kookie9200's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.
Simrin and Arjun grew up in Ananda, a cult. They run away when she is 15, and lose touch. Their time in Ananda shapes their lives in different ways, with Simrin becoming a photojournalist and a mother, and Arjun marrying and opening his own commune, Meadowlark. But is Meadowlark innocent or sinister?
This book is told in different voices, but they all sound the same. They aren't distinct enough, and if you don't read whose POV you are in, you don't know. Also, there is no real action in this book until the last fourth of it, and then it's just over. There's no real resolution, no tying up loose ends, just an abrupt end, and a chapter from one of the children, now grown. It wasn't satisfying.
Arjun is the only character that I felt as though I understood, but that's what keeps the novel unbalanced as well, because he looms over all the women, even in their own narration. Perhaps the point in the book, to show how he sees himself as godlike and transfers that to everyone else, but the other characters are also instrumental in what happens in Meadowlark and it's downfall, and should have autonomy as well. I wanted more, and I just never got it.
Simrin and Arjun grew up in Ananda, a cult. They run away when she is 15, and lose touch. Their time in Ananda shapes their lives in different ways, with Simrin becoming a photojournalist and a mother, and Arjun marrying and opening his own commune, Meadowlark. But is Meadowlark innocent or sinister?
This book is told in different voices, but they all sound the same. They aren't distinct enough, and if you don't read whose POV you are in, you don't know. Also, there is no real action in this book until the last fourth of it, and then it's just over. There's no real resolution, no tying up loose ends, just an abrupt end, and a chapter from one of the children, now grown. It wasn't satisfying.
Arjun is the only character that I felt as though I understood, but that's what keeps the novel unbalanced as well, because he looms over all the women, even in their own narration. Perhaps the point in the book, to show how he sees himself as godlike and transfers that to everyone else, but the other characters are also instrumental in what happens in Meadowlark and it's downfall, and should have autonomy as well. I wanted more, and I just never got it.
procnesflight's review against another edition
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Set over a course of three days with 4 different pov. Kept me turning the pages but not much to think about now that it’s over
kitty_kat21's review
2.0
I read this on Kindle as part of the Amazon First Reads program and unfortunately it was not for me. Literary fiction is not my favourite genre as I find the writing style a bit too meandering with very little plot, and this book was no exception. It did not resonate with me and I found it boring.
editrix's review against another edition
This was totally riveting, and I sped right through it. If you like plot-driven narratives that also feature thoughtful characters, and/or stories about cults (and the ways in which some things are cultish that we might not think of as cultish), and/or writing that’s smart without being self-congratulatory and cinematic without being cheesy, for sure check this out. It feels current but also fresh—a story that’s wholly its own instead of derivative for marketing purposes. Brb, off to get my hands on the author’s previous book.
aneides's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
The story was interesting. Kids and cults: whose interest wouldn't be piqued, amirite? And each chunk of the story was told well--the portions covering the protagonists' childhoods as well as those in the "present day."
However, there was something not quite right about the pacing of the story. Events seem to run after one after another at a brisk clip--and are told pretty completely--without the slow leaking of information, the suspense-building cryptic statements (to be explained later) I have come to expect of certain literary genres. The reader surely knows from the get-go that a novel set on a cult's compound won't end well, so perhaps that's why the author dispensed with the slow-leak strategy. What I didn't quite buy was the antagonist's transformation, or rather, the changes in others' perception of him. The hero's descent was the real story, and his friend's and daughter's disillusionments with Arjun were not told in a way that convinced me. (The wife's was, though.)
Nonetheless, a pretty good yarn.
The story was interesting. Kids and cults: whose interest wouldn't be piqued, amirite? And each chunk of the story was told well--the portions covering the protagonists' childhoods as well as those in the "present day."
However, there was something not quite right about the pacing of the story. Events seem to run after one after another at a brisk clip--and are told pretty completely--without the slow leaking of information, the suspense-building cryptic statements (to be explained later) I have come to expect of certain literary genres. The reader surely knows from the get-go that a novel set on a cult's compound won't end well, so perhaps that's why the author dispensed with the slow-leak strategy. What I didn't quite buy was the antagonist's transformation, or rather, the changes in others' perception of him. The hero's descent was the real story, and his friend's and daughter's disillusionments with Arjun were not told in a way that convinced me. (The wife's was, though.)
Nonetheless, a pretty good yarn.
cultchahack's review against another edition
3.0
A very easy, enjoyable read that struggles in the final third.
