virginiacjacobs's review against another edition
5.0
Tawni O'Dell is incredibly talented. I loved this book! It was well-written with interesting characters (Candace Jack is hysterical in a Dowager Countess sort of way).
Having never been a teenage boy, I'm not sure Kyle and Klint were completely realistic, but I felt like they could be--they had enough similarities to teenage boys I've known that the characters worked.
I was able to predict the two things about Klint that cause Kyle to worry (although Kyle doesn't know at the time why he was worried, just that something seemed wrong with his brother), but that is probably more related to how much I read (and how much I read about writing), than any sort of plotting shortcoming.
I was surprised to see, because I have never seen this before, but sometimes the same character would have more than one POV chapter in a row.
Having never been a teenage boy, I'm not sure Kyle and Klint were completely realistic, but I felt like they could be--they had enough similarities to teenage boys I've known that the characters worked.
I was able to predict the two things about Klint that cause Kyle to worry (although Kyle doesn't know at the time why he was worried, just that something seemed wrong with his brother), but that is probably more related to how much I read (and how much I read about writing), than any sort of plotting shortcoming.
I was surprised to see, because I have never seen this before, but sometimes the same character would have more than one POV chapter in a row.
alexblackreads's review against another edition
2.0
At this point, it's really just my fault for continuing to read her books. The juxtaposition of Spanish bullfighters with a tiny coal town in Pennsylvania was an interesting choice, but something that really didn't work for me. It felt jarring whenever they switched between the two, more like I was reading two different books. I did find myself enjoying the characters a little more in this one, but it was still a struggle to get through.
kidsleepy's review against another edition
3.0
This was an interesting read, but I didn't do it justice and rushed through the second half because I had other books I wanted to read.
rcaivano's review against another edition
A very interesting book. It took the look at intersection of lives of a high school baseball player whose father died and a bullfighter who died in the ring many years ago, and the woman who loved them both. It was full of symbolism and insights and wonderful analysis of human nature. A very though-provoking book. I'd like to read it again to get more out of it.
bethanymiller415's review
4.0
When their father is killed in a drunk driving accident, brothers Kyle and Klint are both devastated. They find out that their father left them with almost nothing and that they will have to find a new place to live quickly. Most of the family friends in the small Pennsylvania coal mining town where they live are too poor to take on the responsibility of teenage mouths to feed. Then their mother surprises them both when she shows up for the funeral expecting them to move them back to Arizona with her, her boyfriend and their younger sister Krystal. Neither brother is too excited about moving in with the mother who abandoned them several years ago, especially Klint who tells her that he’ll die before he lives with her again. It’s only out of total desperation that they listen when their friend Shelby suggests that they move in with her eccentric and reclusive great aunt Candace Jack. Neither the boys nor Candace are that thrilled about the situation to begin with, but for various reasons, they all decide to try to make it work. Kyle, who has always been the friendlier and more outgoing of the two, settles in and begins to enjoy his new living arrangements and getting to know Candace. Klint, on the other hand, is completely withdrawn and spends all of his time playing baseball, working and visiting their old house. Nothing and on one, including his younger brother, can bring him out of his depression. The cause of Klint’s grief and anxiety is revealed in a dramatic and surprising conclusion that shows the lengths that people will go to when someone they love is in danger.
Fragile Beasts draws the reader in from the very first sentence, “Manuel Obrador knew that he was dead but understood he had not yet finished dying.” The death of Manuel – the young Candace Jack’s lover – in the prologue is followed immediately by the death of Kyle and Klint’s father in the first chapter. These deaths, both violent and unexpected, set the story in motion, and the beautifully written story does not disappoint – it is full of twists and turns from beginning to end. O’Dell creates characters in Kyle, Klint and Candace that the reader won’t soon forget; they are complex, unique, and completely realistic. The secondary characters, such as the boys’ mother and Candace’s assistant Luis, are all well developed as well. The author’s description of the setting – a coal mining town in Pennsylvania – is realistic and memorable and adds to the atmosphere of desperation and despair. Though there is much grief and heartache in this novel, there is also redemption and reawakening. Fragile Beasts is definitely a worthwhile read and highly recommended for adults and mature high school students.
Fragile Beasts draws the reader in from the very first sentence, “Manuel Obrador knew that he was dead but understood he had not yet finished dying.” The death of Manuel – the young Candace Jack’s lover – in the prologue is followed immediately by the death of Kyle and Klint’s father in the first chapter. These deaths, both violent and unexpected, set the story in motion, and the beautifully written story does not disappoint – it is full of twists and turns from beginning to end. O’Dell creates characters in Kyle, Klint and Candace that the reader won’t soon forget; they are complex, unique, and completely realistic. The secondary characters, such as the boys’ mother and Candace’s assistant Luis, are all well developed as well. The author’s description of the setting – a coal mining town in Pennsylvania – is realistic and memorable and adds to the atmosphere of desperation and despair. Though there is much grief and heartache in this novel, there is also redemption and reawakening. Fragile Beasts is definitely a worthwhile read and highly recommended for adults and mature high school students.
menfort's review against another edition
4.0
There were so many layers to this story, the characters were all well developed, and each narrator had a definitive voice.
debs71d4e's review
4.0
At first I was hesitant to read this novel because Back Roads left me extremely unsettled. Having just finished, I'm very glad I chose to give it a shot. While O'Dell definitely has plot devices she returns to again and again, her characters are always multi-dimensional and compelling. The plot of Fragile Beasts isn't necessarily predictable and I enjoyed the narrative style (multiple first person POVs).
More...