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maryquitecontrary_22's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. Francis does an incredible job of fleshing out her main characters-- they were really brought to life through her writing. The novel could have used a better editor to improve the overall quality of the book. I also think men who have dedicated their lives to the church would hardly be flippant in matters of belief, as they were sometimes portrayed. But the themes of forgiveness and faith really leave you with a lot to think about after you've closed the novel.
celjla212's review against another edition
4.0
The Orphans of Race Point is a huge, sweeping novel that spans several decades, so I'll try to make a succinct review even though it may be difficult.
The story, at its' heart, is about the love between two people in a very close knit community and how decisions can affect your life and the lives of others for years to come. Hallie Costa befriends Gus Silva when they are nine years old, after Gus' alcoholic and abusive father murders his mother. Hallie gets Gus to open up in ways no one else had been able to, and they begin their friendship which in turn becomes a romantic relationship as they are in high school.
But even though Gus has given them no reason to, the people of their small town can't help but compare him to his violent father and think he will turn out like him one day. When an accident occurs in a split second, the paths of Hallie and Gus' lives change forever and not only affect their relationship, but so many people's lives in the years ahead.
I was immediately immersed in this story, which has so many different and rich characters, because of the sweetness and honesty between Hallie and Gus as children. As I watched them grow, their love became something else entirely and I really loved them together. They had so much chemistry, and when they were happy together it was the best part of the book. It absolutely broke my heart to see one thing drive them apart and ruin what they had.
As I said, this novel had so many characters, but I never felt like any of them were one dimensional or simply there for filler. Each person served a special purpose in the main characters' lives and added to their personalities. I could also see more facets of each person based on how they interacted with the lesser figures in the book.
Though Orphans made me feel a wide range of emotions, I couldn't settle on how the ending made me feel. In the last section there are several twists, and while I appreciated them I felt that some of them came too quickly behind one another and weren't fully fleshed out. All my questions were ultimately answered though, and that pleased me.
The Orphans of Race Point is really too sprawling of a story to fully describe in a review, so I'll just end by saying this is a book I definitely recommend. Whether you like romance, crime, or family drama in your reading material, this novel has it all and you should not pass it up.
The story, at its' heart, is about the love between two people in a very close knit community and how decisions can affect your life and the lives of others for years to come. Hallie Costa befriends Gus Silva when they are nine years old, after Gus' alcoholic and abusive father murders his mother. Hallie gets Gus to open up in ways no one else had been able to, and they begin their friendship which in turn becomes a romantic relationship as they are in high school.
But even though Gus has given them no reason to, the people of their small town can't help but compare him to his violent father and think he will turn out like him one day. When an accident occurs in a split second, the paths of Hallie and Gus' lives change forever and not only affect their relationship, but so many people's lives in the years ahead.
I was immediately immersed in this story, which has so many different and rich characters, because of the sweetness and honesty between Hallie and Gus as children. As I watched them grow, their love became something else entirely and I really loved them together. They had so much chemistry, and when they were happy together it was the best part of the book. It absolutely broke my heart to see one thing drive them apart and ruin what they had.
As I said, this novel had so many characters, but I never felt like any of them were one dimensional or simply there for filler. Each person served a special purpose in the main characters' lives and added to their personalities. I could also see more facets of each person based on how they interacted with the lesser figures in the book.
Though Orphans made me feel a wide range of emotions, I couldn't settle on how the ending made me feel. In the last section there are several twists, and while I appreciated them I felt that some of them came too quickly behind one another and weren't fully fleshed out. All my questions were ultimately answered though, and that pleased me.
