quite interesting and creatively written. The second half is too sarcastic and pessimistic for me. It is also very repetitive, so its rhythm becomes tiring and loses its effect. The speculative nature of the novel is very well done, however. I loved the use of the first person plural with the third person.