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shelbmoney13's review against another edition
challenging
inspiring
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.25
I enjoyed that this challenged me as a reader. The author wrote so beautiful and use such great literary devices including imagery and metaphors as well as personification. I am such a romance girly at heart so I wanted more but it was a truthful ending of the times. Not everyone gets a happy ending or even an ending with answers to their qwuestions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Racism, and Rape
readerworm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
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? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Gore, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Murder, War, Classism, and Deportation
enchantingreads_rosyreviews's review against another edition
3.75
"You know the greatest lesson of history? It's that history is whatever the victors say it is. That's the lesson. Whoever wins, that's who decides the history. We act in our own self interest. Of course we do. Name a person or a nation who does not. The trick is figuring out where your interests are."
📻
Reasons why this book is great:
Reasons why this book is great:
- Every sentence and paragraph paints a vivid picture in your head; almost as if creating a world for someone who is unable to physically see it (like the main character, Marie-Laure).
- Definition of a beautifully tragic tale. The author doesn’t shy away from the dark side of war or survival during occupation, but also describes the world to remind us to cherish every day.
- Written as an epic tale, with high-stakes, action, character growth, and drama.
- For anyone who’s a fan of independent films or typical Oscar-nominated films, this story taps into that same general vibe.
Whew! This book is one of those that feeds and starves your soul. It's a hard read because it focuses on tragedy (WW2) and the tough choices regular people have to make in times of extreme circumstances. Although the Netflix series did an AMAZING job adapting this book, there is SO. MUCH. MORE. to absorb from the book. Doerr's descriptive language, epic scenery, unique world-view, and likeable characters are truly something to experience.
Also, this was my first book that I used an audio guide to follow along. Honestly, because of the book's epic-ness, I found myself getting lost in the words/descriptions. Having the audiobook companion to keep me on track with my paperback version, was a great help to stay grounded in the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Physical abuse, Antisemitism, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, and War
Minor: Xenophobia and Death of parent
This book takes place during Nazi occupation in France, bringing all of the historical elements into this story.dinklydoo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Sexual assault, Blood, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
rcarri264's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This book was beautifully written! I really enjoyed the tiny chapters and how the author conveyed the plot almost through mini stories. I’m not a big historical fiction reader, much less and WWII fiction fan, but I liked this book a lot!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, and War
Minor: Rape
kelly_e's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-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? No
3.0
Title: All the Light We Cannot See
Author: Anthony Doerr
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 3.00
Pub Date: May 6, 2014
T H R E E • W O R D S
Daring • Vivid • Dense
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure's reclusive great-uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum's most valuable and dangerous jewel.
In a mining town in Germany, the orphan Werner grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments, a talent that wins him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler Youth, then a special assignment to track the resistance. More and more aware of the human cost of his intelligence, Werner travels through the heart of the war and, finally, into Saint-Malo, where his story and Marie- Laure's converge.
💭 T H O U G H T S
All the Light We Cannot See has sat unread on my shelf for far too long, yet with the release of the mini-series slated for December, I knew there was no better time to finally dive in. My expectations were incredibly high knowing it's beloved by so many, yet the size really had me hesitating. Unfortunately, the timing just wasn't right and my sky high expectations left me feeling unsatisfied and disappointed.
I'll start out by saying the imagery was stunning, the writing was evocative, and the relationship between Marie-Laure and her father was beautiful. I greatly appreciated the way she learned to find her own way in the world. It also paints a realistic depiction of young men being drawn into the Hitler Youth. However, the structure made it hard to follow the story at times, which made it unnecessarily long.
Even though I enjoyed the story overall, I never found myself totally invested. I know part of that was the timing and my expectations, but another part is just poor execution in putting the story onto paper. This is one case where I think I may enjoy the movie more than I did the book and I look forward to watching it sometime soon.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• WWII historical fiction buffs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"But it is not bravery; I have no choice. I wake up and live my life. Don't you do the same?"
"It's embarrassingly plain how inadequate language is."
Author: Anthony Doerr
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 3.00
Pub Date: May 6, 2014
T H R E E • W O R D S
Daring • Vivid • Dense
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure's reclusive great-uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum's most valuable and dangerous jewel.
In a mining town in Germany, the orphan Werner grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments, a talent that wins him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler Youth, then a special assignment to track the resistance. More and more aware of the human cost of his intelligence, Werner travels through the heart of the war and, finally, into Saint-Malo, where his story and Marie- Laure's converge.
💭 T H O U G H T S
All the Light We Cannot See has sat unread on my shelf for far too long, yet with the release of the mini-series slated for December, I knew there was no better time to finally dive in. My expectations were incredibly high knowing it's beloved by so many, yet the size really had me hesitating. Unfortunately, the timing just wasn't right and my sky high expectations left me feeling unsatisfied and disappointed.
I'll start out by saying the imagery was stunning, the writing was evocative, and the relationship between Marie-Laure and her father was beautiful. I greatly appreciated the way she learned to find her own way in the world. It also paints a realistic depiction of young men being drawn into the Hitler Youth. However, the structure made it hard to follow the story at times, which made it unnecessarily long.
Even though I enjoyed the story overall, I never found myself totally invested. I know part of that was the timing and my expectations, but another part is just poor execution in putting the story onto paper. This is one case where I think I may enjoy the movie more than I did the book and I look forward to watching it sometime soon.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• WWII historical fiction buffs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"But it is not bravery; I have no choice. I wake up and live my life. Don't you do the same?"
"It's embarrassingly plain how inadequate language is."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Murder, and War
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Grief, and Abandonment
Minor: Ableism, Cancer, Child death, Mental illness, and Death of parent
PTSDstindex's review against another edition
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Racism, Grief, Religious bigotry, and War
xkwright's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Character development for the two main characters was particularly well done - I wished their stories overlapped more. The missing diamond plotline was initially interesting but didn't feel like it added that much to the book overall.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Genocide, Racism, Antisemitism, Abandonment, and War
Moderate: Child death, Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Death of parent
esjackson's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
The jumping time periods was very confusing at times
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Physical abuse, Violence, Antisemitism, and War
Moderate: Ableism, Cancer, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Murder, and Abandonment
Minor: Cursing and Death of parent
friedeggyolive's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and War
Moderate: Cancer, Hate crime, and Racism