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ryner's review against another edition
emotional
fast-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? Yes
3.0
Wren Bird and her family live so far up their West Virginia mountain that they fly under the government radar — Wren has never attended school and doesn't even have a birth certificate. Her father makes a meager living as a preacher who "takes up serpents" and doesn't like strangers coming around. In this multigenerational story Burns weaves together a family saga of secrets, shame and tragedy.
Funny, I forgot what this book was about during the 3+ years that elapsed between putting it on my TBR and actually reading it so I came to it blindly, which is often a welcome, refreshing surprise, and it was in this case. The narrative is riveting and I didn't want to stop reading. One detail that felt like a plot hole was no one asking how Flynn acquired a baby.
Funny, I forgot what this book was about during the 3+ years that elapsed between putting it on my TBR and actually reading it so I came to it blindly, which is often a welcome, refreshing surprise, and it was in this case. The narrative is riveting and I didn't want to stop reading. One detail that felt like a plot hole was no one asking how Flynn acquired a baby.
dinah56's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of this best books I’ve read. A beautifully written story - a women’s story- told by three women whose lives are entwined. Set in the coal mining hills of West Virginia, it is a book about faith, strength, love, and moonshine. Haunting characters whose voices tell so many heartbreaking truths about how hard life can be, and the importance of having people who love us and will always have our backs.
gwendolynruth's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
khughesreads's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
emmakingleberry's review against another edition
5.0
There was something captivating and marvelous about Shiner, a spinning narrative of personal growth and aging in a West Virginia community deeply rooted in the moonshine business. The female characters in Shiner were strong and brave, but ultimately a product of their male-dominant environment. The evolution of their thinking was both devastating and understandable, ultimately assimilating into the community they wrestled against for so long. The men in Shiner play important roles, but the book is truly a portrait of the three women and their experience growing up in this West Virginian community.
ime_aldava's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
mamakbear1116's review against another edition
2.0
You know how you might hate-watch a show to see what happens...I hate-read this book and was so disappointed.
freedo8quigly's review against another edition
2.0
This took effort to finish. I had to restart it cause my mind kept wandering as I listened. No idea what the purpose of this story is, or what actually happened.
mnm1015's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0