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errie's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment
Moderate: Child abuse, Miscarriage, Vomit, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
agavemonster's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
The 1.25 stars is for the occasional moment of loveliness in the prose and that I got to think about terns and boats a lot while reading this book.
Graphic: Rape, Suicide, Car accident, and Abandonment
Moderate: Animal death, Miscarriage, and Murder
abicaro17's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
clairebartholomew549's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic
singlier's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I finished this book last week and its still been on my mind so I figured it was time to sit down and write about it. Just...wow. This book is probably the best I've listened to this year. Its also, without a doubt, the saddest.
This book follows the life of a woman named Franny, who hopes to follow the last migration of the Arctic Tern, the longest migrating bird in the world, from the North Pole to the South Pole. In order to do so, she hitches a ride on a fishing vessel, exchanging her knowledge of the bird's path (and the schools of fish they feast on) for travel.
In this bleak future, the animals of the planet are dying. Due to extreme climate change, most major animal species have gone extinct (save those used for human production and consumption), and there is little incentive to stop the decline save for the resources of a select group of researchers, who Franny's husband belongs to.
However, throughout her journey to follow the Terns the reader gains access to moments in Franny's life that show how lonely, distraught, and traumatized she is: her soul is built to wander, never comfortable in one place too long, and the toll it takes on herself (as she tries to conform) and her loved ones (who ache to watch her go). She tracks down estranged family in search of her lost mother, and recalls the coldness (and strength) of her paternal grandmother who raised her. She builds a rapport with the crew whose ship she boards, and for once in her life, finds a place where she does not feel the need to run from. It paints a heartbreaking portrait of a woman who spent her whole life finding happiness, and the trials she goes through to carve it out for herself. It is a story of love, most of all, and the love for things that are long gone.
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
bugle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Suicide, Car accident, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Miscarriage and Sexual assault
purplemuskogee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
4.0
Moderate: Animal death
vanesst's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual assault and Vomit
mirandalikesbooks's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
That being said I found myself rooting for Franny even with all her self destructive behavior. The impulse to be wildly free and to ignore problems and to grapple with internal guilt are all very relatable feelings for me.
In some ways I feel like this book was speaking directly to me.
I'd recommend it if you like a book with a journey and a slew of complicated characters.
Graphic: Car accident and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Animal death, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
brookebatesratesbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Death, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent