A review by kibbles15
There There by Tommy Orange

challenging emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I did not like this book.  There was way too much swearing for my taste.  Also, if the chapters were not labeled with their names, I would not have been able to tell the difference between most of the characters.  Pretty much, I felt like I was reading the viewpoint of 12 individuals with different problems, but the same personality; which made for a pretty flat read.  Since this book is mostly character driven, this made the story difficult to follow and enjoy.   

The prologue and interjections referring to the history of the Native Americans in the United States was actually very well written and thought provoking; the author obviously put a lot of thought and effort into the writing of those sections.  That being said, the author failed to connect the story to the prologue and interjections.  I spent most of the book waiting to find out why the prologue was included.  None of the trials that each character experienced really linked the characters with their Native American history. In fact, if you take out the fact that the people are going to a Pow-Wow, the troubles that each of the characters experience could have been that of any race in most urban areas.  
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