mazza57's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book as an ARC from netgalley and I am not sure if i would have picked it up in a bookshop but I am very glad I have had the opportunity to read it.
This is a book with the most interesting narrative style that I have read for a long time. None of the characters are named although the children both use nicknames with each other. There are stories within stories some of which were difficult to grasp but all of which drove the narrative forward. The characters take on a journey in more ways than one. Quite apart from the journeys to record a "soundscape" of native Americans or examine the plight of children lost in their escape from Mexico to America there is a personal journey on the part of the characters.
It is very complex at times I felt they were selfless and encompassed life in the ways they interacted with each other and at times it felt as though they were very selfish.
There was a point in the book when I felt it lost its way a little - where the boy started to tell the story to the girl but the author did bring it back and i can see why it was done this way.
I am not sure how i would categorise this book - perhaps "Faction" as it reads as a novel with a strong basis in fact
This is a book with the most interesting narrative style that I have read for a long time. None of the characters are named although the children both use nicknames with each other. There are stories within stories some of which were difficult to grasp but all of which drove the narrative forward. The characters take on a journey in more ways than one. Quite apart from the journeys to record a "soundscape" of native Americans or examine the plight of children lost in their escape from Mexico to America there is a personal journey on the part of the characters.
It is very complex at times I felt they were selfless and encompassed life in the ways they interacted with each other and at times it felt as though they were very selfish.
There was a point in the book when I felt it lost its way a little - where the boy started to tell the story to the girl but the author did bring it back and i can see why it was done this way.
I am not sure how i would categorise this book - perhaps "Faction" as it reads as a novel with a strong basis in fact
wombatwolf's review against another edition
2.0
The boy went to the bathroom and took a poop.
Maybe his poop was a poop on western society, the splash of the toilet a sonic reckoning with our collective guilt as a nation of lonely families, torn apart by desires, the echoes of our voices, of our bowel movements, inhabiting the spaces between us. I think back to my college days, reading deep literary figures, and I imagine the boy knows more about life than any of us, as we go on this road trip to our inevitable end.
Mommy, I took a poop. But there's no toilet paper, the boy says.
I think about this. I agree with him. Maybe he knows something we don't, this child, who knows that there is no toilet paper in the world, this world that resounds with people crying for need, with marriages crying for rectification. The sounds of his words bounce into my ears, and I wonder how wise he is.
Maybe his poop was a poop on western society, the splash of the toilet a sonic reckoning with our collective guilt as a nation of lonely families, torn apart by desires, the echoes of our voices, of our bowel movements, inhabiting the spaces between us. I think back to my college days, reading deep literary figures, and I imagine the boy knows more about life than any of us, as we go on this road trip to our inevitable end.
Mommy, I took a poop. But there's no toilet paper, the boy says.
I think about this. I agree with him. Maybe he knows something we don't, this child, who knows that there is no toilet paper in the world, this world that resounds with people crying for need, with marriages crying for rectification. The sounds of his words bounce into my ears, and I wonder how wise he is.
sophiemichelle34's review against another edition
2.0
Really didn’t like the first 2/3rds or so of the book - the writing style just didn’t sit with me.
However, the last section of the book I really loved.
However, the last section of the book I really loved.
sonireads's review against another edition
2.0
A family goes on a road trip from New York to Apacheria - the place Apaches once called home. In the car they sing, play games and enjoy themselves but on the radio there is news about the "immigration crisis" where thousands of kids are getting lost or detained trying to cross the border. At the same time, the family is on the brink of a crisis of their own, with both parents trying to branch off in different directions.
This book was different to most that I've read. I think the topic of displaced children was very current and relevant but unfortunately, it was overshadowed by the road trip of this dysfunctional family. The parents were very self-centred, and frankly, quite miserable. I really felt for the kids, who were just taken along for the ride of their parents' whims. I would have much rather the story from the perspective of the children who were displaced.
I received this book as a host of The Gloss. It was our November read.
This book was different to most that I've read. I think the topic of displaced children was very current and relevant but unfortunately, it was overshadowed by the road trip of this dysfunctional family. The parents were very self-centred, and frankly, quite miserable. I really felt for the kids, who were just taken along for the ride of their parents' whims. I would have much rather the story from the perspective of the children who were displaced.
I received this book as a host of The Gloss. It was our November read.
llybrown's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
letterbetty's review against another edition
4.0
It’s definitely a slow burn, but I liked the archival approach. The ending was excellent, and I suspect I’ll like it more as I think about it. Changing the perspective more often would have made it even bette.
maureenmcc's review against another edition
4.0
Beautifully written book, deep and dense. It took me a bit to get into the rhythm of it, but once I did, it had an almost hypnotic, meditative quality to it. Lots to unpack here.
sofiam99's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0