I would describe this book as “lovely.”
It starts a bit slow but as soon as the you realize how the characters are connected, I couldn’t put the novel down.

The writing is descriptive and meaningful, with intentionality in the symbolism (light, senses) and themes (power, destiny, interconnectedness, humanity).

I loved Madame Manec, Etienne, and Marie-Laure the most. The writing for Marie-Laure was the best because Doerr emphasized her other senses in the descriptions, which set the scene for the plot and Marie-Laure as a character.

It is a coming-of-age novel for both Marie-Laurie and Werner. I like how it made me think about what we do with the life we are given and what is/isn’t within our control and what we see vs. don’t see. I liked the little additions of the legend/story of the jewel and the mystique that added to the interconnectedness/butterfly effect of the plot. Also enjoyed that the chapters jumped from character to character at different points in time.