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kimreadz's review against another edition
2.0
Disappointing
I was disappointed in this book. I read Sarah, and thought it was great. Zipporah was almost as good....this was not nearly as good. If you have read the other 2, you will probably want to read this, but if not....don't bother.
The story is loosely based on the book of Ezra. I'm not sure Lilah is actually mentioned in the Bible, and I can't find her. The book started out very slowly, got interesting enough to continue about halfway through, but had a sudden and horrible ending. Very unsatisfactory!
If this were submitted for a writing class and I was the instructor, I'd be handing it back with big red marks saying, "please try again Marek, I KNOW you can do better!"
I was disappointed in this book. I read Sarah, and thought it was great. Zipporah was almost as good....this was not nearly as good. If you have read the other 2, you will probably want to read this, but if not....don't bother.
The story is loosely based on the book of Ezra. I'm not sure Lilah is actually mentioned in the Bible, and I can't find her. The book started out very slowly, got interesting enough to continue about halfway through, but had a sudden and horrible ending. Very unsatisfactory!
If this were submitted for a writing class and I was the instructor, I'd be handing it back with big red marks saying, "please try again Marek, I KNOW you can do better!"
selmandt's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
elemmire's review against another edition
1.0
The story is boring and poorly written. The use of a letter to explain what has been going on is, for lack of a better word, lame. It would make more sense to call it a journal. And she can write? I found that unlikely.
At first things are fairly normal, love and obstacle to love, but then the plot doesn't really go anywhere until it crashes into a depressing pit of doom and despair.
Lilah's possessive brother doesn't want her to marry the man she loves, supposedly because of the teachings. Then the queen decides she doesn't like the marriage either. So they give up. Which, fine, things aren't working out and probably never will.
What doesn't make any sense is how Lilah is constantly taking care of Ezra, her brother. She feeds him, supports him on many levels, defends what he does to the family. And what dose Ezra do for her? Guards her jealously because of unclear motives and will never take any of her advice. But he still needs her to comfort him and care for him.
Most of the writing is done in third person omnipotent, but conveniently not Ezra. You never know what he is thinking, unfortunately you know what everyone else is... It gets annoying after a while. I really don't care what the hand maid just thought of something that has no significance to the plot.
At first things are fairly normal, love and obstacle to love, but then the plot doesn't really go anywhere until it crashes into a depressing pit of doom and despair.
Lilah's possessive brother doesn't want her to marry the man she loves, supposedly because of the teachings. Then the queen decides she doesn't like the marriage either. So they give up. Which, fine, things aren't working out and probably never will.
What doesn't make any sense is how Lilah is constantly taking care of Ezra, her brother. She feeds him, supports him on many levels, defends what he does to the family. And what dose Ezra do for her? Guards her jealously because of unclear motives and will never take any of her advice. But he still needs her to comfort him and care for him.
Most of the writing is done in third person omnipotent, but conveniently not Ezra. You never know what he is thinking, unfortunately you know what everyone else is... It gets annoying after a while. I really don't care what the hand maid just thought of something that has no significance to the plot.
jgintrovertedreader's review against another edition
3.0
I came home from my last trip to the library with an armful of books based on Bible stories. I guess because it was close to Easter. This one was okay. I read the first book in the trilogy but I missed the second one. I don't think it mattered though; they're all about different women in the Old Testament. I didn't relate to Lilah very well and the ending left me outraged. I don't remember the lesser-known Old Testament stories very well, but did that really happen? I'm going to have to look it up. Anyway, the writing was a little weak. I wound up poring over the title page and publishing info to see if it had been translated from a different language.
ashleysilver7's review against another edition
4.0
This is a great book written about the prophet Ezra, through the eyes of his sister, Lilah. It is a form of midrash, a Jewish word when traditional biblical stories are retold through the woman's perspective. If you're a fan of the bible, and don't mind a little "twist" in the story, this book is for you. If you're not a big fan of the bible, but enjoy historical fiction, you will also enjoy this book. If you're a fan of the bible, and think a "twist" in the story would be offensive, then I do not recommend this book. Happy reading!
amandameowly's review against another edition
2.0
The third and final installment of Marek Halter's Canaan trilogy, Lilah, is lacking. It leaves the reader wanting more, and not in a good way. Lilah felt like a shell of a character, as if she was not all there or fully developed. The ending was a big disappointment and didn't even seem to have a main theme. It leaves the reader lost and wondering what the point of the story was and what we are suppose to take away form Lilah's story.
mokey81's review against another edition
3.0
This was definitely my least favorite of the Canaan trilogy. Lilah was somehow a side character in her own book. When I think about her overall story, it was much more about the people around her. I would have much rather have read about her time outside the walls of Jerusalem where she was obviously beloved according to the epilogue.
This was a disappointing end to the trilogy. Sarah is by far the best.
This was a disappointing end to the trilogy. Sarah is by far the best.
cathuluu's review against another edition
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
mimima's review against another edition
3.0
Pleasant read, nothing spectacular. I enjoyed the way that Ezra's story was brought to life as that is a book of the Bible that I haven't spent a lot of time contemplating.