A review by chogangoof
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

emotional sad tense slow-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

4.0

This was really great. I expected an exciting thriller novel and thats kinda how it starts but then it becomes a tender story about love and art. It was a tone shift that I wasn't expecting but it was more than welcome because of how well it was written and what it's saying about political violence. 

It starts fairly fast paced but then it slows waaay down. That's not necessarily a bad thing but it didn't seem to match the tone or genre for me. I wish we learned about more of the characters, there are a lot of people at this party and we only even know the names of a handful. I think this book is structured very strangely. I would've liked if it started earlier in the plot, using the invasion of the party as the inciting incident instead of the hook. They're minor gripes, this is still a special book nonetheless.
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