Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Harry's Trees by Jon Cohen

3 reviews

atamano's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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welkinvault's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious sad 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

4.25

I loved loved loved this book.  I ended up savouring it, this extraordinary magical realism novel, which I found out to be an enchanting adult fairy tale.  Just get past the grief infused beginning, the sudden catastrophic deaths of two much loved people, and then see the journey.  This fairy tale even has its own wicked wolf.   

I found myself unexpectedly tearing up ten pages towards the end.  Magical! 
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emileereadsbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful medium-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? Yes

5.0

 I don't reread often, but I am doing a postal book club some and somehow none of them had read this book, so I HAD to make this my choice of book to send. But before sticking it in the mail, I wanted to refresh my memory. And boy am I glad I did, it was just as delightful if not more so the second time around. 

This book by definition falls into the genre of adult contemporary fiction, but it has the feeling of some of my favorite other genres. It is incorrectly labeled as magical realism on Goodreads, but it just feels that way, no fantastical magic lies within these pages, just the magic of ordinary life. It has a young protagonist, bounces between perspectives, and has the hope of a middle grade novel. One character has a plot arc that mirrors a coming of age story, but he is fully an adult. There are also stories of love, grief, second chances, the magic of books and libraries, self realization, repentance, revenge, community, and life direction within these pages. All in all it is a real life version of a fairy tale and is a book you will want to hug and then press into the hands of all your friends. 
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