Robbie Davis

Peter Brown expands the series, in my opinion, by making a much more contemplative and introspective addition where he seemingly attempts to answer the question "what is life?" There is action, joy, grief, suspense, and a satisfying conclusion, all the traits of a great story. My kid loved it.

From my kids perspective (I read it to my 4yo son), it has memorable character, a fun story, and a heartwarming message.

From an my perspective, It was a fun little story. I wasn’t a fan of the descriptive violence or usage of “rifles”, but again it’s meant for kids a little older than mine and it wasn’t out of place in the theme. I also didn’t like the repetitious pattern of 3 used throughout, it felt awkward when reading it aloud.

Fantastic read. Going in I was a bit hesitant because I’ve never been one to keep mythological God’s names straight, however Madeline gives each God (and Nymph) their our personality, traits, and contextual relevant story that it fleshes them out into breathing characters that I am able to individualize.

If you’re going in blind to these ancient stories, Miller does a great job keeping it self contained. Overall Circe is a relatable feminist heroine who has made some mistakes in her past, learns from them, and attempts to correct them.

Some spots seem to drag a bit, which throws off the books pacing, but overall I enjoy the way Miller describes the world surrounding Circe. There’s always an air of naive curiosity to it.

This is the first of Emily St. John Mandel’s works I have read and I’m sure it won’t be the last either. She is an absolute treasure of a writer. Her prose is eloquent but not overly so which made it simple to finish the book quickly despite its somewhat sci-fi themes.

What I ended up not enjoying was that there were many unfleshed out interested ideas and at least a major unresolved question at the end. The answer to one of which was essentially ‘it doesnt matter, a life lived is a life lived’, but it does matter to me, the reader.

Grann expertly meshes the first hand accounts with an overarching tale of “the human condition” to really give you a sense of who these people were, how they felt, why they acted in certain ways, and in no way casts blame or bias. It’s a fantastic tale, and you can understand why this story still enthralls people.