A review by elly_sh
Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton

mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The most interesting part of the book is the internal thoughts and interpersonal tensions between the 2 women main characters- colleagues and friends at a gorilla gardening org. Then a billionaire tech bro comes into the fray and things get dark. The plot seems like it will be a thriller, but doesn’t quite get to be exciting. I think it’s because I wasn’t emotionally invested in anyone. My biggest complaint is that none of the characters change or grow throughout the book, so it sort of lands with a thud at the end. That said, I plowed through it and wanted to know how it would end. Definitely worth reading.