cyndqls's review against another edition
3.0
i thought the prose here was very nice and the overall premise is compelling. there's a lot of interesting discussions to, too, especially about language and culture loss. i don't think there was any surprising reveals or anything here, rather this is very steady read that captured decades worth of life. i appreciated the way heavy emotions were handled, but i definitely struggled a bit with the sheer scope of this—i don't think it was overly ambitious, i just had a hard time grasping how much time had passed. i liked this and thought it was well-done, it was just missing something for me.
kaileyfuller's review against another edition
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
kelsee28's review
emotional
sad
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
4.0
ababblingbrooke's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
vinylsunrise's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
mariahthemartian's review
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I’ve seen this book described as a “thriller”, but I wouldn’t call it that at all. I enjoyed this book, but I’m pretty sure anyone going into this book expecting a thriller will be really disappointed and bored. It’s well written, heartbreaking, and bittersweet. Some of the chapters probably could have been a bit shorter, but I overall enjoyed following the life journey of the characters, as sad as it may have been, but I wasn’t exactly on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happens next (and the “mystery” is pretty obviously solved in the very early chapters).
gar42's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
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
3.75
I was hooked immediately, but my interest dwindled in the middle of the book. At times the narrators over explained the lessons they learned, which I don’t enjoy as a plot device.
kmulliki's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
the_midnight_librarian's review against another edition
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
estam1's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.25