Plague
of Doves
By Louis
Erdrich
Plague
of Doves is one of
the only books that have left me confused when I tried to sneak a peek at the
ending. Part of the reason for that is different narrators used throughout the
story. Each chapter is told in the first
person by a different character. Some of
the characters have only one chapter, while some narrate more than one. At times, this caused confusion and I had to
look back and refresh my memory.
The
characters in Plague of Doves were Native American, early pioneer, and
some with mixed heritages, who were all somehow involved in a long, unresolved
murder mystery. The setting was a
desolate community on the edge of a Native American reservation in North Dakota. It gave a real feel for the poverty and personal
conflicts that can occur in and/or near reservations. While I’m sure the story reflected the
reality of those communities, it made a story that was, at best, pretty
depressing. It’s not a light read, but
one that is historically and socially significant. I’m glad that I read Plague of Doves,
but beware… it’s not a pleasant read.
Paper Towns
By John
Green
Once again,
I couldn’t put this John Green book down.
I really think he is a great writer and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed everything
of his that I’ve read, even though I’m far older than his target audience. Paper Towns was no exception.
The
characters were real and well developed.
I love that he always has a strong, female character and that she isn’t
focused on being a ‘nice girl’. His
characters all deal with significant, real- life issues. In Paper Towns,
the story was woven around a character named Margo and the mystery of her
disappearance. While searching for clues
to find Margo, the other characters find out a lot about themselves. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but I was
very happy with the ending. It’s a great
story and was totally engaging.
An
Abundance of Katherines
By John
Green
I’m sure
that I didn’t read John Green’s books in order, because An Abundance of
Katerines was the final book that I read.
Once again, I loved the strong female character of Lindsey. In this book, however, the focus was on the
two male characters: Colin, a child prodigy and Hassan, a young Muslim. Although the title suggests that Katherine(s)
would be characters, they are only seen through the eyes of Colin. The story is a modern, coming of age for two
young men who think and live outside the box.
I thoroughly enjoyed An Abundance of Katherines, and once again,
feel it imparted cultural awareness and values, even though that may not have
been the intent. Very engaging book!
No comments:
Post a Comment