I always enjoy your reviews - very honest - it wont stop me from reading something I want to check out - but actually, helps me give more thought to the book.
Hi Gretchen, new subscriber here! I have binged your videos and I love your content. My Good Reads TBR has grown exponentially due to all your wonderful reviews and recommendations (I don’t think I will include this one on the list😏). Thank you for “sharing the love” by recommending other Booktubers, as well, I’m looking forward to checking out their channels. Excited for your upcoming videos!📚😊
I really enjoyed this book!! I loved how unlikeable, cold and uncaring the main character was, in contrast to the disembodied emails from the most interesting character in the book, Bruno. I loved all those ideas and reflections of his and found Sadie’s activities in between quite boring, but it felt that this was the point. By the end I was strangely rooting for Sadie and the fact that she just drifts off to the south of France to wander the coast and gaze at the stars whilst mulling over Bruno’s messages from the deep was so disturbingly satisfying. I read the character of Sadie as a mirror of our collective lack of care and our growing disconnection - how people can do bad things, get away with it and even develop a love for beauty, the universe, nature and philosophy but still not care while others are busy forming communes or building mega dams. Also liked that it was a very eco-political novel that wasn’t preaching or lecturing through the text. There was so much to consider here, so much depth and I think it’s the most ambitious on the shortlist although not my favourite to win. Definitely is the most divisive. Thanks for posting this great review!
Great insights! I’m so glad this was a book you enjoyed. Even though I didn’t care for it, I love that it has its fans and we can have good conversations about it.
Appreciate your tactful, honest review. I have this on my to-read list, but I'll definitely bump it down towards the bottom now as I trust your opinions and thoughts. Plus at 400+ pages I'd have to really commit before wanting to take on this one. Unlikable characters can still be sympathetic, and Sadie doesn't seem to elicit that emotion.
This one almost caused me to slip into a slump so that’s probably not a bad idea! If you ever do pick this up though, I think you would know pretty early on if you weren’t going to like it. I hope you’re reading something great right now!
I’m glad you didn’t push yourself to finish it. If it wasn’t on the shortlist I would have dropped it early on. It will take a lot for me to pick up another book from her in the future.
Exactly!!! I don’t mind working hard to understand the point of a book but this one was lost on me. It made me feel like I couldn’t hang with the cool kids 😂🤣😂
This one was my least favorite on the shortlist. It took me a long time to finish. I didn't like or enjoy the characters or much of the story. I would have DNF’d it if it wasn't on the shortlist.
Same! I 100% would have DNF’d if it didn’t make the shortlist! I think next year I will let myself DNF if it truly isn’t working. This almost put me in a slump and it’s not worth it in the end.
I actually thought you were very respectful and gentle with this book ("maybe it's just me" etc.). I didn't passionately hate the protagonist, but I found her annoying and felt indifferent towards her. I don't have any problems with unlikeable characters, but I need their characterization to serve a purpose in the wider context of the novel. I don't think my dislike for the character made me blind to the other elements of this novel, and I really found nothing. The different ideas (Neanderthals, the spy story, the characters) never really came together into anything cohesive. The Neanderthal stuff: I don't know, maybe it's something she came across and thought would be interesting, and I think she really tried hard to make the connection between that and the story, and thread it into the main theme of the novel, but I never got the point. I don't think that I will read anything by Kushner again. The way she writes and creates a novel narrative just doesn't feel appealing to me.
Well said! This was definitely a book that seemed interesting in concept and lacked in delivery. I did learn an awful lot about Neanderthals though! 😂🤣😂
I quite like the cover, & sounds like an interesting concept, great title too. Oh my, really surprised by your review, but I suspect I'd agree with you (don't think I could read a novel where I hated the main character). Thanks for such an honest, forthright review. The main character sounds like a female version of Trump - despicable.
🤔 ….that’s a very interesting take. I never thought about it from a US political angle but it makes a lot of sense. I’ll have to do some research to see if she talks about it in any of her interviews.
I always enjoy your reviews - very honest - it wont stop me from reading something I want to check out - but actually, helps me give more thought to the book.
Thanks! I always like hearing what others think, too. Good or bad it always helps me and makes for a more immersive experience for me.
