Reviews

Nation by Terry Pratchett

rjea's review against another edition

adventurous funny inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

amarnareads's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.5

sukhmel's review against another edition

5.0

I am no good reviewer, and usually I cannot think of something to say beyond getting a good or bad impression on something.

But this time I feel obliged to say that this is a really deep book, I think it can influence it's readers and inspire them to be better than they were before. It speaks of death and calamity, but it is in fact a very humanely done, so that the highlight is on an expectation of a bright future and finding our place in the world rather than grieve and sorrow. It is very nice that the most touching parts are not great troubles, but on the opposite some small details that can not be viewed as troubling in any way.

I would recommend this book to anyone, it has some retro air about it but that does not feel like a stale story, more like a touch of style.

liakeller's review against another edition

4.0

I was completely ready to hate the book and dreaded opening it for book club. Dang if it didn't draw me in with the wonderful characters, science, new socieites and survival. Very strange. Very, very strange. Filled with barfing birds, a ghost girl, a tsunami, death dolphins and very strong papervines.

zoezie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

shrimpy's review against another edition

lighthearted relaxing fast-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

4.5

mdreadsandreviews's review against another edition

5.0

Previously had this as a 4/5. Upon re-reading, I think I understand why Sir. Terry Pratchett considered this the best book he'd ever written. Mau faces the complete destruction of his home and family and yet finds something inside that pulls him to rebuild his nation. With poignant, yet unvarnished, depictions of death as well as the pensive undercurrent common to all STP books, this is one of those "technically the publisher says young adult, but what do publishers know anyway?" books.

mlesmile's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted relaxing 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? Yes

5.0

Just brilliant 👏🏻 

celiapowell's review against another edition

5.0

I loved this book. What a fantastic departure from Discworld. "Nation" isn't quite set in today's world - we spend most of the book on an island in the South Pelagic Ocean, which might be something like the Pacific Ocean, except not quite. Mau, a young boy off on his manhood quest, return to his island home to find it devastated by an enormous wave, a tsunami. Daphne, a young English girl, is also marooned on the island, after the ship she was travelling on is washed up on its shores. Gradually, the "ghost girl" and the "savage" get to know one another, and come together to care for the other remnants of villages who come to their shore. Until the fires of the Nation draw cannibals to the beach...

I loved Daphne and Mau - Mau's reaction to his devastated village is handled so perfectly. While there are certainly some very funny moments in "Nation" (this is Pratchett, after all), this isn't a comedic novel like the Discworld books are. It's tragic in parts, funny in other, very human and wonderful.

corinna_naso's review against another edition

This book has been my favorite for a long time, with good reason. While many novels in this genre typically draw conflict from the protagonist versus nature, Nation involves the rebuilding of a community after a disaster. It's poignant, lovely, and one of the few books I own that I can't lend out, because I can't bear to part with it.