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wordsmithreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Wood is time captured. A map. A cellular memory. A record. This is why, Liam believes, carpenters like himself will never go out of business. Because people will always keep wood close: in our houses and on our floors, ceilings, and walls; in our trusted canes and our finest musical instruments; in our heirloom tables and old rocking chairs; and, most tellingly, in the very capsules that ease our journey into the ground. When carpenters call a piece of wood clear, they mean it is free of knots and wanes and blemishes. And during his many years of fussing over wood, cutting it to exact lengths and lovingly fitting it together just right, all before buffing it to a soul-warming shine, Liam Greenwood has often thought that people like clear wood best because they need to see time stacked together. Years pressed against years, all orderly and clean. Free from obstruction or blemish. The way our own lives never are.
Moderate: Ableism, Drug use, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Cancer, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, and Suicide
feathery's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Cursing, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Vomit, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Outing
Minor: Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Outing
hmatt'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
5.0
It starts slower than I usually enjoy, but the characters really grew on me. I wasn't expecting the depth in the characterizations and the nuance within each character's storyline.
The writing style plus the Canadian-centric setting really reminded me of Emily St. John Mandel, except perhaps more developed with a better plot than most of her work (sorry, I love her writing, but Station Eleven is a clear outlier when it comes to a solid plot).
I know this is a book that I will read again - I'm sure it's one of those ones where you notice so many more little details on the re-read. And I love that there's a book club kit for it (that has recipes).
Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, Police brutality, and Murder
Minor: Bullying and Emotional abuse