Hi Gretchen, new subscriber here! I have binged your videos and I love your content. My Good Reads TBR has grown exponentially due to all your wonderful reviews and recommendations (I don’t think I will include this one on the list😏). Thank you for “sharing the love” by recommending other Booktubers, as well, I’m looking forward to checking out their channels. Excited for your upcoming videos!📚😊
Thank you so much and welcome! I hope you find some other great BookTubers to follow too!
I really enjoyed this book!! I loved how unlikeable, cold and uncaring the main character was, in contrast to the disembodied emails from the most interesting character in the book, Bruno. I loved all those ideas and reflections of his and found Sadie’s activities in between quite boring, but it felt that this was the point. By the end I was strangely rooting for Sadie and the fact that she just drifts off to the south of France to wander the coast and gaze at the stars whilst mulling over Bruno’s messages from the deep was so disturbingly satisfying. I read the character of Sadie as a mirror of our collective lack of care and our growing disconnection - how people can do bad things, get away with it and even develop a love for beauty, the universe, nature and philosophy but still not care while others are busy forming communes or building mega dams. Also liked that it was a very eco-political novel that wasn’t preaching or lecturing through the text. There was so much to consider here, so much depth and I think it’s the most ambitious on the shortlist although not my favourite to win. Definitely is the most divisive. Thanks for posting this great review!
Great insights! I’m so glad this was a book you enjoyed. Even though I didn’t care for it, I love that it has its fans and we can have good conversations about it.
Thank you for the honest review. I do plan on reading this book since it is on the shortlist, but I have really low expectations
I hope you end up enjoying it ☺️
Appreciate your tactful, honest review. I have this on my to-read list, but I'll definitely bump it down towards the bottom now as I trust your opinions and thoughts. Plus at 400+ pages I'd have to really commit before wanting to take on this one. Unlikable characters can still be sympathetic, and Sadie doesn't seem to elicit that emotion.
This one almost caused me to slip into a slump so that’s probably not a bad idea! If you ever do pick this up though, I think you would know pretty early on if you weren’t going to like it. I hope you’re reading something great right now!
I found this really dull and struggled to finish it. I wondered if I was missing something. I found the Mars Room a much better read.
I agree about The Mars Room. Even though it wasn’t my favorite, it is the better book in my opinion.
Thank you for your tactful but truthful review. I couldn't even finish this book. Kushner's writing was very poor.
I’m glad you didn’t push yourself to finish it. If it wasn’t on the shortlist I would have dropped it early on. It will take a lot for me to pick up another book from her in the future.
I didn’t like it either. I think it was meant to be satire but it fell flat for me. I just didn’t see what the point was.
Exactly!!! I don’t mind working hard to understand the point of a book but this one was lost on me. It made me feel like I couldn’t hang with the cool kids 😂🤣😂
This one was my least favorite on the shortlist. It took me a long time to finish. I didn't like or enjoy the characters or much of the story. I would have DNF’d it if it wasn't on the shortlist.
Same! I 100% would have DNF’d if it didn’t make the shortlist! I think next year I will let myself DNF if it truly isn’t working. This almost put me in a slump and it’s not worth it in the end.
I actually thought you were very respectful and gentle with this book ("maybe it's just me" etc.). I didn't passionately hate the protagonist, but I found her annoying and felt indifferent towards her. I don't have any problems with unlikeable characters, but I need their characterization to serve a purpose in the wider context of the novel. I don't think my dislike for the character made me blind to the other elements of this novel, and I really found nothing. The different ideas (Neanderthals, the spy story, the characters) never really came together into anything cohesive. The Neanderthal stuff: I don't know, maybe it's something she came across and thought would be interesting, and I think she really tried hard to make the connection between that and the story, and thread it into the main theme of the novel, but I never got the point. I don't think that I will read anything by Kushner again. The way she writes and creates a novel narrative just doesn't feel appealing to me.
Well said! This was definitely a book that seemed interesting in concept and lacked in delivery. I did learn an awful lot about Neanderthals though! 😂🤣😂
I quite like the cover, & sounds like an interesting concept, great title too. Oh my, really surprised by your review, but I suspect I'd agree with you (don't think I could read a novel where I hated the main character). Thanks for such an honest, forthright review. The main character sounds like a female version of Trump - despicable.
🤔 ….that’s a very interesting take. I never thought about it from a US political angle but it makes a lot of sense. I’ll have to do some research to see if she talks about it in any of her interviews.
@@madeubook: this might be just my obsession.