The Orphans of Race Point is really too sprawling of a story to fully describe in a review, so I'll just end by saying this is a book I definitely recommend. Whether you like romance, crime, or family drama in your reading material, this novel has it all and you should not pass it up.
dcinnoc's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
smallafterall's review against another edition
4.0
This book is the kind of absorbing, time spanning, serious minded look at characters with relatable flaws that you hope most books will turn out to be. Real surprises at key points, and a real care for each of the characters that lots of authors don't seem to have. I ached for Hallie, Gus and Mila as I read, and took my time reading this one so I wouldn't have to say goodbye to them too soon.
machadofam8's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this - lots of good plot twists, interesting characters, great locations.
deecreatenola's review against another edition
3.0
The Orphans of Race Point is Hallie's story, especially the story of Hallie and Gus. But it's also Ava's story. And Mila's story. And there are smaller stories amidst the larger ones, like the story of Hallie and her father, Nick, and the loss of her mother. The friendship among Hallie, Gus, and Neil. Gus and church. Mila and Ethan. And numerous side characters: Wolf, Sam, Sandy and Julie, Alvaro, Luna Colmenares. It's a love story and a story about friendships and relationships. And it's a bit of a mystery. And it tells the story of Cape life.
Although Patry wants to tell a very detailed story, there are so many stories here and so many side characters, the heart of the story gets a little lost. I wanted to relate much more to Hallie, but I felt a distance to her throughout the book. Perhaps that was intentional, perhaps not. So many characters and side stories, while interesting, took away from the main story rather than adding to it.
The story is told in third person until we meet the teenaged Mila. I'm not quite sure why she gets to tell her story in first person except maybe because she is the one who figures it all out and ultimately "belongs" to everyone. I almost wish that the story were told from her perspective from the beginning, with flashbacks to help us along the way. The story would have been more immediate and more personal.
It's a good story and a compelling story. It's just strung out too long and over too many other stories. The ending is a surprise yet you somehow know that something has been up. (I have to say that for a long time, I thought Neil was gay and even when he declared his love for Hallie, I couldn't feel it and I continued to think his coming out was something coming in the story, which it never did.)
Although Patry wants to tell a very detailed story, there are so many stories here and so many side characters, the heart of the story gets a little lost. I wanted to relate much more to Hallie, but I felt a distance to her throughout the book. Perhaps that was intentional, perhaps not. So many characters and side stories, while interesting, took away from the main story rather than adding to it.
The story is told in third person until we meet the teenaged Mila. I'm not quite sure why she gets to tell her story in first person except maybe because she is the one who figures it all out and ultimately "belongs" to everyone. I almost wish that the story were told from her perspective from the beginning, with flashbacks to help us along the way. The story would have been more immediate and more personal.
It's a good story and a compelling story. It's just strung out too long and over too many other stories. The ending is a surprise yet you somehow know that something has been up. (I have to say that for a long time, I thought Neil was gay and even when he declared his love for Hallie, I couldn't feel it and I continued to think his coming out was something coming in the story, which it never did.)
domeniqueh's review against another edition
5.0
Monumentally life changing fiction
This book seriously changed the way I see fiction writing. Not only was I blown away by the story, and the characters, I was overwhelmed by the intensity of such exacting dialogue. The writing was beautiful, the structure outstanding, the timeline and story trajectory monumental! This book has a hold on me. Never have I been so encouraged, so entranced, so motivated to love more, love greater, and love beyond myself! Thank you to the author of The Orphans of Race Point who made me fall in love with reading even more than I already was with each turned page.
This book seriously changed the way I see fiction writing. Not only was I blown away by the story, and the characters, I was overwhelmed by the intensity of such exacting dialogue. The writing was beautiful, the structure outstanding, the timeline and story trajectory monumental! This book has a hold on me. Never have I been so encouraged, so entranced, so motivated to love more, love greater, and love beyond myself! Thank you to the author of The Orphans of Race Point who made me fall in love with reading even more than I already was with each turned page.
sfujii's review against another edition
4.0
This was close to a five stars for me. There were just a few parts that were a bit too cheesy for me. But, overall, I was glued to this one. I liked the characters, who were all very complex and interesting. The plot was intriguing, and the pace was good. Overall a great read for a random pick off the library shelf!
shailydc's review against another edition
2.0
I don't know how to feel about this book. At times it was great, other times it was dragging. It was like many different novels all brought into one. Overall, I just don't know.
erin_c1010's review against another edition
1.0
So bad, characters were unbelievable, plot was difficult to follow. No connection at all to this book. But I’m trying to read all the Kindle books I own so I pushed through.