After I got used to how the author handled the dialog and internal monolog, I really fell into the world she’d created. I was as fascinated by the boy as the primary character. I felt like I was there, in that world, looking through the protagonist’s eyes. This is a real triumph for any author. I WILL be reading more by Hulme!
5 stars!
For more fiction that deals with indigenous people, check out Message Stick, winner of two national awards.

This work proves that Gaiman is a master storyteller. I don’t say those kinds of things lightly so this is unique praise. The work is compelling throughout and the ending…well, it couldn’t have happened any other way and yet so few authors would have thought to end it this way.
5 stars!
Interested in other novels that propel characters into fairytale worlds? Try He Drinks Poison, a paranormal thriller shortlisted for several national awards.

I enjoyed this because the concept is so unique. A very surreal read. However, around page 200 the concept lost its appeal. I skimmed the remainder of the book just to see how it ended, and wasn’t terribly impressed with the climax but it was a fun read overall.
3 stars.

Although at times the author intruded with writing that trumpeted how clever he was, the story itself was very pleasurable and unique. The structural elements themselves were interesting to watch unfold (chapters alternate between the two protagonists’ points of view and information about the fabled world). In the end, although somewhat predictable, the story is uplifting. I enjoyed this book and will look for more by this author, hoping he will have solved those “writerly” issues while working on his second novel.
4 stars!
Interested in fables and folktales? Try Seven Sisters: Spiritual Messages from Aboriginal Australia, a book that ties ancient stories with essays about what the stories can teach us about modern life.

I haven’t read a book this well written in a long time. Subtle yet with an emotional resonance that sticks with you long after you put it down. The doctor’s internal journey is reflected in various events that happen around him. Some are almost-events…things that happen only in his imagination, and that are symbols of a mind in turmoil. Others are real, and bring him to a dangerous place that threatens his family. He has to step up and be the man everyone has mistaken him for up until now.
Clearly I’m going to seek out other books by this author.
5 stars!

This is one of those books that when I was done, I just thought, Wow! I’ll be thinking about this one for a very long time. A lot of complexity here with his daughter, the international journey to look for his wife, and his own demons. I really enjoyed this one!
5 stars!

I read this because I enjoyed Blindness so much. This one turned out to be a bit more political than I usually like. However, I enjoyed it quite a bit, in no small part because of the wry humor the author brought to the topic.
3 stars.

Fantastic story. Other people told me this is a book-length rant against consumerism, and I don’t care. I read it for how the characters interacted, how they faced the challenges before them. It ended pretty much where and how I expected…and that was not disappointing. It has a strong message beyond anything it might say about consumerism and provides a deeply satisfying read.
5 stars!

Always interesting to go back and read a classic work. This one I enjoyed for about 350 pages. Then the dialog got to be a bit much to read…very repetative. But I know that is part of what was expected and enjoyed at the time, so I overlooked that element as much as possible. A great classic thriller overall!
3 stars.

Really liked this one. A bit heavy handed with the one-liners after a while but I suppose there’s no getting around that for this particular protagonist.
Russo is just a fantastic author all around. I liked this book a lot. Had some truly ridiculous scenes, very amusing, and yet managed to work on a realistic and serious level. Much like life, which is where Russo really shines.
3 stars.

This was riveting. The action takes place in a very short period of time and focuses on the daughter’s thoughts and emotions about her life, her childhood, and her family. It also works with the family she has built through marriage. She is loved, and in the end takes the only action that is right for her. A great read, dark and always truthful.
4 stars!
Want more dark fiction about women’s thoughts, lives and loves? Try He Drinks Poison.

This was classic Russo…in-depth look at a normal family living in very specific times and places that come alive with the everyday details. Despite the focus on the normal and everyday, Russo as usual makes these settings and people come alive in a way that provides depth to their experiences.
This story spans the lifetimes of four interlinked characters. The first one readers meet has a very interesting perspective. This perspective is what drew me into the book and in a very strong way kept me going even when I tired of the dialog (I’ve found Russo’s dialog less than captivating at times in other books, as well) and even when I thought the length could have been trimmed just a hair to tighten the narrative.
Overall, a book I would recommend. And be aware that you’ll want to read it slowly. It’s a thought-provoking book even though it can’t be described as “thoughtful” in the usual manner. You won’t be confounded by deeply meaningful discussions of issues; instead you’ll find deep meaning in very simple events and the characters’ responses.
3 stars.
Want more fiction that touches on intergenerational movements and families? Try Message Stick, a story of Australia’s Stolen Generation.

Really very well written. The storyline was a bit overdone in some ways (just too much like other books) but behind that plotline was a character who was fascinating. The main character here is not entirely a nice guy…and the author handles this exceptionally well. I really enjoyed this for reasons that were more about finding meaning and learning about humanity than the story. So…in a way not what I was expecting but it held my interest all they way through!
3 stars.

I didn’t get very far with this work. Too meandering for my taste, and also meanders into arenas I’m just not interested in. So although I didn’t like it, it wasn’t for lack of writing skill or storytelling…just not my kind of book. So 3 stars because I feel like the fault is not in the book, and 2 stars would be too harsh.

I’m not sure why so many people gave this very low star rankings. I suppose it is a bit unique in terms of how it’s written; you do have to pay attention and stick with where the narrator goes to really enjoy the fullness of the nuances. But I found a lot of the lower ratings kind of harsh.
So, this was a very enjoyable read! Funny…not laugh out loud but amusing because the narrator’s observations about certain types of social norms and lifestyles is so spot on. Which makes his own inability to see what’s going on in his own life all the more ironic.
And, too, there is the complication that his parents lied to him about so much during his youth. He really had no choice but to become the loser he was as an adult. The story shows him peeling back those layers and taking responsibility for his own life…and even for that of his parents.
So, layered on much deeper levels than you’d think. The layers don’t all come clear until really the last handful of pages, so well worth sticking with it if you’re unsure whether to continue reading to the end.
4 stars!