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A review by apfelkistenbuch
Haie in Zeiten von Erlösern by Kawai Strong Washburn
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
HM. this was really good — i think ??
Nainoa was saved from drowning by sharks gently carrying him back to the boat, and since then the people of the island have seen him differently. there is something magical about the boy, no one can deny it, and as he gets older he even seems to develop healing abilities.
but all these big expectations are difficult to carry. and they put a strain on his siblings, who have to grow up in his shadow — We get to see the world through each main characters’ eyes, get to love and care for them and experience their unique struggles.
This is not Nainoas story. these are the stories of his entire family. they’re messy and complicated and at times frustrating.
The scenes set in Hawai’i felt so alive, vivid and colorful and meaningful. i enjoyed those moments the most, when you could feel the magic and mystery rising up from the soil beneath the characters’ feet and into the air they breathe. i loved getting little glimpses into hawaiian myths, and growing up with their family gave me an insight into how the land and its people have changed and suffered through the years.
another reviewer mentioned that, although written by a man, the female characters were written especially well and i have to agree !!!!!!!!!!! kaui’s perspective was my favourite.
i will say, from the three parts that the book is split up in, the last one made me struggle. the characters’ decisions were hard to follow and understand and i was growing a bit tired of all the loose ends. maybe if i had moved through the book a little more slowly, i could have appreciated it more. i did read the end at like 1 am, so i was not the most concentrated, to be fair.
Nainoa was saved from drowning by sharks gently carrying him back to the boat, and since then the people of the island have seen him differently. there is something magical about the boy, no one can deny it, and as he gets older he even seems to develop healing abilities.
but all these big expectations are difficult to carry. and they put a strain on his siblings, who have to grow up in his shadow — We get to see the world through each main characters’ eyes, get to love and care for them and experience their unique struggles.
This is not Nainoas story. these are the stories of his entire family. they’re messy and complicated and at times frustrating.
The scenes set in Hawai’i felt so alive, vivid and colorful and meaningful. i enjoyed those moments the most, when you could feel the magic and mystery rising up from the soil beneath the characters’ feet and into the air they breathe. i loved getting little glimpses into hawaiian myths, and growing up with their family gave me an insight into how the land and its people have changed and suffered through the years.
another reviewer mentioned that, although written by a man, the female characters were written especially well and i have to agree !!!!!!!!!!! kaui’s perspective was my favourite.
i will say, from the three parts that the book is split up in, the last one made me struggle. the characters’ decisions were hard to follow and understand and i was growing a bit tired of all the loose ends. maybe if i had moved through the book a little more slowly, i could have appreciated it more. i did read the end at like 1 am, so i was not the most concentrated, to be fair.