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msmichaela's Reviews (546)
Poignant, impressive semi-autobiographical novel told from the perspective of several members of the Mirabal family, who oppose the violent Trujillo regime in the Dominican Republic. I lost the thread of which sister was which a few times, but that's more about reading before bed than about Alvarez's narrative skills. The Kindle edition was very wonky - lots of typos seemingly resulting from an unclear scan of the actual text. Still, very much worth the occasional error.
Loved this exploration of what makes a family, and the ways in which tragedies echo through those families.
Had a hard time engaging with these characters, though the writing is perfectly well done.
Absolutely loved this novel based on events in Lewiston, Maine, several years ago. Strout does a wonderful job of creating fully fleshed out, beautifully flawed characters who fit seamlessly into real-life plot circumstances. I stayed up late last night to finish this, and am missing the characters already.
Oddly entertaining page turner / British manor mystery / marriage plot. It sucked me in, but I'm not sure I liked it.
Like one of those movies based on a Saturday Night Live skit - thin, repetitive and not all that interesting.
Loved this absorbing novel about friends who meet at summer camp as teenagers and remain close into adulthood, through the birth of children, the death of parents, the strains of marriage and, perhaps most of all, the class/economic/social issues that arise when one friend becomes far more successful than the rest. Wolitzer's protagonist, Jules Jacobsen, is the archetypal outsider who's a perfect stand-in for the reader. The novel falters a bit toward the end, but I loved the characters so much that I didn't really mind.
Intense, well constructed and intriguing so far (through six chapters).
7/27: Finished this last night. Kushner can really write, but her work is relatively heavy, intellectually, which makes it difficult to connect with her characters. I admire this book, but I didn't love it. 3.5 stars
7/27: Finished this last night. Kushner can really write, but her work is relatively heavy, intellectually, which makes it difficult to connect with her characters. I admire this book, but I didn't love it. 3.5 stars
Wow. A powerful, dark novel that I think is Erdich's best (thought admittedly it's been a long time since I read her other works). Compelling and heartbreaking.