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mrs_a_is_a_book_nerd's Reviews (456)
I LOVED this book! I loved the characters, the beautiful setting, the naturalist philosophy...and the STORY! YA lit didn't know what it was missing before this novel came along! Best book I've read in months!
I'm a huge fan of Jodi Picoult. However, this was not my favorite. I didn't love the main character, Dawn. She was hard to invest in. Sometimes she even seemed spoiled. Sometimes the Egyptology was overmuch for me. On the other hand, the narrative structure was clever. I had my typical JP novel moment where I think, "Ahhhhh... I see what you did there!" I'll be honest: I HATED the end. That's probably tainting my review.
3-3.5 Important, but a bit redundant...perhaps necessarily so, but nonetheless. I was hoping it would give me more practical thoughts and approaches to anti-racism. Still, it was humbling to see the ways racism pervades into every corner and niche of our society and to be reminded that it's my issue to fix.
This is a book I'm going to have to listen to (and probably also read) several times to get it all. Such an important history-not-history book, as Jason Reynolds calls it. The experience of listening to Jason Reynolds' narration made the content all the more engaging. He brings his poetic gift to everything he touches. I'm an infant in my study of race and antiracism, but boy was this an important and useful primer! Highly recommend EVERYONE read it!
Listened to this on audiobook, read by the author, through Librofm in a day. At once devastating and uplifting, the lyrical story is fantastical and captivating, its characters vibrant, and the worlds Elhillo paints are completely immersing.
This was a treat for the imagination, ears, and heart.
This was a treat for the imagination, ears, and heart.
An unexpected delight
I loved most everything about this novel: the gradual unraveling of the truth, the unique and dynamic characters, the ambiance of the setting. There are a few elements of the resolution I didn't love--nothing "wrong" with them; I just didn't like them. Overall, I thought this was a great addition to my reading repertoire of southern fiction.
I loved most everything about this novel: the gradual unraveling of the truth, the unique and dynamic characters, the ambiance of the setting. There are a few elements of the resolution I didn't love--nothing "wrong" with them; I just didn't like them. Overall, I thought this was a great addition to my reading repertoire of southern fiction.
The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row
Lara Love Hardin, Anthony Ray Hinton
Well, this is yet another disturbing account of a justice system that is anything but just and a devastating blow to the concept that justice is blind (Can anyone possibly still believe that myth?). At the same time, Hinton's story, in his own voice, is a powerful testament to the power of indefatigable hope and faith, even in the face of the most inhumane and desperate circumstances.
My only criticism is that the end of the book felt too abrupt. I wanted to know more about Ray's adjustment to life outside death row, and his entry into speaking out for the abolition of capital punishment.
My only criticism is that the end of the book felt too abrupt. I wanted to know more about Ray's adjustment to life outside death row, and his entry into speaking out for the abolition of capital punishment.
Allen Eskens never disappoints! He has such a knack for character development that I get completely absorbed in his characters' stories. This was suspenseful, entertaining, humorous, and touching, all-in-one. I want to read more about Thomas and Boady; the book hints at the direction Boady is headed. Now I want to see what he grows up to become, armed with his hard-won life experience and understanding of a world where there is real evil, but one person can and does make things better for others.
This book was definitely intriguing, though slow-going, at times. The technique of telling the story from the point of view of death, as an empathetic and reflective observer was fascinating to me. So much Holocaust fiction is written based on the shocking experiences of the victims. This was an original take, looking at the momentum of the war and the Holocaust from the perspective of a young German girl watching it all happen in snapshots contrasted with her everyday life. It showed well how the Germans who may have sympathized with the Jews were somewhat powerless to do anything, and also suffered during this time in history.
