A review by readingrainbill
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • 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

 I'll be honest and say that Bel Canto isn't normally a book I read. While I read a wide variety of genres, this still wouldn't be one that I gravitated towards. But the Pop Sugar Reading Challenge had a prompt that required me to read a Women's Prize for Fiction winner and this was the one I chose.

What drew me to it was the fact that it was turned into a movie starring Julianne Moore and Ken Watanabe. What I didn't know  was how much I was going to like it.

This whole book takes place during a hostage situation as it drags out longer than anyone expected and we see these characters who, in any other circumstance, would never have said more than hello to each other. What impressed me was that the terrorists weren't just evil incarnate, they were people too. 

The characters' stories were beautifully interwoven by Ann Patchett and she made me care so much that when the ending came I was almost in denial. It couldn't be over, there had to be more. 

I think this is a book that everyone should read no matter your genre preferences. 
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