Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Zugvögel by Charlotte McConaghy

4 reviews

jourdanicus's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • 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

4.0

Lovely writing, and I really enjoyed the audio. Frannie... Not the most likeable character, and such a well written example of such. I loved the way the narrative went back and forth in time, it was very smoothly and even at times poetically done. 

Climate change, extinction, suicidal ideation, loss... All very dark themes, yes, but woven together so, so well in this book, and I can forgive the darkness for its ending
on a note of hope
. I don't think the themes were handled with cynicism at all which I really appreciate. 

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sebs_gaybooks's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Are the flaws of the main character a main focus of the book?
mmmm, well you could say that *flash through of all Franny's questionable decisions fueled by her immense trauma*

It's been a bit of a cold period in terms of my heart being truly shattered by a book. I haven't had the soul-crushing emotions that come from a devastating read, and I was beginning to think I'd become to tough; not to fret, I do indeed still have some semblance of a heart. And this book reminded me of that fragment I do have left.

god, this book. Migrations, you son of a bitch, how DARE YOU make me feel so many things. It's a rough journey, so if any of the content warnings are triggering, please take heed when reading this. Especially
car accidents, death of loved ones, suicide, and abandonment
.  Plot wise, it does jump around a lot, and I did see from other reviews that it bothered some people, but I personally think the way McConaghy wove it all through so delicately, pieces fell into place so seamlessly. I hesitate to use the words "reveal" as that might indicate towards a  "thriller mystery" sort of book which this is not. Don't come into this thinking the mystery of it all will be a shocking twist. It is and it isn't. The information that's given isn't really, in my opinion, trying to be like a thriller where it's keeping you on your toes with suspense. It's the way we, as the reader, become more and more understanding and increasingly stressed for Franny. And it is shocking. But not in a way that makes you gasp with glee. It's painfully human and real. 

This futuristic dystopian-like world McConaghy created is honestly more terrifying then the most AI centered ones of past and recent. The idea of nearly ALL of wildlife going extinct, it's horrific. And not just because it feels so likely for our current world. The way she writes about silent forests, beaches with no seagulls and the magic of finding a cave with terns nesting. It's the conversations around conservation, but only of species that have a direct positive impact and desirability for humans. That sort of 'environmental savior' purely for the benefit of our own species. 

Franny's desperate fight to see the terns, something that changes meaning with every chapter. And when we get to the end and see the birds, and we know what this means, it was just so hard to read. I have never been one to throw books across rooms with rage or intense passion, mostly because my books comes from the library, but I did gently nudge this book off my bed. 

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bakerreads's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • 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? Yes

5.0

Tragic, haunting, dark, and beautiful.
This story is set in the near future, where most every wild animal is extinct. We follow Franny Stone, an unreliable narrator with a dark past, as she tracks the last known flock of Arctic terns on their final migration.
This story is fairly depressing, but there’s a found family aspect that I just absolutely adored and loved how the characters interacted with one another (for the most part). McConaghy is amazing at writing complex, and realistically flawed characters. This is a story about love, and loss, and finding your place in the world, and I thought it was perfect.

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leopardteeth's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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