Reviews

The Conch Bearer by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

givethatbooknerd's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No

3.5

jasminewang's review against another edition

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4.0

Revisiting old childhood comforts

book_nut's review against another edition

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3.0

Interesting epic Indian fantasy. Not brilliant, but interesting.

mslibrarynerd's review against another edition

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3.0

A good story with a kind male lead, who makes mistakes and is willing to help others. Not a perfect book, but the storytelling was good and i like an adventure set in India.

kashvm's review against another edition

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4.0

Being Indian, I really should read more books set in India / by indian authors.

Loved this book so much. Amazing concept :)

jennreads365's review against another edition

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5.0

What an amazing adventure! A fantastic book, for the whole family.

joyful808's review against another edition

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3.0

The Conch Bearer wasn't as engaging as I would have liked. Having read many young adult books, this was my first venture in Indian culture. It had all the mystery and adventure that I enjoy in the genre, however for me, it's fantasy enjoyment couldn't compare to the likes of Harry Potter or The Goose Girl.

An admirable quote:
When Anand is asked to choose between three virtues.
"I cannot choose just one. The three virtues are connected--one can't exist fully without the other. Without one, the others lose their flavor. Honesty without compassion is too harsh to do any good. Compassion without loyalty lacks power, so you can't help the people you care for. Loyalty without honesty may make you follow the wrong person, or the wrong cause."

dandelionfluff's review

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5.0

I loved this. It has the feel of a comfortable fairy tale. The descriptions of Indian cuisine made me want to go out and experience it myself.

anliena's review against another edition

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2.0

I wanted to like this but the truth is, the kids never got into it. They didn't beg for more like they do for most books and i know when to stop pushing something. The story is good but the characters just didn't grab you.

dostojevskijs's review against another edition

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4.0

“Weeping is not bad. It clears out the heart, making space in it for growth.”

I stumbled upon this book by pure chance, and I'm really glad I did. I'm even a bit sad I didn't stumble upon it earlier, as a kid - because I know I would've absolutely loved it then. But that doesn't mean it wasn't still good. It's a really exciting yet thoughtful adventure that was just a blast to read.