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whimsofwands's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This book is a collection of short stories/excerpts with some dramatically different styles - some read like standard format short stories, one is written as a greek play, another is not in english. The perspective changes a lot and the stories are largely disconnected. The writing is often beautiful and the characters are compelling, realistic, and complex.
All that in mind, I think I made a huge mistake listening to this as an audiobook, as opposed to reading it. For the first few stories, I was super confused because I was expecting a more cohesive writing style and even connected narratives (I shouldn't have expected that, considering it's a collection of short stories). The audiobook voice actors did a truly amazing job and I loved the way it sounded and felt, but I feel like a missed a lot of the variable structure and story style because I couldn't see it. Perhaps I'm more of a visual person, but I wish I'd read the paper copy, and maybe I will in the future.
All that in mind, I think I made a huge mistake listening to this as an audiobook, as opposed to reading it. For the first few stories, I was super confused because I was expecting a more cohesive writing style and even connected narratives (I shouldn't have expected that, considering it's a collection of short stories). The audiobook voice actors did a truly amazing job and I loved the way it sounded and felt, but I feel like a missed a lot of the variable structure and story style because I couldn't see it. Perhaps I'm more of a visual person, but I wish I'd read the paper copy, and maybe I will in the future.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse and Abandonment
kimveach's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
These were beautiful stories. I understood some, but not others. I had to look up many references, but I learned a lot. I'd love to see the author or take a class based on this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Classism, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, War, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Addiction, Gun violence, Sexual content, Grief, Police brutality, and Abandonment
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