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larobertson's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
megatsunami's review against another edition
Not sure about a star rating. The writing was gorgeous, lyrical, poetic - but somehow seemed to hold the reader at a distance. Up until the last 50 pages or so, I didn't feel a strong pull to keep reading the book and had to remind myself to pick it back up. I can't put my finger on what/ why, though. It was a beautiful story and the characters were complex and nuanced. But somehow it was hard to feel emotionally involved.
payaut's review
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
although i think this is an important story to be told and was an interesting concept, the writing style left me confused more than anything. same with the magical realism. possibly, this book just wasn’t meant for me to read.
biancam513's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
would not have picked this up organically
isabelwest's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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? Yes
4.25
gudrunij's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
leavingsealevel's review against another edition
3.0
Politics, sea creatures, history, and the northwest, all in one book. So of course I'm going to like this.
mrspenningalovesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I chose this book because of the 2022 Q2 prompt “Octopus” and I am so glad I read it! The euphonic diction reads almost like poetry, and the tone is incredibly peaceful and purposeful despite it circling topics like grief, war, betrayal, and decay. It not only shows the contrasts of the real war and peace amongst American Indians, but also the betrayal of ancestral traditions to American profit. Thomas & Ruth’s relationship before and after the Vietnam was is so powerful, seeing the drastic change in Thomas. I love the themes of loyalty and betrayal to allies, the natural world, and our creator. The element of truth and living our truth is strongly tied to serious consequences that occur in nature and to our quality of life. A drought occurs when a character is murdered and betrayed, and the parallel consequences to the earth and the people was really well done. I also loved the historical allusions to the soldiers who went with good intentions but faced impossible decisions of whether to listen to their commands or go against America and save women and children. The wall in Washington was an interesting symbol, shown in contrast to the wall Thomas built so he couldn’t see the light. Overall, it was really a tragic, beautiful story that reminds us that evil exists everywhere, and we must open our eyes to our own truth and live that life in gratitude to our creator and those we love.