copykat42's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this book.
Possibly I'm bumping it up subconsciously bc so much of it is set in L'Hexagone? (or i just shouldn't've looked at the average stars it's getting... LOL. Although even those would round up to 4; guess I'm just surprised bc i felt i was rounding DOWN a bit.
Possibly I'm bumping it up subconsciously bc so much of it is set in L'Hexagone? (or i just shouldn't've looked at the average stars it's getting... LOL. Although even those would round up to 4; guess I'm just surprised bc i felt i was rounding DOWN a bit.
bags_and_bookz's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you Netgalley, Little, Brown and Company and Emma Donoghue for free e-Arc in return of my honest review.
I love Emma Donoghue. I think her prose is amazing and she always creates beautiful and complex characters.
Akin is a story about an old man, Noah, and a young boy, Michael, they are both left alone in the world, and find some respite in each other. This is a story about revealing secrets from long past, about love and friendship, about family and how complicated they could be.
However, I find it a little bit boring. I managed to guess about Noah's mother activities during WWII in France, and I was sad that he himself thought only mean things about his mother's past. I wondered if it is natural to assume the worst rather than the best for not to be disappointed at the end when all is revealed.
Overall, I enjoyed Akin and hope to read more work of Emma Donoghue.
I love Emma Donoghue. I think her prose is amazing and she always creates beautiful and complex characters.
Akin is a story about an old man, Noah, and a young boy, Michael, they are both left alone in the world, and find some respite in each other. This is a story about revealing secrets from long past, about love and friendship, about family and how complicated they could be.
However, I find it a little bit boring. I managed to guess about Noah's mother activities during WWII in France, and I was sad that he himself thought only mean things about his mother's past. I wondered if it is natural to assume the worst rather than the best for not to be disappointed at the end when all is revealed.
Overall, I enjoyed Akin and hope to read more work of Emma Donoghue.
caitlinwoodington's review against another edition
I read this in preparation for an upcoming trip to Nice. But 4 hours in we’re still not in Nice and I don’t think I can listen to Michael and Noah’s exchanges any more.
jmatkinson1's review against another edition
4.0
Noah has been planning his trip to Nice for a while. Leaving there as a child he wants to visit the graves of his parents, a renowned photographer and his wife. However a call from Social Services throws his plans awry. his Great Nephew Michael will be placed into care if Noah does not take him in. So begins a trip to face family secrets and get to know themselves.
The only Donoghue book I had read before is Room and I hated it so I approached this with a certain degree of cynicism. How wrong I was! Akin is on the surface a multi-generational 'odd couple' road trip which works brilliantly with a sly sense of humour pervading the action. However there is something deeper, Noah is scared of the possibility that his mother was an informer in occupied Nice and having to reassess his opinion, therefore the approach to this subplot is much more sophisticated and rewarding.
The only Donoghue book I had read before is Room and I hated it so I approached this with a certain degree of cynicism. How wrong I was! Akin is on the surface a multi-generational 'odd couple' road trip which works brilliantly with a sly sense of humour pervading the action. However there is something deeper, Noah is scared of the possibility that his mother was an informer in occupied Nice and having to reassess his opinion, therefore the approach to this subplot is much more sophisticated and rewarding.
somei's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
rachielove9's review against another edition
3.0
More of a character study (and a study of Nice) than anything else. I did truly enjoy both main characters and the relationship that developed, as well as the overarching mystery they spend some time tracking. Overall, though, I found myself skimming sections that didn't feel pertinent to my understanding of the plot.
abeth_parker's review against another edition
3.0
I loved Emma Donoghue's historical novels I've read: "The Wonder" and "The Pull of the Stars". I didn't finish "Room" which was modern fiction. So, I picked up "Akin" with some trepidation.
Although the novel had a very slow pace, I kept reading because I was attached to the characters. An elderly gentleman visiting his home town one more time, and a young boy in need of a guardian after his grandmother dies.
I really like Noah, the old man. He takes in young Michael unexpectedly, and puts up with a lot. But he also learns a lot about Michael's life, and his own nephew by extension.
I would love to learn more about Michael's mother. I'm not always up for sequels, but a follow up to this story with Noah, Michael and Michael's mother Amber would be a great read.
I enjoyed it more than I expected.
Although the novel had a very slow pace, I kept reading because I was attached to the characters. An elderly gentleman visiting his home town one more time, and a young boy in need of a guardian after his grandmother dies.
I really like Noah, the old man. He takes in young Michael unexpectedly, and puts up with a lot. But he also learns a lot about Michael's life, and his own nephew by extension.
I would love to learn more about Michael's mother. I'm not always up for sequels, but a follow up to this story with Noah, Michael and Michael's mother Amber would be a great read.
I enjoyed it more than I expected.
jkdehaven's review against another edition
3.0
The book Akin tells the story of an 80-year-old man who suddenly becomes the guardian of his 11-year-old great-nephew. He takes his great-nephew on a previously planned trip to Nice, France, where Noah (the older man) tries to unravel a mystery about his mother during World War II. Through this, Noah and Michael (the boy) try to get to know each other better. I thought that the story was engaging, but I also had several issues with it. I did not think that the portrayal of Michael was totally realistic as a boy coming from the inner city of Brooklyn. I also thought some of the comparisons between World War II, Michael's situation, and the criminal justice system in the US were a bit contrived (although there is certainly a place for critiquing and calling for improvements to the criminal justice system).
I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
geraldine's review against another edition
3.0
old man with an overactive imagination
i liked it even though there was a lot of suspension of disbelief
i liked it even though there was a lot of suspension of disbelief