Reviews

Northwest Corner by John Burnham Schwartz

emilyisreading2024's review against another edition

5.0

Schwartz' writing is outstanding, truly amazing and at times, even breath-taking. About midway through the book, it's almost as though the author gets bored and the story kind of petered out for me. It didn't seem to have the depth that Part I had. If the rest of the book had been as good as Part I, this could have garnered my vote for the best novel I've read all year. Nonetheless, this is a tremendous novel that explores raw emotions in a realistic and poetic way. I didn't read Reservation Road--not sure how I missed it--but I'm definitely going to read it now.

seed193's review against another edition

5.0

At first the multiple point of views were difficult to follow, but I quickly caught on to them. So true to life how children can imitate their parents and the bond that exists. Truly enjoyed this book. Immediately downloaded the prequel, Reservation Road upon completion. Definitely worth re-reading too!

cook_memorial_public_library's review against another edition

5.0

This book deserves to be savored as you would a beautifully presented meal in a five star restaurant. It can be read quickly, but the hasty reader would miss the author's craftsmanship and the emotional impact of this stunning novel. Although I had read Reservation Road years ago, it is not necessary to read it in order to enjoy this sequel. This is a book I'll need to read again---more slowly.

Recommended by Ellen

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caitlinxmartin's review against another edition

4.0

A continuation of the story told in Reservation Road, Northwest Corner is a spare and minimalist novel that packs a huge punch. We return to the story of Dwight Arno whose horrible mistake cost him just about everything, including contact with his son, Sam. When Sam turns up on his doorstep, a college senior and varsity superstar, who badly injured another boy in a bar fight. He's been expelled from school and criminal charges are imminent. His only real relationship is with the sister of the the boy his father accidentally hit with his car.

This is a dark novel and was hard for me to read because of how much it made me feel. Schwartz can write and this will haunt me for awhile. Its minimalist writing style stands in stark relief to the depth of the story (and the tragedy of it). Not a comfortable read, but a worthwhile one.

amysbrittain's review against another edition

3.0

Probably a 3.5 for me. I loved Schwartz's writing in this, and his character development was nuanced and rich and wonderful. I had a hard time at the start with the characters' bad choices and the consequences they were preparing to face, but ultimately I was really fascinated by the interconnected characters' relationships.