laura_h_77's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this more than I actually did. The premise is terrific, a child abduction told from the other side. A childhood that sounds interesting and challenging, resulting in a restless adult who is constantly moving from place to place and person to person. I found this element fascinating. The problem was the end, where it all seemed to fizzle out a bit. I couldn’t quite grasp how Michaela fitted into it at first, and why she did what she did at the end. I also didn’t really get what the point of the final section in Rome was. So it was just ok for me.
nlallen1's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
readwithchar's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Child abuse
Moderate: Suicide and Transphobia
kklemaster's review against another edition
3.0
You can hear St. John Mandel's unique voice, the lyricism and poeticism that would come to characterize Station Eleven, but the plot is loose in some places and too tightly knotted in others. For a debut novel, it is surprisingly solid, and probably more enjoyable when the reader doesn't have her second novel to compare it to.
randyham's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
lizmart88's review against another edition
4.0
Just as delightful as Station Eleven, but in a very different way.
Converging stories centering around a little girl, Lilia who is kidnapped by her father, from her mother's house, in the middle of the night. They spend her childhood on the run, traveling across America so she isn't returned to her mother.
A detective from Montreal becomes obsessed with the case, but it takes unexpected turns, and changes his personal life. And his daughter Michaela will be forever impacted as she reads his notes and learns about Lilia.
Told with flashbacks, it follows two weeks as Lilia walks out of her current boyfriend's life. Eli follows her to Montréal after a mysterious note and phone call.
Two weeks in Montreal as the reader puts the story of all their lives together.
Excellent storytelling!
Converging stories centering around a little girl, Lilia who is kidnapped by her father, from her mother's house, in the middle of the night. They spend her childhood on the run, traveling across America so she isn't returned to her mother.
A detective from Montreal becomes obsessed with the case, but it takes unexpected turns, and changes his personal life. And his daughter Michaela will be forever impacted as she reads his notes and learns about Lilia.
Told with flashbacks, it follows two weeks as Lilia walks out of her current boyfriend's life. Eli follows her to Montréal after a mysterious note and phone call.
Two weeks in Montreal as the reader puts the story of all their lives together.
Excellent storytelling!
knit_purrrl's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
lini002's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5