Holy cannoli, what a read this was! I was expecting a fun read when I picked this up from my library's used bookshop and got much, much more. I don't Holy cannoli, what a read this was! I was expecting a fun read when I picked this up from my library's used bookshop and got much, much more. I don't want to give away plot details, but one thing I have to point out is the pacing of this book. For being 500+ pages the pacing/plotting is (imo) immaculate. With the exception of a few larger chapters - which still flew by - the entire story was well balanced in length, and there was always a final line that had me itching to turn the page. Author Libba Bray kept me steadily engaged as I devoured this in a week. I had to make myself put the book down and focus on other things, or it would have swallowed up my ADHD brain entirely.
A few notes: This book was/is published by Little Brown for Young Readers, but in my opinion the actual contents of the story might be best approached with a touch of caution. While many of the characters (Evie, Mabel, Sam, Jericho, etc) are teens, they're *older* teens, at 17+. I wouldn't recommend this for the under 15 crew unless your reader handles dark imagery and themes very well.
For context, my past experiences color my reading. The book references the Book of Revelations *heavily*. As someone raised in the Pentecostal church for a chunk of my youth, I've always found the Book of Revelations terrifying. In Diviners, it says that this (fictional?) version of the Brethren is a mixture of a few different beliefs, but I'm not scholarly enough to note ways in which it might segment from current Christian beliefs.
Other things of note: while not graphically violent, the main plot does follow the path of a serial killer. Crime scenes are described in ways that may be disturbing, and many of the deaths are intense.
There were also two acts of animal killing toward the end, that I personally could have done without. If you are sensitive to such things (and as a cat owner, I am) take note.
As an adult book it's fabulous and I can't wait for more. But as for YA, consider waiting until your reader is on the older end of "teen" to dive in....more
At 70% on the audiobook. I *really* wish I'd known this book was set during covid and references it repeatedly. I try to avoid that topic in my fictioAt 70% on the audiobook. I *really* wish I'd known this book was set during covid and references it repeatedly. I try to avoid that topic in my fiction whenever possible. I lived through it. I don't need it in my fictional worlds too.
***
Updated September 21, 2024
Having just finished this book, I have feelings. None of them are good. I was hoping for a gripping twisty mystery. That did not happen. Everything you've read in the negative reviews about flat characters, lack of connection, and wildly unsatisfying "turns" in the last third of the book? All true.
The two stories don't dovetail at all. Somewhere around 60% the author decides to shove in everything from Covid mask mandates to race relation issues. It's just ... wild. And not in a "so bad it's good way". In a "how in the hell did this get published" way. The AMOUNT of stereotypes packed into the end of this book is staggering. I wish I could articulate my feelings and provide a more useful review, but right now I'm so mad about how bad it was, I just want to ask for a return....more
I tried. I really tried. For three and a half months, I tried. Which is rather absurd for such a simple 71 reviews 5 followers August 18, 2024 DNF at 30%
I tried. I really tried. For three and a half months, I tried. Which is rather absurd for such a simple story. I think there's potential for something really cozy and charming here. The idea has merit but the execution just *isn't there*. It's insta-love, which I don't do, immediately following a breakup where the MFC (Presley) thought she was going to be planning a wedding with her soon-to-be ex. And then she runs away to find herself in nature and - quite literally - falls in lust with the first single, hot guy she comes across. I think the story would actually be far more interesting if it was told from the MMC's (Beckett) point of view. He has a lot going on and I find him more engaging. Presley feels really flat and shallow. As a reader, I feel like I wasn't given enough time to get to know her before all the "romance" and "plot" started.
This is the kind of book that Emily Henry writes with far more depth and skill.
Lastly, this is a very personal pet peeve, but Beckett and Presley? I'm so tired of these ridiculous character names that all sound like surnames. Contemporary romance is especially bad about this. I can't connect with Presley's character, and that name doesn't help at all. Why not Paige and Ben, or Lea/Lee and Ben? I would be so happy if books would stop with this trend. ...more
This is a difficult one to rate. If I were allowed a more nuanced system, I'd give it 2.5 stars, maybe evInteresting But Ultimately Unsatisfying - 2.5
This is a difficult one to rate. If I were allowed a more nuanced system, I'd give it 2.5 stars, maybe even 2.75. I typically don't read novellas, as they're almost always too short for my taste. This is, unfortunately, part of my problem with The Crane Husband.
My main issue with the story is: it feels like so much interesting world development was simply left to rot. The book is - as far as I can tell - set in a dystopian future not too far from our own world. Farming has been completely consumed by corporations. And it's become a job of button pushing rather than bothering to touch the earth with our bare hands. This happened over generations, though we're not privy to any of the details. If it weren't for the mention of drones and computers, this could've been during the Great Depression.
There's so much to wonder about the world around our nameless protagonist. While I'm somewhat annoyed by her lack of a name, I very much connected with the main character. With her father gone, and her mother in her own world, it's up to Girl to raise her younger brother (and the only named character) Michael. I feel like Girl's skills were well built-up, thanks to the backstory with her father, and I would have liked to know more about him.
I also have many many questions that are left unanswered.
Why do all mothers have to leave? Who says so? What does this say about artists who are mothers, and mothers who are also artists? Who was the mother before this, and why was the Dad her tether?
Having reread the original for this review, I find myself irked by the inclusion of child abuse, neglect, and parental abandonment. Why bring in all those ideas, which *are* interesting and *are* worth exploring, if they're only going to be wasted?
Barnhill seemed to want to churn up the readers emotions by bringing farming, greed, sex, abuse, and abandonment all to the table, but only had the fortitude to resolve a small section of the chaos she created.
Sure, Girl succeeds in killing the Crane, but still loses her baby brother and her mother. Her mother, in the form of another crane, even continues to taunt her with the idea of repeating the cycle. Regardless of the fact that Girl made progress to save herself.
As an artist/writer and mother of three herself, I'm very confused at the point Barnhill was aiming for. Is being an artist incompatible with motherhood? I don't see the value in continuing the "flaky artist" stereotype, and then adding kids to the mix on top of it. Isn't that ... hypocritical?
The original Crane Wife is a tale of love, redemption, sacrifice, and the importance of keeping promises. While this book has sacrifice in spades, and love, it completely misses the heart of the beautiful folktale.
Honestly, the more I think about this story, the more I want to return book (which makes me sad, because I bought it from a local independent shop and I really don't wanna take back the sale). I also can't help but think (in a very cynical section of my brain) that this is another case of a white person "reinventing" Japanese mythology without fully understanding it....more
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