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laheath's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"In a long life, there is a singular moment when you know you've made more memories than any new ones you'll ever make. That's the moment your truest stories--the ones that made you the you that you became--are ever more in the front of your mind, as you begin to reach back for the you that you deemed best."
"Because if ever I could claim to have seen the face of God, it was in the colossal faces of the giraffes."
"Storytelling matters now. Emotion matters. Our imagination has become an ecological force."
Moderate: Cursing, Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Racial slurs, Suicide, Murder, Pregnancy, and War
mcdevimm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, and Death of parent
silverhill's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Suicide, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
dwdillydally's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I don't know if the story is tight enough to be my 'book of the year,' but overall, I loved it. Many parts of this book appealed to me:
- Historical fiction
- Road trip story
- Features animals. SPOILER
- Main character is a curmudgeon
- Set during the 1930s / Great Depression
- Variety of scenes set in rural America and a revolving door of interesting weirdos
Two criticisms:
1. The ending rambles a little, but I forgive it because by then, the POV is from an old man with slight cognitive problems. So the tone matches the main character's state-of-mind, but I'm not sure if that was the author's intent or not.
2. The only woman character (human; one of the is female) SPOILER...
Graphic: Gun violence
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Suicide, and Death of parent
Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Medical content, Car accident, and War
chemeducator's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Moderate: Sexism and Death of parent
shesalwaysreading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
justcallmeemily's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Racism, Suicide, and Violence
Minor: Child death, Racial slurs, and Vomit
oceanwriter's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Racism, Suicide, and Violence
Minor: Child death, Racial slurs, and Vomit
latashman's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I read the Author's Note at the end and appreciated this quote from Jon Mooallem, "Storytelling matters now. Emotion matters. Our imagination has become an ecological force".
Graphic: Animal death, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Racism, and Sexism
graceemacee's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Gun violence