Reviews with content warning for Murder - La natura della grazia

Reviews tagging 'Murder'

La natura della grazia by Alessandro Zabini, William Kent Krueger

22 reviews

kris_tea516's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Synopsis: Frank Drum is 13 yo in small town, New Bremen, MO in 1961. His father is a well-loved pastor in town, his mom is artistic & admired, his talented older sister is bound for Juliard, & his younger brother with a stutter is socially awkward but wise & virtuous. Frank is a bit of a rebel. He causes, he isn't afraid to bend the rules, & isn't sure he really believes in the God his father preaches about. His life seems pretty ordinary until then death of a young boy he knew. As the summer progresses, more deaths occur that lead to families lives being tragically upended, secrets exposed, & the hunt for a murderer. This story is a mystery & a coming-of-age tale about a young boy moving from the innocence and sense of stability of childhood to the mature and chaotic reality of adulthood while his world is falling apart. Frank must face the reality that everyone has secrets & battles they are fighting and his own questions of does God exist &, if so, where is he in the midst of tragedy & chaos?

Review: This book immediately surprised me with how well it iwaswritten & my interest in the story never waned. Krueger painted his world so beautifully with his words that I felt like I was walking the roads of New Bremen with Frank & Jake in the hot sun.

The characters are diverse and while some are easy to love & others easy to hate or at least be suspicious, we find out that people are much more complicated that they seem at first. It is convicting to think about the people you interact with in your own life that maybe you should show a little more grace & patience especially toward those who seem especially trying.

The themes of grief, innocence lost, bullying, prejudice/racism, mental health, disabilities, friendship, forgiveness, family relations, respect, patience, kindness, community, faith, & the complexities of people are masterfully fleshed out. Some topics are only addressed adjacently but feel leave you contemplating the situation long after you’ve put the book down or paused the recording.

Krueger is an exquisite author & I will definitely be looking for more books he has written. I highly recommend this book anyone high school age & older.

Content Warnings

morag's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a very affecting novel. The writing style is very simple, but that allows the themes about faith, family, and loss to come through very clearly. This book did nearly bring me to tears at one point, which is not something I can say about other novels with similar themes.

The characters in this are incredibly strong. Again, they're simple, but they feel real enough to walk right off of the page. Krueger does an excellent job at capturing these different flaws and personalities in only a few paragraphs. He also makes sure to keep them in mind at every turn, because the characters stay consistent throughout the story. It never feels like characters are acting out of character in order to serve the plot. The plot simply happens naturally as everyone struggles to make sense of the story they've found themselves in.

The way religion is handled in this book is also quite well done. It's omnipresent without being overbearing. It very elegantly explores the struggle of maintaining faith in times of adversity. This really shines through in the main character's father. I will avoid spoilers, but he gives a sermon in the latter portion of the book that drew me to my aforementioned tears. It was such a genuine, vulnerable moment that absolutely shines.

Overall, I would say that if you're looking for a simple, small-town story about grief and change, this is one of the best.

(Cross-posted on Good Reads)

Content Warnings