Natasha
I really enjoyed the writing however it felt incredibly long and at times superfluous - especially the parts with Fadwa and her father (took me 2 months to get through!), but the story kept me going back for more. I appreciated the relationship between the Golem and Jinni and liked how it ‘all come together in the end.' Will I read the sequel? Undecided.
4.5 stars. We have all read countless books about missing girls, but this felt different. It wasn't your standard mystery - so some readers may be disappointed if going into it with thriller expectations. It is a coming of age story; a division between childhood and adulthood; a before and after. I really enjoyed Tikka's narration as a child - a precocious, lively voice that made me smile.
The first third of this book is repetitive and rather dull, but I am so glad I stuck with it. The second and third parts enthralled me. It is a cautionary tale about what happens when we build walls ( cough Trump!) and the disastrous, possible effects of climate change. It really is a dystopian novel of our time.
Does anyone else feel like they are personal friends with Michelle after reading this book? Or maybe that is more a wish then anything. I loved hearing her story of becoming. Gaining insight into life as FLOTUS and being constantly in the public eye. She is intelligent, articulate and warm. I'm not even American and I miss her sigh.
I am utterly disappointed. I had such high hopes for this book. The premise sounded amazing, the concept interesting and that cover is so beautiful 😍. I imagined a romp through a story of intrigue, mystery and a little bit of magic. Instead what I got was a romance. And not even a particularly unique or well written romance. Bleh. Biggest disappointment of the year so far ☹️
So, it's been two days since I finished this book, and I still don't know how I am going to do it justice.
The story spans over 100 years in South Africa, from the second Boer War to post apartheid 2015. The main protagonists are an Afrikaans Boer wife and mother, who is taken to a concentration camp set up by the British (yes! that happened!) and a reserved, bookish teenage boy who is forced into a military style camp (dare we say conversion camp?!) by his misguided mother and brutish step father.
The way Barr connects these two seemingly separate narratives is touching and heart wrenching. I was fully immersed in the experience from the get go. There are multiple POV's within this story and occasionally it felt a bit jarring, but in such a capable author's hands, all is forgiven. I especially felt a connection to Willem (the teenage boy in 2010) and was so invested in his story that by the end I neglected my own children to finish the book.
This is a wonderful debut novel that left me heartbroken yet hopeful. It is shocking and compelling and I feel as though the characters will remain with me for some time. Bravo Mr. Barr!
I had to wait about 12 hours before writing this review. It's the kind of book that calls for contemplation and reflection once completed. The premise is so intriguing: A hermit is dead; a whore is found drugged and wandering the streets, and the town's richest man has disappeared. Twelve relative strangers from different cultures and walks of life meet in secret to discuss the events surrounding the mystery. And Walter Moody stumbles in on it ...
Catton delivers a masterfully written frontier mystery as intricate and magical as the stars governing the characters' lives. I can't pretend to understand the connection to the charts and stellar bodies she includes, but it was a lot of fun just going with it anyway.
This is an incredibly dense and complex novel, with a vast and rich cast of characters. It will not be for everyone, and it is not an easy read. It is however, a literary feat and completely deserving of the Man Booker prize.
I'm sorry to report that I could not finish this book. I read 25% of it and was....well..bored, sorry to say. There were so many POV's that I found the shifts between them jolting where they should be smooth and seamless. I couldn't care about any of the characters, not even the Golden Boy doctor who came across as some sort of medical god.
The premise was intriguing - a dodgy medical trial and a dead doctor prodigy - and if you like medical thrillers I would suggest giving it a go. But I felt smothered by the medical and legal particulars - and I am no dummy! - but they were delivered in a dry, matter-of-fact kind of way.
Maybe it improves further along. It certainly has positive reviews, but unfortunately for me there was no connection.
3.5 stars. While I found the world building very convincing and plausible, the plot fell a little flat. There was no real “time travel investigation” fun or mind-bending AHA! moments. It was overall a good read, lots of great female representation (woohoo!!!) and interesting psychological hypothesis but I just feel like more could have been done with the time travel murder mystery.
