Scan barcode
februaryfriday's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"so how, children, does the brain, which lives without a spark of light, build for us a world so full of light?"
this book wrecked me. if you´re planning on reading it, prepare to be crushed.
reading it is definitely an experience. it follows two very lovable, smart and kind, but also realistic and flawed main characters, werner and marie-laure, from childhood to adulthood. we get to see little vignettes of every stage of their lives and see the plot develop over a very long period of time, which makes it really slow-paced. overall, there isn´t a lot of plot, but i still enjoyed reading those scenes because of how much i loved the characters. i really appreciated how fleshed out even the side characters were and how real they felt.
moreover, i thought that the descriptions from marie-laure´s pov were super interesting since she´s blind and we learn how she perceives the world through other senses. she also has a strong bond to her family members and caretakers which was very nice to see.
furtherore, the writing was absolutely stunning! the imagery was breathtaking and the scenes all felt extremely well crafted. it was beautiful without being overly discriptive or elaborate, it was just right and i really appreciate it!
however, i was a little sad that we don´t get a lot of interaction between the main characters. the synopsis already tells us that the storylines of the main characters will intersect at some point, but it doesn´t happen until about 85% into the book. i was really anticipating it the whole time and when it did happen, it was really beautiful and i loved it, but i wished there would have been more of it. i think that a little more romance would have enriched the story even more, but i also understand that it fits the story and makes it realistic. just don´t expect the focus to be on the romance.
nevertheless, i was absolutely heartbroken by the end of the book and cried my eyes out. it was really impactful and i can´t stop thinking about it. i feel like this is something that will definitely stick with me.
this book wrecked me. if you´re planning on reading it, prepare to be crushed.
reading it is definitely an experience. it follows two very lovable, smart and kind, but also realistic and flawed main characters, werner and marie-laure, from childhood to adulthood. we get to see little vignettes of every stage of their lives and see the plot develop over a very long period of time, which makes it really slow-paced. overall, there isn´t a lot of plot, but i still enjoyed reading those scenes because of how much i loved the characters. i really appreciated how fleshed out even the side characters were and how real they felt.
moreover, i thought that the descriptions from marie-laure´s pov were super interesting since she´s blind and we learn how she perceives the world through other senses. she also has a strong bond to her family members and caretakers which was very nice to see.
furtherore, the writing was absolutely stunning! the imagery was breathtaking and the scenes all felt extremely well crafted. it was beautiful without being overly discriptive or elaborate, it was just right and i really appreciate it!
however, i was a little sad that we don´t get a lot of interaction between the main characters. the synopsis already tells us that the storylines of the main characters will intersect at some point, but it doesn´t happen until about 85% into the book. i was really anticipating it the whole time and when it did happen, it was really beautiful and i loved it, but i wished there would have been more of it. i think that a little more romance would have enriched the story even more, but i also understand that it fits the story and makes it realistic. just don´t expect the focus to be on the romance.
nevertheless, i was absolutely heartbroken by the end of the book and cried my eyes out. it was really impactful and i can´t stop thinking about it. i feel like this is something that will definitely stick with me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, and Grief
Minor: Violence
More...