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rmsugarcandy's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was a really smart and interesting book. I feel like I need to sit with it for a while. It took me longer than average to read; the pages felt dense and it was on the slower side, but I never lost interest. The main themes to me was the futility, hypocrisy, and entitlement... perhaps misplaced motives, that can come with making oneself a martyr for a cause. I can't decide yet if I have sympathy for Tierwater or not.
claired01's review against another edition
Just wasn’t my thing. The main character really bothered me and I didn’t really care
c3j's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
aimeeb96's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
aael's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
monsieur_tunin's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
woodsymel's review against another edition
3.0
For some reason I started this book thinking it was going to have a comedic tilt to it, some humor to lessen the weight of fear it stirs up in one's mind when battling the topic of the world after climate change. But there was not any obvious comedy, not even a little bit. The book was cynical, angry, biting, and very depressing. That's not to say it was bad; it was well-written, the characters had substance, and there was enough plot to make me want to keep reading. But I felt my heart turning blacker and blacker with every subsequent chapter. There's no redemption here, no chuckle in the midst of tragedy. Even the small glints of sunshine have a dark shadow cast across them. These characters withstand the worst, and even the most comedic character, Mac, somehow managed to depress me.
The idea of "fiction?" is a little obnoxious. It is very obviously fiction, an exaggerated satire. I get the point that Boyle's trying to make with the satire, but it doesn't leave any lasting moral guidance for me because it is basically hopeless, soul-crushing, and inhuman. But anyway, I digress; the story was entertaining, the imagery very strong and I lost myself in Tierwater's two worlds. I would probably consider reading more of Boyle's work after this, he's a pretty good storyteller.
The idea of "fiction?" is a little obnoxious. It is very obviously fiction, an exaggerated satire. I get the point that Boyle's trying to make with the satire, but it doesn't leave any lasting moral guidance for me because it is basically hopeless, soul-crushing, and inhuman. But anyway, I digress; the story was entertaining, the imagery very strong and I lost myself in Tierwater's two worlds. I would probably consider reading more of Boyle's work after this, he's a pretty good storyteller.
readingwithannika's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
amberzieg's review against another edition
4.0
I started it not knowing what to expect. The reviews on the back of the book said things like entertaining and imaginative and verbally exuberant. And all of those things are absolutely true, yes, but they don't cover it. It was prophetic, maybe? I don't want it to be, but the way things are going, who knows?
Set in 2025, in a world ravaged by the effects of climate change, it's a convincing portrait of what our future could look like. It was impressive, how he stayed so true to popular American culture. The culture of idolizing youth, excess, and profound disconnection from the natural world. It was published in 2000, so just a little while before being "eco-friendly" and "all natural" went the way of all countercultures and became one more thing to sell. I wonder what Boyle would have changed about the story if he'd written it just a little while later.
The main character spends a good portion of his life in jail because he becomes a vengeful "eco-radical," and his daughter tragically dies at 24 as a result of her own activism. He ends up working as an animal keeper for an eccentric pop star who wants to save the ugly animals, the ones no one cares about. The narrative trades off between his current life which has been recently interrupted by a reunion with his ex-wife and a New Ager named April Wind (who wants to write a biography about his dead daughter) and his life after being introduced to the world of environmental activism.
In the end, though, it's simply about survival, and the fact that no matter what catastrophes hit, someone or something, somewhere, survives. And there's hope in that.
I was brought to tears in the last few sentences. It was a book that I connected with on a level I rarely do, an important reminder of what's truly important and what is really worth being passionate about. The writing was full of emotion and the characters were consistent and true. This is absolutely an author I will be reaching for again.
Set in 2025, in a world ravaged by the effects of climate change, it's a convincing portrait of what our future could look like. It was impressive, how he stayed so true to popular American culture. The culture of idolizing youth, excess, and profound disconnection from the natural world. It was published in 2000, so just a little while before being "eco-friendly" and "all natural" went the way of all countercultures and became one more thing to sell. I wonder what Boyle would have changed about the story if he'd written it just a little while later.
The main character spends a good portion of his life in jail because he becomes a vengeful "eco-radical," and his daughter tragically dies at 24 as a result of her own activism. He ends up working as an animal keeper for an eccentric pop star who wants to save the ugly animals, the ones no one cares about. The narrative trades off between his current life which has been recently interrupted by a reunion with his ex-wife and a New Ager named April Wind (who wants to write a biography about his dead daughter) and his life after being introduced to the world of environmental activism.
In the end, though, it's simply about survival, and the fact that no matter what catastrophes hit, someone or something, somewhere, survives. And there's hope in that.
I was brought to tears in the last few sentences. It was a book that I connected with on a level I rarely do, an important reminder of what's truly important and what is really worth being passionate about. The writing was full of emotion and the characters were consistent and true. This is absolutely an author I will be reaching for again.
tamargabrielle's review against another edition
2.0
"Because to be a friend of the earth, you have to be an enemy of the people."
This book is set in the near future, where we did not manage to stop climate change. An "eco-nut", who is now caring for a few animals that are not yet extinct, is confronted with his past.
The story switches from past to present, slowly giving away what happened to the main character Ty, and his family. Ty is an interesting character, but it was hard to root for him every now and then.
Although the premise of the story was interesting, I was a little bit let down by the form of activism Ty and the organization he was with engaged in. A big thing in the story is them trying to stop rainforest from being cut down, but they don't adress the cause of the problem. They didn't adress their own habits much. Ty doesn't support his daughters veganism, and eats meat even whilst the climate has broken down. I do have to cut the writer some slack here, as the past of Ty's story is set in the 90's, and the book was written in 2000. But it's strange that Ty is so cutthroat in his activism, whilst not changing much in his personal life.
Aside from that, I really did enjoy it. The book questions how far you should go for a cause, when it means endangering yourself and those closest to you. The reality Ty lives in in his present is tragic, and basically becoming our reality now as well.
A Friend of the Earth is an amusing read, and the ending was satisfying, but it did not give me what I was hoping for.
This book is set in the near future, where we did not manage to stop climate change. An "eco-nut", who is now caring for a few animals that are not yet extinct, is confronted with his past.
The story switches from past to present, slowly giving away what happened to the main character Ty, and his family. Ty is an interesting character, but it was hard to root for him every now and then.
Although the premise of the story was interesting, I was a little bit let down by the form of activism Ty and the organization he was with engaged in. A big thing in the story is them trying to stop rainforest from being cut down, but they don't adress the cause of the problem. They didn't adress their own habits much. Ty doesn't support his daughters veganism, and eats meat even whilst the climate has broken down. I do have to cut the writer some slack here, as the past of Ty's story is set in the 90's, and the book was written in 2000. But it's strange that Ty is so cutthroat in his activism, whilst not changing much in his personal life.
Aside from that, I really did enjoy it. The book questions how far you should go for a cause, when it means endangering yourself and those closest to you. The reality Ty lives in in his present is tragic, and basically becoming our reality now as well.
A Friend of the Earth is an amusing read, and the ending was satisfying, but it did not give me what I was hoping for.