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jenpaul13's review against another edition
4.0
Raised by a slew of relatives, as in Marilynne Robinson's Housekeeping, with varying expectations for your life will undoubtedly create some confusion for who you are and what your options are.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Young sisters Ruth and Lucille have been exposed to a strange set of circumstances that have provided them a unique upbringing, having been left at their grandmother's prior to their mother's drive off a cliff. After the passing of their grandmother, they are entrusted to the care of their elderly and incredibly particular great-aunts who don't seem to want to raise the girls, and finally they are under the care of their eccentric and transient aunt Sylvie, when questions of the girls' well-being are raised in town. Housed within the family home in the small town of Fingerbone, the girls work to piece together a semblance of normalcy as they grow up and begin to find their place within the world.
The power of this story is in its subtlety and understated manner of raising and beginning to address a variety of larger issues while slowly making its points, creating an opportunity for readers to contemplate further on what was presented. The text is beautifully written and conveys its ideas well; however, as a story that is focused on being character-driven, the characters weren't overly interesting outside of the events that dictated the trajectory of their lives as they worked out who they are and their place in the world.
Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Young sisters Ruth and Lucille have been exposed to a strange set of circumstances that have provided them a unique upbringing, having been left at their grandmother's prior to their mother's drive off a cliff. After the passing of their grandmother, they are entrusted to the care of their elderly and incredibly particular great-aunts who don't seem to want to raise the girls, and finally they are under the care of their eccentric and transient aunt Sylvie, when questions of the girls' well-being are raised in town. Housed within the family home in the small town of Fingerbone, the girls work to piece together a semblance of normalcy as they grow up and begin to find their place within the world.
The power of this story is in its subtlety and understated manner of raising and beginning to address a variety of larger issues while slowly making its points, creating an opportunity for readers to contemplate further on what was presented. The text is beautifully written and conveys its ideas well; however, as a story that is focused on being character-driven, the characters weren't overly interesting outside of the events that dictated the trajectory of their lives as they worked out who they are and their place in the world.
Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
dorianator228's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I personally didn't enjoy this book as much. The descriptions of scenery and background just go on and on and on. A lot of it felt stream of consciousness. I wish it was more to the point.
annasneddon's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
aliyahovert's review against another edition
2.0
there just isn’t much to say about this book. it was pretty boring and i had to put it down constantly in favor of a more entertaining past-time.
cass_keeps_reading's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
bimmbles's review against another edition
2.0
Weird and dark and while I can completely understand the hype, not the type of novel for me!
aducharme4's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-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
jtduncan16's review against another edition
3.0
I added this to my list after seeing it on ‘best of’ list. Reading it in 2018 makes for an interesting perspective on the perils of ‘transience’. Living in San Francisco, where many people are forced into different lifestyles due to the high cost of housing, this paints a bleak picture of the effects that may have during childhood. This is not a fun read, but it is beautiful and at times haunting.
bustyphillips's review against another edition
5.0
This should dislodge C@tcher !n the rye as a book we force high schoolers to read. We’d all be cured…