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adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
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
This was a reread of a childhood favorite that I hadn't revisited in over thirty years. And I still loved it. Something like a female, tropical version of Hatchet, the plot was adventurous and atmospheric. I learned this time around that the story is actually based on a real historical figure, an indigenous woman who was left alone on one of California's channel islands. I also learned that there is a follow-up novel. WHAT?!?!?! Why did I not know this sooner? Needless to say, I will be tracking that down and reading it soon.
This is a fantastic middle grade book in terms of strong female protagonist. Karana is amazing. I found myself several times thinking, well...I'd be dead. Girl has got some skills.
Could I go for an adult version of this trope? Yes...yes I could. True, there is a lot of nostalgia attached to my rating of this book, but I still found it to be a fantastic middle grade level read. The writing isn't overly complex, but fits the story well. There is a great handle on description and things just made sense. I loved the animal interactions and the humanity that Karana shows (along with her introspection) despite being young and basically abandoned. There are a lot of good lessons in this narrative and I think it still holds up really well. I will be reading it to my kids in the future and I will continue to push it as a middle grade favorite.
This is a fantastic middle grade book in terms of strong female protagonist. Karana is amazing. I found myself several times thinking, well...I'd be dead. Girl has got some skills.
Could I go for an adult version of this trope? Yes...yes I could. True, there is a lot of nostalgia attached to my rating of this book, but I still found it to be a fantastic middle grade level read. The writing isn't overly complex, but fits the story well. There is a great handle on description and things just made sense. I loved the animal interactions and the humanity that Karana shows (along with her introspection) despite being young and basically abandoned. There are a lot of good lessons in this narrative and I think it still holds up really well. I will be reading it to my kids in the future and I will continue to push it as a middle grade favorite.
I really enjoyed this book, but ultimately I was disappointed by the ending. It felt like there needed to be more. The writing is great, as usual from Rainbow Rowell. The characters are well developed. I am still mildly irritated by the Cather/Wren cutesy naming baloney, but what are you going to do? The imagery is totally solid and I could see a lot of the pieces of Cath in myself as a college freshman. If it wouldn't have been for feeling that the ending was a bit of a drop off, this would have been a solid 5 star read. As it is, still very worth it.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. And I never lie about books...
I liked this book quite a bit, even though I was a little worried about it at first. The story is about a hoarder...and anytime I see "Hoarders" on television, I get the terribly uncomfortable need to clean obsessively. I wasn't sure what kind of a tailspin this would throw me into. But I have to say, it was very well done. The timeline shifts back and forth between present day and past. Other than emails from Lorelei to Jim, the past is always based on memories from past Easters. The back and forth isn't always an effective narrative choice, but in this case it works very well. I will say though...this family is thoroughly messed up. A lot. There is just SO much dysfunction packed into this tiny little group. She writes this well though. It doesn't feel forced or over the top. It works. I liked how well she put together the counterbalance of Lorelei and Megan. It made sense. In fact, all of her characters felt very real and understandable. That being said, I really didn't like the characters of Rory or Kayleigh. They were written well, I just felt a distaste for their personalities. For as uncomfortable as the story line may be, I really enjoyed this book. Well worth the read. (I actually gave it 4 1/2 stars...a rating not visible via Goodreads, but present on my blog.)
See the full review at Erratic Project Junkie
I liked this book quite a bit, even though I was a little worried about it at first. The story is about a hoarder...and anytime I see "Hoarders" on television, I get the terribly uncomfortable need to clean obsessively. I wasn't sure what kind of a tailspin this would throw me into. But I have to say, it was very well done. The timeline shifts back and forth between present day and past. Other than emails from Lorelei to Jim, the past is always based on memories from past Easters. The back and forth isn't always an effective narrative choice, but in this case it works very well. I will say though...this family is thoroughly messed up. A lot. There is just SO much dysfunction packed into this tiny little group. She writes this well though. It doesn't feel forced or over the top. It works. I liked how well she put together the counterbalance of Lorelei and Megan. It made sense. In fact, all of her characters felt very real and understandable. That being said, I really didn't like the characters of Rory or Kayleigh. They were written well, I just felt a distaste for their personalities. For as uncomfortable as the story line may be, I really enjoyed this book. Well worth the read. (I actually gave it 4 1/2 stars...a rating not visible via Goodreads, but present on my blog.)
See the full review at Erratic Project Junkie
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