lucasgarner's review against another edition
1.0
I didn’t just dislike this book, I actively hate that I spent time of my life with this one. The plot is paper thin and surely not worthy of 450 pages, and all of the characters are so two dimensional you could probably cut them with craft scissors. 90% of the book contains unnecessary scenes, dialogue, and description that gives very little to the reader. We get it, it’s a small town, we get it, they chop down redwood trees, we get it, she really wants another fucking kid. About 60% of the way into the book, there is a glimmer of hope that there will be some kind of plot, but it goes absolutely nowhere, and the ending is a complete emotional undeserved mess. Don’t give this book your tears, it didn’t earn them. Throw this book in the trash instead. I normally don’t hate books, I hated this one.
audriecomfycozy's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
ferris_mx's review against another edition
5.0
Spectacular account of loggers and logging culture in the early (earlier?) days of environmentalism. The correspondence between failure to accept and address climate change and other environmental threats today is direct.
Richly drawn characters in a complex web of relationships that was truly beautiful.
Richly drawn characters in a complex web of relationships that was truly beautiful.
lifewithmisskate's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
michshoe's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
faurenlorste's review against another edition
4.0
Logging country, 1970s. Rich and Colleen are one of the many families whose lives have, for generations, been tied to falling redwood timber, an entire community built around it. But their way of life is suddenly thrown up into the air as the long term effects of the company’s spray herbicides and unsafe logging practice come to light. Lines become drawn with the logging company on one side and environmentalists on the other, turning neighbor against neighbor, and family member against family member.
Usually I’m not a fan of recent historical fiction, but I couldn’t pass up the setting on this one. Huge redwood forests and they’re central to the plot? Yeah I’ll read it. While I absolutely loved that and the character development and how the author told their complex internal struggles, I felt like the first 100-150 pages could have been condensed and the story wouldn’t have been jeopardized. A slow burn type of book, for sure, if you like those types.
Damnation Spring leaves you asking how far you’d go for family, for your job, because some people who are family doesn’t mean they’re worth supporting and family made at work are the ones who are there til the end.
Usually I’m not a fan of recent historical fiction, but I couldn’t pass up the setting on this one. Huge redwood forests and they’re central to the plot? Yeah I’ll read it. While I absolutely loved that and the character development and how the author told their complex internal struggles, I felt like the first 100-150 pages could have been condensed and the story wouldn’t have been jeopardized. A slow burn type of book, for sure, if you like those types.
Damnation Spring leaves you asking how far you’d go for family, for your job, because some people who are family doesn’t mean they’re worth supporting and family made at work are the ones who are there til the end.
winterfinch's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Slow burn but I enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death
bwkramer's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. The writing was a very fresh departure from what I've been reading. The story line was solid with great character development. I really liked the approach the author took of telling the story of bad things from an observer's perspective instead of through the eyes of the person impacted. For some reason it felt more real to me to not have to have the author trying to capture all that emotion and describe it well. Maybe this technique is used more than I recognize, but for some reason I really noticed it in this book and I'm a fan.