patlo's Reviews (1.32k)

Is a River Alive?

Robert Macfarlane

3.75

adventurous informative inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Death of the Author

Nnedi Okorafor

4.5

adventurous challenging mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Foster

Claire Keegan

5.0

challenging medium-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

This is a lovely, emotionally charged little Novella, exploring family and foster family dynamics around a young girl who has sent for temporary fosterage to a home that shows her love that she’s never experienced before.

The Bear

Andrew Krivak

4.75

adventurous emotional

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Amongst Women

John McGahern

3.75

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Wild Houses

Colin Barrett

3.5

adventurous challenging dark funny 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

Strange Flowers

Donal Ryan

4.0

emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

I Who Have Never Known Men

Jacqueline Harpman

5.0

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Diverse cast of characters: No

Long Island

Colm Tóibín

4.5

emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

4.5 stars. A good character drama in which nobody can communicate directly. Hopefully it’s not 20 more years until the 3rd book in the series.

Brooklyn

Colm Tóibín

4.5

emotional fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

4.5 stars, rounded up for the ease of the writing and storytelling. A lovely, fast-moving story of a young woman who emigrates from Ireland to Brooklyn but has a hard time figuring out how to live her own life.

Read in advance of reading Tóibín's newly published followup, Long Island.

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