leleroulant's review against another edition
5.0
For my review, please see my blog at http://melsbooksandblatherings.blogspot.com/2013/01/dragon-house-by-john-shors.html
serenaac's review against another edition
"Iris felt as if a unique cultural experience occurred on the back of scooters. She reflected that in America, people drove their cars and rarely even opened their windows. Within cars people tended to be isolated, listening to the radio or maybe talking on the phone to a friend. Cars were people's places of refuge, highly personalized sanctuaries within which Americans often sought escape. Driving a scooter in Vietnam was a completely different experience. In addition to the ease of conversation, the lack of lanes and laws almost mandated that people acted in cooperation. Drivers didn't cut one another off or blast their horns. Though they drove quickly, always looking for the fastest route, if an old woman was trying to cross an impossibly busy street, people braked and weaved around her without a second glance." (Page 184 of ARC)
Iris is just one of the main characters in John Shors' Dragon House and she's had a tough childhood with a mostly absent Vietnam veteran father. Noah, her childhood friend and also a veteran but of the Iraq War, accompanies her to Vietnam as Iris strives to fulfill her father's dream. Through a shifting narrative, readers are shown glimpses of what it means to live on the streets of Vietnam as orphan children with Mia and Minh or as a grandmother Qui raising her leukemia-ridden granddaughter Tam by selling books to American tourists. Dragon House examines how these cultures are misunderstood on both sides and how they clash with one another even in times of peace. Shors deftly mixes sadness with hope to reveal the beauty beneath the grime and compassion inherent in humanity.
"Iris thought about her father, about how he also came home shattered from a war that wasn't of his making. A marriage and a daughter hadn't saved him from his demons. Why would Saigon save Noah? Though Iris was unsure, she knew what her father would say, knew he'd want her to bring Noah." (Page 13 of ARC)
Readers will be blown away by the vivid descriptions of Vietnam and the evolution of the novel's main characters as they find themselves in a foreign land and repurpose their lives to meet the needs of others and fulfill a dream. Shors uses description in a way that conveys deep emotional scaring and how that damage is repaired over time.
"The city was a kaleidoscope of old versus new, memories versus ideas, stone versus chrome." (Page 15 of ARC)
Mia and Minh, who sell fans and gamble with tourists over games of Connect Four, display strength amidst adversity, but like Noah, even the strongest of us have our breaking points. Qui and Tam also display significant strength. In a way these characters offset the deep desolation felt by Noah because they continue to survive and hope, while Noah is steeped in blackness and hopelessness, finding solace in whiskey and pain pills. There is more going on in Dragon House than meets the eye with Iris and Noah preparing a children's center for opening and these children living on the streets. Readers will be absorbed in Shors' world and turn the pages hoping for the best resolution possible.
Iris is just one of the main characters in John Shors' Dragon House and she's had a tough childhood with a mostly absent Vietnam veteran father. Noah, her childhood friend and also a veteran but of the Iraq War, accompanies her to Vietnam as Iris strives to fulfill her father's dream. Through a shifting narrative, readers are shown glimpses of what it means to live on the streets of Vietnam as orphan children with Mia and Minh or as a grandmother Qui raising her leukemia-ridden granddaughter Tam by selling books to American tourists. Dragon House examines how these cultures are misunderstood on both sides and how they clash with one another even in times of peace. Shors deftly mixes sadness with hope to reveal the beauty beneath the grime and compassion inherent in humanity.
"Iris thought about her father, about how he also came home shattered from a war that wasn't of his making. A marriage and a daughter hadn't saved him from his demons. Why would Saigon save Noah? Though Iris was unsure, she knew what her father would say, knew he'd want her to bring Noah." (Page 13 of ARC)
Readers will be blown away by the vivid descriptions of Vietnam and the evolution of the novel's main characters as they find themselves in a foreign land and repurpose their lives to meet the needs of others and fulfill a dream. Shors uses description in a way that conveys deep emotional scaring and how that damage is repaired over time.
"The city was a kaleidoscope of old versus new, memories versus ideas, stone versus chrome." (Page 15 of ARC)
Mia and Minh, who sell fans and gamble with tourists over games of Connect Four, display strength amidst adversity, but like Noah, even the strongest of us have our breaking points. Qui and Tam also display significant strength. In a way these characters offset the deep desolation felt by Noah because they continue to survive and hope, while Noah is steeped in blackness and hopelessness, finding solace in whiskey and pain pills. There is more going on in Dragon House than meets the eye with Iris and Noah preparing a children's center for opening and these children living on the streets. Readers will be absorbed in Shors' world and turn the pages hoping for the best resolution possible.
amyk1's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
cathy1969's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book and how the author was able to make me feel what the characters were feeling! Very rarely do I get emotional in the middle of a book, but you can't help but feel the sadness surrounding the death of two very important people. Two friends, Iris & Noah leave for Vietnam to open a center for children that Iris' father tried to complete before he died. In doing so, they become fast friends with some of the locals and will do anything to help protect the children that need them and the center.
pattydsf's review against another edition
4.0
Maybe it is because I am going to Vietnam in a month; maybe this was just the right book at the right time, but whatever the reason, I really enjoyed this book.
Enjoyed might be the wrong term because there is some real pain in Shors' story. However, I fell into this novel and didn't want to leave. I found engaging characters, a world that I know nothing about and a good story line. Everything I want from a book.
Shors wants his reader to learn about orphans of the world. He is concerned about the plight of children who live on the streets of our world. They are everywhere even in this country. To do this well, an author needs to create people his readers would care about - John Shors succeeds in inventing people that I would love to know, especially the street children.
I would recommend this book to those who might want to know more about Vietnam; definitely to those who care about the children of the world and to anyone who wants a good story.
I am now looking forward to being in Ho Chi Minh City to see if my experience is like Shors. However, I am very concerned about those street children I will meet. I realize the problem is big and I can't make much difference. But I would like to make some difference.
Enjoyed might be the wrong term because there is some real pain in Shors' story. However, I fell into this novel and didn't want to leave. I found engaging characters, a world that I know nothing about and a good story line. Everything I want from a book.
Shors wants his reader to learn about orphans of the world. He is concerned about the plight of children who live on the streets of our world. They are everywhere even in this country. To do this well, an author needs to create people his readers would care about - John Shors succeeds in inventing people that I would love to know, especially the street children.
I would recommend this book to those who might want to know more about Vietnam; definitely to those who care about the children of the world and to anyone who wants a good story.
I am now looking forward to being in Ho Chi Minh City to see if my experience is like Shors. However, I am very concerned about those street children I will meet. I realize the problem is big and I can't make much difference. But I would like to make some difference.
williamd's review against another edition
2.0
Shocking to get to the end and find out it was by a Colorado College graduate who went on to teach in Japan. Good idea and engaging story; bad, bad, bad writing!
More...