Reviews

Chronicles of a Radical Hag by Lorna Landvik

asharak's review

5.0

Do you know the feeling when you open a Whitman's Sampler and you know that although they are all chocolate, each one holds a different flavor, a unique surprise? This is exactly what I thought of while reading "Chronicles of a Radical Hag" - each entry has a slightly different flavor, a unique zing to its story.

Already I am enamored with Haze, the radical hag in question, and her love of a good story. The actual novel is set around clippings of Haze's prolific career as a column journalist and various reader responses. As I read through, I couldn't wait to see the next one and found myself laughing outright at her comments as well as those of the readers. Lorna Landvik has written a winner, this one is coming home!

leasummer's review against another edition

4.0

This was a really enjoyable read. The title grabbed me from the library shelf. It’s written as old newspaper column with commentary written. About the lives she touched, those connected to her through the newspaper, their lives and their trials. It is rather liberal - with recipes.

sadie_reads_alatte's review against another edition

4.0

If you aren't interested in reading "the rantings of a radical hag" this book isn't for you. As for me, Haze Evans is a columnist I could read daily, and a character I wouldn't mind having coffee with. Even while this book touched on a lot of social issue topics, it felt like a light, cozy read. I enjoyed each character and their story. As an added bonus it's based in Minnesota, which I always love.

kevdooli's review

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

slimdot's review

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

kristie5's review

4.0

Chronicles of a Radical Hag (with recipes) by Lorna Landvik really caught me not only with this gorgeous cover but also with the hilarious title. I really enjoyed reading about Haze, and would definitely recommend this novel. The story starts out with Haze, a long time columnist for the Granite Creek Gazette, suffering a stroke and falling into a coma. While in her coma, her publisher decides to fill the void left by Haze's absence by reprinting her past columns along with responses from readers.
This was an absolutely heartwarming story that I couldn't put down and I loved reading about this cast of characters. The novel had a bit of a slow start, however it definitely picks up and was a story that I really enjoyed.

cardinalcardigan's review

3.0

I loved learning about Haze and her life through her own writing. At times, it felt like she was coming out of the book and saying, “Hey this was me. I know that I’ll be gone soon, but I wanted you to know.” Her topics differed greatly and truly captured the way reading the opinion columns in your local newspaper feels. It was also nice seeing how Sam’s female classmates were empowered and inspired by the columns.

sjj169's review against another edition

DNF
This is boring as heck and I'm not gonna read the rest of it.


Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review

annegard's review

hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

jostelljes's review

emotional funny hopeful reflective 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? It's complicated

2.5