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I read this author’s A Thread of Grace with my real world book club and I really enjoyed it and this looked interesting so I put this book on my to-read shelf because of that, even though that book is historical fiction and this book is science fiction/speculative fiction. An online book club inspired me to actually choose it to read from my very long to-read shelf and I am so grateful to have read it.
I don’t know the bible so I didn’t know why the title was The Sparrow until a few pages from t ...more
I don’t know the bible so I didn’t know why the title was The Sparrow until a few pages from t ...more
I can't even.
Okay, so this review will be much like the book itself - a little from the beginning, a little from the end, a little from the middle, and it'll unfold very slowly. So just get used to that now and don't cry about it later.
I was really on board with this book for quite a bit. I didn't mind the characters initially, I thought they were all interesting (though flawed in their stereotypes); the slowly unfolded introduction to each of them and their personalities felt solid and importan ...more
Okay, so this review will be much like the book itself - a little from the beginning, a little from the end, a little from the middle, and it'll unfold very slowly. So just get used to that now and don't cry about it later.
I was really on board with this book for quite a bit. I didn't mind the characters initially, I thought they were all interesting (though flawed in their stereotypes); the slowly unfolded introduction to each of them and their personalities felt solid and importan ...more
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I think the main reason this book isn't a five star book is that I wasn't in the right mindset for it, so I read it in dribs and drabs, and got annoyed with the pacing and did peek ahead at the ending.
WHICH WAS TOTALLY MY FAULT.
So I didn't get the impact that I should have. But I have personal things going on right now where a heavy, philosophical, dark book was not what I should have been reading. But my book club picked it so I forced myself to finish it.
That said - this book was brilliant. ...more
WHICH WAS TOTALLY MY FAULT.
So I didn't get the impact that I should have. But I have personal things going on right now where a heavy, philosophical, dark book was not what I should have been reading. But my book club picked it so I forced myself to finish it.
That said - this book was brilliant. ...more
Why didn't anyone tell me that this is EXACTLY the type of book I love? It was basically written for me.
1. First contact science fiction with space travel-check.
2. Interesting, competent, intelligent female characters-check.
3. Addresses big questions about faith, god, religion, and the universe-check.
4. Tragic and heartbreaking-check.
5. Compelling and suspenseful-check.
6. Amazing writing-check.
7. Reminded me of The Left Hand of Darkness/some of Connie Willis's darker work-check.
It's got it ALL. ...more
1. First contact science fiction with space travel-check.
2. Interesting, competent, intelligent female characters-check.
3. Addresses big questions about faith, god, religion, and the universe-check.
4. Tragic and heartbreaking-check.
5. Compelling and suspenseful-check.
6. Amazing writing-check.
7. Reminded me of The Left Hand of Darkness/some of Connie Willis's darker work-check.
It's got it ALL. ...more
What a great, intense book. Spoilerish note of praise: I had to stop at several points because, from the basic facts of the mission the author relayed in the first few chapters, I almost couldn't bear to lose certain characters.
...more
I was thinking 4 or 5 stars for this book, until I got to last 50 or so pages. I hated the ending for a lot of reasons.
To summarize, I'm very angry with the author for ending the book in what I suspect was a very disingenuous way. I'm so disgusted that I'm not sure if I will ever read the sequel. Actually, the fact that the second book exists and was clearly "in the works" during the writing of this book ... makes me even more convinced that the author was playing one more heartless trick on po ...more
To summarize, I'm very angry with the author for ending the book in what I suspect was a very disingenuous way. I'm so disgusted that I'm not sure if I will ever read the sequel. Actually, the fact that the second book exists and was clearly "in the works" during the writing of this book ... makes me even more convinced that the author was playing one more heartless trick on po ...more
Another reviewer on this site called this book "traumatizing." Amen. It is that, but it is also a beautiful story about redemption and forgiveness. It takes a while to grow on you, but then the mystery of what happened, and the perfect characterizations drawn you in. The ending is not for the faint of heart, and it left me with mixed feelings that I still can't reconcile.
...more
Russell creates a really unique piece of science fiction while never losing a focus on rich, deep, complex characters--and their spiritual issues.
Aug 28, 2007
Jen
marked it as to-read
May 28, 2010
Michelle
marked it as to-read-ebook
Jul 05, 2012
erin
marked it as to-read
Mar 18, 2014
Hannah
marked it as to-read
Jun 13, 2014
Jennifer
marked it as dnf
Aug 15, 2015
Joy Lynne
marked it as to-read
Feb 21, 2016
katie
marked it as to-read
Dec 26, 2016
Amelia
added it
Jan 12, 2022
DV
marked it as to-read
