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lakiesha's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.75
Unfortunately, this book was quite underwhelming for me.
Taking place at the time of the potato famine in Ireland, I had relatively high expectations for this, hoping that the book would unpack the difficulties of this time. While it also did that, it focused more on the main character, Fergus, than the surrounding social atmosphere.
Throughout this relatively short book, Fergus is in love three times even though the events occur within two years. Theoretically, there is nothing wrong with that but everything just sort of felt rushed and incomplete. Therefore, the books could neither focus on the historical importance and the events taking place properly, nor on the relationships Fergus was having, he was just suddenly in love without any indication of why he felt that way.
In the first 100 pages, Fergus went through so many different things but none of them were discussed properly. This was done to such an extent that it felt like actual time jumps though everything was in theory mentioned but there was no discussion of the surrounding atmosphere, the feelings involved or even the characters that played a role.
Many things also just get offered to him without an explanation as to why that is and considering the fact that the book is taking place at a time of crisis, it was difficult for me to believe certain things and actions.
Overall, I can appreciate what the book was trying to achieve but found the execution lacking.
Taking place at the time of the potato famine in Ireland, I had relatively high expectations for this, hoping that the book would unpack the difficulties of this time. While it also did that, it focused more on the main character, Fergus, than the surrounding social atmosphere.
Throughout this relatively short book, Fergus is in love three times even though the events occur within two years. Theoretically, there is nothing wrong with that but everything just sort of felt rushed and incomplete. Therefore, the books could neither focus on the historical importance and the events taking place properly, nor on the relationships Fergus was having, he was just suddenly in love without any indication of why he felt that way.
In the first 100 pages, Fergus went through so many different things but none of them were discussed properly. This was done to such an extent that it felt like actual time jumps though everything was in theory mentioned but there was no discussion of the surrounding atmosphere, the feelings involved or even the characters that played a role.
Many things also just get offered to him without an explanation as to why that is and considering the fact that the book is taking place at a time of crisis, it was difficult for me to believe certain things and actions.
Overall, I can appreciate what the book was trying to achieve but found the execution lacking.
_mokuren_'s review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
jtlars7's review against another edition
2.0
Very good, but dark. Reminded me of Charles Frazier's _Cold Mountain_ in some ways. Man on a journey suffers one calamity after another, meets people along the way who help him, betray him, or die of typhus. High body count due to violence, disease, famine. (Set during the Irish potato blight disaster.)
homestuckdidnothingwrong's review against another edition
3.0
Tw for very graphic and upsetting depictions of animal abuse
hollysbcbooks's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
bealisa's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
maggie_k's review against another edition
3.0
Always good to read an historical fiction story about Ireland, where I come from. The story gets a bit tired and predictable, but is an enjoyable read that does reflect the general time and the lot of the Irish as immigrants to North America. I found it irritating at times that the characters were stereotypical. Overall, a pleasant read though.
csouth33's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? Yes
4.5
Raw yet poetic historical fiction. Has you rooting for the main character. Makes you question humanity.
librarianonparade's review against another edition
2.0
I thought for a while there that I would really enjoy this book, but after a while I got quite bored. At first I really liked the distant, slightly dreamy, introspective nature of the author's writing, but it quickly got repetitive. This had the potential to be a great book, albeit somewhat cliched - it's about a young boy who loses his entire family during the Irish Famine and ends up in Canada, via an Irish workhouse, an almost stint as a male prostitute in Liverpool, a railroad navvy in Wales and a rough passage across the Atlantic in a coffin ship - but it ended up as a merely average.
bookthia's review against another edition
4.0
This book is a gritty and realistic story of what happened to many poor Irish tenants during the Great Famine in mid-18th century Ireland. Young Fergus O'Brien is turned out from the only home he'd ever known when his tenant-family is brutally burned in their beds by the landlord. Fergus is exposed to hardship beyond his expectations, and violence that he finds shocking but necessary for his own survival. He is betrayed by people he trusts and learns to rely on his wits and his determination as he leaves Ireland for Liverpool, and eventually sails to "America". Which was, in fact, Canada.
I loved the tone of this book. It was not a "hard work beats all" immigrant story, like so many we are exposed to hear in Canada. There was no romanticism to this tale at all. It was stark and brittle and determined, with heartbreak and fear thrown in for good measure. Fergus learns who to trust, and more importantly, who not to trust. But what I loved about Fergus was that while he wasn't immune to acts of violence for survival purposes, he still kept his deep moral compass and used that compass to guide him.
I thought the ending was interesting, in that it closed a plot circle, but it also left open an opportunity for a sequel. I look forward to Behrens next novel "The O'Briens".
I loved the tone of this book. It was not a "hard work beats all" immigrant story, like so many we are exposed to hear in Canada. There was no romanticism to this tale at all. It was stark and brittle and determined, with heartbreak and fear thrown in for good measure. Fergus learns who to trust, and more importantly, who not to trust. But what I loved about Fergus was that while he wasn't immune to acts of violence for survival purposes, he still kept his deep moral compass and used that compass to guide him.
I thought the ending was interesting, in that it closed a plot circle, but it also left open an opportunity for a sequel. I look forward to Behrens next novel "The O'Briens".