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avisreadsandreads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Abandonment
Minor: Animal cruelty, Dementia, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
kelly_e's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Title: Astra
Author: Cedar Bowers
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3.5
Pub Date: June 1 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Original • Evolving • Layered
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Born on an isolated commune in rural British Columbia, from a very young age Astra learns to fend for herself. Growing up without a mother, and a father who is distant, Astra's life intersects with many different people over the years as she lives an unconventional life and searches for her identity. A story of relationships and the power struggles within them, and of love and family.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Cedar Bowers has delivered a complex debut novel focusing on the life of one character, Astra, in a truly unique way; through the eyes of a different character in each of the ten sections. Although, this isn't a structure I tend to enjoy, it works here. The flow takes some getting used to as each new section jumps in time and place. But taken together as whole the section weave a character portrait unlike any other. It is the story of one manipulative and guarded, yet vulnerable and broken woman, as seen through the eyes of others.
While the character development and writing are strong, and the picture the author paints of relationship dynamics engrossing, I felt the plot itself lacking as it read more like a biography or a collection of short stories than a novel. If you enjoy this time of story then this one is definitely worth checking out. Astra is a solid debut and I look forward to seeing where Cedar Bowers goes from here.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of Olive Kitteridge
• readers who enjoy a good character profile
• anyone looking for a solid debut
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"But that's just it: you buy anything under the sun, but when you scavenge and recover an item of value, or when you work really hard and build something that's tangible, that's lasting, there's nothing more satisfying."
"She's always been capable of finding beauty in what ordinary people plow right over."
"We're one human life stacked on top of the traumas and the tragedies of another."
Author: Cedar Bowers
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3.5
Pub Date: June 1 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Original • Evolving • Layered
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Born on an isolated commune in rural British Columbia, from a very young age Astra learns to fend for herself. Growing up without a mother, and a father who is distant, Astra's life intersects with many different people over the years as she lives an unconventional life and searches for her identity. A story of relationships and the power struggles within them, and of love and family.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Cedar Bowers has delivered a complex debut novel focusing on the life of one character, Astra, in a truly unique way; through the eyes of a different character in each of the ten sections. Although, this isn't a structure I tend to enjoy, it works here. The flow takes some getting used to as each new section jumps in time and place. But taken together as whole the section weave a character portrait unlike any other. It is the story of one manipulative and guarded, yet vulnerable and broken woman, as seen through the eyes of others.
While the character development and writing are strong, and the picture the author paints of relationship dynamics engrossing, I felt the plot itself lacking as it read more like a biography or a collection of short stories than a novel. If you enjoy this time of story then this one is definitely worth checking out. Astra is a solid debut and I look forward to seeing where Cedar Bowers goes from here.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of Olive Kitteridge
• readers who enjoy a good character profile
• anyone looking for a solid debut
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"But that's just it: you buy anything under the sun, but when you scavenge and recover an item of value, or when you work really hard and build something that's tangible, that's lasting, there's nothing more satisfying."
"She's always been capable of finding beauty in what ordinary people plow right over."
"We're one human life stacked on top of the traumas and the tragedies of another."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Abandonment
substance misuse