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The Great Alone

Kristin Hannah

Start date: February 1, 2020

Finish date: February 29, 2020

Discussion: February 2020

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February 2020

The Great Alone
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May 09, 2020 Tina Haigler rated it really liked it · review of another edition

"That spring, rain fell in great sweeping gusts that rattled the rooftops."

This one was a bit of a tear jerker towards the end, so I needed a little time to process my emotions before writing this review. Typically, I find that after the emotions settle, there is normally one that remains, having dominated the others. For this book, my primary emotion is a readiness to tackle the future, whatever it might bring. I imagine myself in the Alaskan countryside. It's late spring, and I'm sitting in an "That spring, rain fell in great sweeping gusts that rattled the rooftops."

This one was a bit of a tear jerker towards the end, so I needed a little time to process my emotions before writing this review. Typically, I find that after the emotions settle, there is normally one that remains, having dominated the others. For this book, my primary emotion is a readiness to tackle the future, whatever it might bring. I imagine myself in the Alaskan countryside. It's late spring, and I'm sitting in an Adirondack chair, drinking a glass of ice-cold sweet tea. I look out at the snow-capped mountains in the distance, and as I take a deep breathe, I lean back in my chair, feeling completely at peace.

However, this book isn't all peaches and cream. There are pros and cons. I feel like for my review to do the book justice, we need to go over those. Let's dive in.

Pro: I love reading anything and everything about Alaska. Whether it's fiction or nonfiction doesn't make a difference. It's just so relaxing to me. I think it's safe to say that it's my favorite setting.

Con: During some parts of the story, I had to suspend my disbelief to enjoy it. There were situations that simply didn't seem realistic to me, or were too convenient to be believable.

Pro: The story was interesting, and it definitely kept my attention. Also, the ending was satisfying, even if I would've liked it to have gone a little better than it did.

Con: I was not a fan of two of the three main characters. I liked the primary character as a child and as an adult, but not as a teenager. More importantly though, her parents were horrendous. I absolutely abhorred her father, and I detested her mother.

Pro: I absolutely loved the Alaskan characters. They were strong, resilient, and badass. I especially loved the Walker family and Large Marge. She was my favorite.

Con: I cried the whole last 10% of the book. Sad tears and happy tears, but it took me two months to get through it to finish the book. I tend to avoid being a sobbing mess.

Pro: Luckily, with about 20-30% of the book left, I started appreciating the story more. My feelings towards the main characters changed a bit, and I was able to move past all of my negative emotions from the beginning of the book.

So, there you have it. Overall, the pros made the cons worth dealing with, and I would recommend this to anyone who likes reading about Alaska, adventure, wilderness, redemption, or survival. However, I will note that if you are easily triggered by difficult to read about topics, then you should probably skip this one.

"I belong." ...more

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Aug 14, 2023 Jess Penhallow rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: usa, 1970s

I haven't sobbed at a book like I sobbed at this book for years. Hannah is the master of writing about perseverance through struggle and she does it in a way where you can't help but be moved. The plot moves at a rapid pace through a whole range of events but it never feels overblown, you are just swept up in the epic struggle of the central characters. I absolutely loved it! ...more

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Sep 13, 2021 Sinead Flanagan rated it it was ok

Shelves: dnf

Couldn't get past the cheesy-ness and how overly descriptive it was. It read like the script of a poorly written day time tv movie. I have no idea how it warrants so much hype. It is also NOT like 'Where the Crawdads sing' IMO. I don't understand how people can say that. Apart from being set in the wild and exploring themes of abuse and isolation it really isn't similar at all. I couldn't finish this book because I knew exactly where it was going and the writing was really really poor IMO.

Also- ...more

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