rswan003's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
cad34's review
4.0
This book is so good! It's a really great/fast read.
I love how the author is super descriptive but not to the point of boredom.
This almost seems like a story that you would hear from an old family member and you're just intrigued by the whole story.
I love how the author is super descriptive but not to the point of boredom.
This almost seems like a story that you would hear from an old family member and you're just intrigued by the whole story.
karimorton33's review
2.0
This book was okay for me. Nothing really pulled me into it though, to keep my interest piqued. (Read for Central Book Club)
siobst's review
5.0
Can't wait until this author comes out with more. This was such a beautifully written book.
emilybriano's review
5.0
Amy is an author from my hometown of Morristown, TN. Her book's already getting a lot of good press! I had the pleasure of meeting her at her first reading at Walters State. My friend won an ARC and I borrowed it from her.
I grew up in Morristown, TN, which sounds an awful lot like Millertown, one of the settings in this book. So as I was entered this beautifully crafted novel, I felt like I was returning home again myself. The lives of the characters are not easy, and sometimes their story is hard to read. Further, their lives mirror some of the people I knew of in my hometown and still see around town. So this novel really strikes home for me. Greene really captures the intertwined sadness and beauty of East Tennessee.
The characters are so vividly drawn, that I could see them plain as day. If they made this book into a movie, I could see a lot of famous actors wanting to portray the characters because they are so strongly written and memorable. I thought the dialect was spot on....for anyone who doubts if it's accurate or not. Trust me--people really do talk like that. My grandfather even used to say "They laws" just like Byrdie.
I am eager to see the accolades and attention Amy will undoubtedly receive because she definitely deserves them. I am also eager to read whatever she has next.
I grew up in Morristown, TN, which sounds an awful lot like Millertown, one of the settings in this book. So as I was entered this beautifully crafted novel, I felt like I was returning home again myself. The lives of the characters are not easy, and sometimes their story is hard to read. Further, their lives mirror some of the people I knew of in my hometown and still see around town. So this novel really strikes home for me. Greene really captures the intertwined sadness and beauty of East Tennessee.
The characters are so vividly drawn, that I could see them plain as day. If they made this book into a movie, I could see a lot of famous actors wanting to portray the characters because they are so strongly written and memorable. I thought the dialect was spot on....for anyone who doubts if it's accurate or not. Trust me--people really do talk like that. My grandfather even used to say "They laws" just like Byrdie.
I am eager to see the accolades and attention Amy will undoubtedly receive because she definitely deserves them. I am also eager to read whatever she has next.
lfordham9's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
carstensena's review
3.0
This one doesn't quite live up to its initial promise, but is a good read all the same. Generations of poor Apalachian folks cursed in love.
clarissaruthless's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-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
3.0
The voices of each of the characters are very distinct, but jumping back and forth between both characters and times made it a bit hard to follow. Part 3 is told entirely by one narrator, but without any breaks, it can be hard to get back into the story. The characters are very well developed and I found myself invested in them, but I also felt the book lacked enough resolution for my taste.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Animal death, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Rape
wenwe's review
1.0
Was not in the mood for this book when it arrived from the library. read the first several chapters and sent it packing.
paultypething's review against another edition
4.0
One thing that I've learned from selling books for the past five years is that more often than not, you CAN judge a book by it's cover. That being said, this book needs a new cover. It looks like it wants nothing more than to be bought by middle aged housewives so they can pretend to read it for their book club.
But that was not the case. The writing was beautiful and descriptive and for the most part the characters were all really engaging.
I didn't necessarily like that the second part of the book being placed where it was. It made it a lot harder to sympathize with Myra in part three, even though the horrors she suffered were pretty similar to the shit her children ended up suffering because of her. And I'm not really sure how I feel about the author ending things from John's perspective. It does kind of wrap things up in a way that she couldn't have otherwise done but it also you makes you sympathize with someone she made you think was a total douche in the previous part.
Still, this book was a lot better than I was expecting and something I won't have to feel bad recommending to old ladies that want something for their book club.
But that was not the case. The writing was beautiful and descriptive and for the most part the characters were all really engaging.
I didn't necessarily like that the second part of the book being placed where it was. It made it a lot harder to sympathize with Myra in part three, even though the horrors she suffered were pretty similar to the shit her children ended up suffering because of her. And I'm not really sure how I feel about the author ending things from John's perspective. It does kind of wrap things up in a way that she couldn't have otherwise done but it also you makes you sympathize with someone she made you think was a total douche in the previous part.
Still, this book was a lot better than I was expecting and something I won't have to feel bad recommending to old ladies that want something for their book club.