tommooney's review against another edition
2.0
I was quite disappointed by this in the end. After a promising start it sort of meanders around without reaching a satisfying conclusion.
The opening fable is magnificent, as is the section when we're with Ren, an old woman surviving alone in the wild on a mountain.
But this book struggles (as so many contemporary novels do) when we leave behind a character we've come to empathise with and pick up with other, less interesting characters. It's a hard ask to set aside one storyline and make the reader feel the same about another, then another... Before trying to tie it all up in a nice bow at the end. I don't know why authors do it.
Anyway, this one sort of peters out to a pretty dull ending, where the motivation of the characters - and the writer and reader - have largely withered away.
The opening fable is magnificent, as is the section when we're with Ren, an old woman surviving alone in the wild on a mountain.
But this book struggles (as so many contemporary novels do) when we leave behind a character we've come to empathise with and pick up with other, less interesting characters. It's a hard ask to set aside one storyline and make the reader feel the same about another, then another... Before trying to tie it all up in a nice bow at the end. I don't know why authors do it.
Anyway, this one sort of peters out to a pretty dull ending, where the motivation of the characters - and the writer and reader - have largely withered away.
bennyorme's review
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
randyrasa's review against another edition
3.0
A somewhat moving, though disjointed, fable/fantasy that features some beautiful writing and well-constructed characters.
fionaalanna's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
bundy23's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. Much better than his first book, even though it’s about a magical bird made of water
katiecturn's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
ally_mad01's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
elkcariboubiologist's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Above her the sky was dark and clear, a navy sheet shot through with stars, and with fuzzy clarity she remembered that she loved the mountain.
I am not a fan of dystopia, particularly not those with an environmental element...I feel enough anxiety about our natural world as it is. So it took me a couple years to take a chance on this author. Plain and simple, I was blown away by this book. The story gripped me from the very first page and never let me go. Luckily it was a weekend and I could drop everything and read this over the course of a day.
Counting the crashing cones, watching for changes in the wind, listening for intrusions in the soundscape: these were the only things she had to occupy her. Locked in this quiet, almost meditative state, she succumbed to memory.
The book was well written...beautifully written, in fact. The characters were unique and developed...and linked in ways that added an extra element to the book. I will definitely be reading his debut book in the near future. Would highly recommend this one.
I am not a fan of dystopia, particularly not those with an environmental element...I feel enough anxiety about our natural world as it is. So it took me a couple years to take a chance on this author. Plain and simple, I was blown away by this book. The story gripped me from the very first page and never let me go. Luckily it was a weekend and I could drop everything and read this over the course of a day.
Counting the crashing cones, watching for changes in the wind, listening for intrusions in the soundscape: these were the only things she had to occupy her. Locked in this quiet, almost meditative state, she succumbed to memory.
The book was well written...beautifully written, in fact. The characters were unique and developed...and linked in ways that added an extra element to the book. I will definitely be reading his debut book in the near future. Would highly recommend this one.
booksbecreads's review against another edition
2.0
”But more curious than this was what they saw next: a huge heron, the colour of rain, suddenly emerging from the flood in a fast, steep flight, leaving not even a ripple on the water beneath it. With a languid flap on its wings it came to rest in the crown of the oak, standing over the unlucky farmer, as if on a guard.”
While I seem to be alone on this one I found the story messy until it was too nicely tied together at the end
”Frozen, palled days, drained of hope, stacked one upon one another.”
While I seem to be alone on this one I found the story messy until it was too nicely tied together at the end
”Frozen, palled days, drained of hope, stacked one upon one another.”