Cults, parenthood and the hangovers of a stifled upbringing are the strongest elements explored by Melanie Abrams here. She does (what feels like) an authentic job of tracking the good intentions of alternative community living spooling out into the dawning realities of its pitfalls.
The pressure of a parent on the tiny choices they make for their child are carefully explored, especially with children who may be susceptible to different environments. Particularly perceptive is the focus on parents whose own issues may influence their children and by reacting against their own childhood, what additional problems might that cause? It's not a central plot point but something that stood out.
The role of photography, revealing truth and 'going viral' were very weak. It becomes the crux of the narrative which might have been workable but it's described with hardlyany detail, just broadbrush 'oh this will go viral in 15 minutes' or that some photos of some happy children might exonerate a criminal enquiry into child abuse! The end of the novel is ludicrous and has a character spiral out of control in such a slapdash finish.
Lots of the narration comes from very young female children that completely misunderstands the worldliness and means of storytelling that they would be capable of as a 6 or 13 year olds. Slightly out of Abrams experience it would suggest. This would be fairly harmless but again they affect key aspects to the resolution. If this is the case, it must be more credible and purposeful. It all becomes a little carried away, but not in a good way.
A fine airport style read with some compelling themes and plenty of intrigue. It fails in some aspects of plausibility towards the denouement and therefore a loss of interest combined with some inexperienced authorship producing inauthentic character choices. Much better when building a story that combining and concluding ideas and characters.
Cults, parenthood and the hangovers of a stifled upbringing are the strongest elements explored by Melanie Abrams here. She does (what feels like) an authentic job of tracking the good intentions of alternative community living spooling out into the dawning realities of its pitfalls.
The pressure of a parent on the tiny choices they make for their child are carefully explored, especially with children who may be susceptible to different environments. Particularly perceptive is the focus on parents whose own issues may influence their children and by reacting against their own childhood, what additional problems might that cause? It's not a central plot point but something that stood out.
The role of photography, revealing truth and 'going viral' were very weak. It becomes the crux of the narrative which might have been workable but it's described with hardlyany detail, just broadbrush 'oh this will go viral in 15 minutes' or that some photos of some happy children might exonerate a criminal enquiry into child abuse! The end of the novel is ludicrous and has a character spiral out of control in such a slapdash finish.
Lots of the narration comes from very young female children that completely misunderstands the worldliness and means of storytelling that they would be capable of as a 6 or 13 year olds. Slightly out of Abrams experience it would suggest. This would be fairly harmless but again they affect key aspects to the resolution. If this is the case, it must be more credible and purposeful. It all becomes a little carried away, but not in a good way.
A fine airport style read with some compelling themes and plenty of intrigue. It fails in some aspects of plausibility towards the denouement and therefore a loss of interest combined with some inexperienced authorship producing inauthentic character choices. Much better when building a story that combining and concluding ideas and characters.
strangelyfamiliar's review against another edition
4.0
This is definitely a read-in-one-sitting kind of book, though I wasn't totally convinced by the commune leader's leap into Waco territory. It was obvious the story was going there but his motivations were a little thin for me. Still, I thought the author explored poor parenting choices, psychological abuse and childhood trauma really well. If you like books about cults, I recommend checking this one out.
joanner's review against another edition
3.0
I was expecting a lot more oomph, but the story just falls flat. There's a lot of repetition. I didn't understand why both communes were considered so scandalous and required all that public enquiry. Seemed like just a bunch of hippies, nothing dark and sinister about that. Not sure if I missed the deep dark secrets. The ending was rushed as well.
alomie's review against another edition
emotional
fast-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
4.5
Loved this book sat down and read it in nearly one sitting, I ended up staying up very late because I needed to know what was going to happen.
This book was sat in my kindle library for years and I am so glad I finally read it, such a fabulous novel!
Following a child who's Mum takes her to an isolated community that is obviously a cult, her escape and the way her upbringing effects her decions in adulthood.
Also the childhood friend who drags her back to his "community" which has some serious bad publicity.
I enjoyed this, and thought it was an excellent book.
This book was sat in my kindle library for years and I am so glad I finally read it, such a fabulous novel!
Following a child who's Mum takes her to an isolated community that is obviously a cult, her escape and the way her upbringing effects her decions in adulthood.
Also the childhood friend who drags her back to his "community" which has some serious bad publicity.
I enjoyed this, and thought it was an excellent book.