sauropodlets's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
susie_m's review against another edition
2.0
Interesting fictionalised piece of history about the island of Spinalonga just off Crete and the people living on it or nearby. Spinalonga was a leper colony until the 1950s and the book is crammed with facts about that and the Cretan way of life in the last century to the point that some of the sentences feel as if they were lifted directly from Wikipedia. It is a long book yet I didn’t feel that I understood the motivations or feelings of any of the characters. I viewed it all as an outsider perhaps because the story was told by one villager who had been there throughout but wasn’t one of the main protagonists. The author seemed to actively set up moments of jeopardy and then forget about them. In all it felt a clunky read about a fascinating piece of social history.
emmamolyneux's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
megangrb's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nancy_spr's review against another edition
1.0
Less tell, more show. Επίσης η αφηγήτρια καλό θα ήταν να έχει pov σε αυτού του είδους τα βιβλία και να μην μεταπηδά από τον έναν χαρακτήρα στον άλλο, χάνεται η ανάγκη να μαντέψεις συναισθήματα και τα έχεις όλα στο πιάτο.
flowerpowerdower's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
ecclescake's review against another edition
5.0
I LOVED this book and didn't want it to finish. I made a few wrong guesses about the outcome, which I think's always a good thing. I don't like things to be too predictable.
abeth_parker's review against another edition
3.0
After a bit of a slow start, I almost gave up. (I'll say it again. 54 pages is too much to get through before the actual story) But, I knew that what must surely be the better part of the story was in there somewhere, so I persevered. It was fascinating to read about leprosy and a leper colony in more modern times. I'm not sure how much of the book is based in fact, but the idea of a true community with shops, homes, a library, and a hospital makes you realize how industrious and (mostly) healthy the people in a leper colony would have been. I liked the story of the main family as their lives unfolded just a couple of miles from the island. There were several unexpected twists and turns along the way. Overall, a really good read.
mary_r_m's review against another edition
4.0
A beautiful story. If you liked "Moloka'i " you will probably like this too.