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mollyhyland's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
4.0
cathyw's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
A beautifully written contemplation on the eternal dilemma of security vs freedom, for individuals and communities. Cleverly using biblical images and stories, and painting an evocative, sensual and detailed picture of what life might have been like in a medieval monastic community, the story is entirely relevant to our modern world.
ha_bo's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Bullying, and Confinement
Moderate: Religious bigotry
Minor: Violence, Pregnancy, and Death
curatoriallyyours's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This book was odd but I enjoyed the style of narration and had an enjoyable time reading this book for the most part. I didn’t feel a sense of connection with most of the main characters, except perhaps for Tabi, but I did eventually feel invested enough to want to know what happened to them all.
mistypane's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
yodisborg's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
bobthebookerer's review against another edition
4.0
As a fan of Crace's 2013 book Harvest, I was very excited to get to this book, and I found it a wonderfully bizarre daydream.
We spend most of the novel in the Garden of Eden, listening in to the petty squabbles of the people who live there and seeing how angels interact with one another. There are some great moments of humour, such as suspicions being cast on those scoffing tomatoes from the garden, or the strange social politics of everyone maintaining the order.
Although I occasionally found my mind drifting within the book, there was a lot of joy and wonder to be found in its pages.
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
We spend most of the novel in the Garden of Eden, listening in to the petty squabbles of the people who live there and seeing how angels interact with one another. There are some great moments of humour, such as suspicions being cast on those scoffing tomatoes from the garden, or the strange social politics of everyone maintaining the order.
Although I occasionally found my mind drifting within the book, there was a lot of joy and wonder to be found in its pages.
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
ncghammo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
henryspencer's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Sublime, poetic prose in places. But Crace's constant shifting of perspectives and intruding 'telling' style ultimately detracts from the story. Additionally, any early promises of intrigue ultimately fizzle out in a somewhat dull, dissatisfying ending.