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heytaytayhey's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Blood and Murder
Minor: Sexual content
torturedreadersdept'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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
sarahfeller'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
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
tallhousecookies's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Gun violence and Sexual content
samburkhouse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Cancer, Gun violence, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, and Car accident
Minor: Confinement, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Pregnancy
sadiejericho's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Medical content, Car accident, Murder, Pregnancy, and War
Minor: Torture
kabornman's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I also felt this was a good setting for more native representation, but with Large Marge’s character coming dangerously close to the magical negro / mammy trope, it’s probably best they were minimally included.
Ultimately, I’ll hold on to my love for the beginning and give more books by Hannah a try, but unlikely to recommend.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Fatphobia, Sexual content, and Pregnancy
kelly_e'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
4.25
Author: Kristin Hannah
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: February 6, 2018
T H R E E • W O R D S
Emotional • Layered • Atmospheric
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Alaska, 1974. Ernt Allbright came home from the Vietnam War a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes the impulsive decision to move his wife and daughter north where they will live off the grid in America's last true frontier.
Cora will do anything for the man she loves, even if means following him into the unknown. Thirteen-year-old Leni, caught in the riptide of her parents' passionate, stormy relationship, has little choice but to go along, daring to hope this new land promises her family a better future.
In a wild, remote corner of Alaska, the Allbrights find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the newcomers' lack of preparation and dwindling resources.
But as winter approaches and darkness descends, Ernt's fragile mental state deteriorates. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own.
💭 T H O U G H T S
As an avid historical fiction reader, it will come as no surprise that Kristin Hannah is a favourite author of mine. I knew The Great Alone was going to be just as hard hitting emotionally as The Nightingale, yet covering a completely different time and place. And it certainly delivered.
Hannah has an incredible gift in delivering horrific, yet beautiful stories that cut right to the heart. In this case, the lives of the Allbrights go from dark to darker. When a book can take the reader on such an emotional journey, it is the sign of a good book. And this one does that. It made me angry, it made me sad, it made me empathic, and it made think. The characterization is fantastic. In fact, the author brings Alaska to life, making it its very own character. I felt the heard reality and beauty of the wilderness, which mirrored the plot. Additionally, Hannah paints a realistic picture of the struggles of post-war America, capturing the history, the environment, and the culture of 1970s Alaska.
The relationships are another standout with one of the most genuine pictures of the unbreakable bond mother and child. My heart was with Leni and her mother through the whole story, and I could understand the internal struggles of each. Additionally, the community and family aspect were incredibly well done.
My one criticism would have to be the ending. With so much time spent getting to know the setting, the characters, and having the story sink deeply into my bones, the ending felt rushed and jumbled. Considering the build up, it simply left me feeling less than satisfied, something I am not used to with Hannah's books.
Overall, The Great Alone is a heartbreaking, yet beautiful story of life's fragility, of survival and resilience, and most importantly, of love. While I cannot say this is my favourite of her works, it still had me completely immersed and took me on a deeply emotional journey with the characters. I will continues to make me way through her backlist, and look forward to her next novel.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Kristin Hannah devotees
• historical fiction readers
• mother/daughter trope lovers
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"In the silence, Leni wondered if one person could ever really save another, or if it was the kind of thing you had to do for yourself."
"You don’t stop loving a person when they’re hurt. You get stronger so they can lean on you."
"Nature never deceives us; it is always we who deceive ourselves."
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Animal death, Cancer, Confinement, Death, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cursing, Racism, Sexual content, Vomit, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and War
PTSD, domestic violencedeagaric's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Like other Kristin Hannah books I've read, this one found a hundred different ways to break my heart. It follows Lenora Allbright, a 13-year-old who moves from Seattle to a small town in Alaska in the 1970s when her father spontaneously inherits a property there. Her father is a Vietnam veteran and prisoner of war, who's severe PTSD makes it difficult for him to keep his temper or hold down a job, and her mother who is madly in love with him regardless of those faults.
Lenora and her parents are entirely unprepared for the Alaskan wilderness, and the first third of the book is beautifully written tale of survival and personal growth. That quickly changes as Lenora and her mother find that the long, dark Alaskan winter means that they are trapped in a small cabin with a patriarch who's stress response is violence. With a police station a boat ride away and neighbors acres apart, the book follows the Allbrights across 5 years of struggles with mental health, paranoia, domestic violence, and a star-crossed teen relationship.
Overall, I give the book a 4.75, rounded to 5. Would have been a 5+ read if it wasn't for the last few chapters that follow Lenora into her 20s. That part felt a bit soapy to me and some events felt avoidable and frustrating (seriously,
Some of the domestic violence in the book is explicit and hard to read, but the story is impactful and will stick with me. Beautiful, descriptive portrayal of the wonders and dangers of Alaska and the strength of the human spirit.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Mental illness, Blood, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Gaslighting, and War
jamiejanae_6's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail