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A review by luluwoohoo
The Warbler by Sarah Beth Durst
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The Warbler by Sarah Beth Durst
☀️☀️☀️⛅
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
A mysterious tale of magical realism that was an enjoyable, albeit predictable, journey of womanhood across generations.
This book had a strong premise which I had no problems jumping on board with despite its oddity. The first act was relatively slow but informative; the second act was significantly better, though it does get bogged down by the ever-changing POVs; the third act was unfortunately where things fell apart for me. I can buy into the vague curse logic but the resolution of it in this form felt contradictory. I don't mind having unanswered questions but when many other aspects of the plot are heavy-handed and signposted a mile away, it is unsatisfying.
I liked Elisa as the main narrator, and her perspective is beautifully written - Durst's prose is generally very nice throughout. Being given Lori and Rose's context was helpful too, but it did slow down the pace significantly and left me ahead of Elisa by a long way in the final stretch. I struggled more with the male characters who all felt a bit underdeveloped in comparison to the women, though it's obviously a story focused on womanhood.
Overall I found this to be an enjoyable read but the predictability of the reveals and the odd logic of the magical realism elements left me a bit underwhelmed.
☀️☀️☀️⛅
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
A mysterious tale of magical realism that was an enjoyable, albeit predictable, journey of womanhood across generations.
This book had a strong premise which I had no problems jumping on board with despite its oddity. The first act was relatively slow but informative; the second act was significantly better, though it does get bogged down by the ever-changing POVs; the third act was unfortunately where things fell apart for me. I can buy into the vague curse logic but the resolution of it in this form felt contradictory. I don't mind having unanswered questions but when many other aspects of the plot are heavy-handed and signposted a mile away, it is unsatisfying.
I liked Elisa as the main narrator, and her perspective is beautifully written - Durst's prose is generally very nice throughout. Being given Lori and Rose's context was helpful too, but it did slow down the pace significantly and left me ahead of Elisa by a long way in the final stretch. I struggled more with the male characters who all felt a bit underdeveloped in comparison to the women, though it's obviously a story focused on womanhood.
Overall I found this to be an enjoyable read but the predictability of the reveals and the odd logic of the magical realism elements left me a bit underwhelmed.
"I am a rock skimming the surface of a pond, wanting to make ripples but afraid I'll sink."