A review by booksoversecondbreakfast
There There by Tommy Orange

challenging informative relaxing sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This was such a heart wrenching book and an all around literary masterpiece. I will definitely be purchasing my own copy (I borrowed it from the library) and rereading this over and over.

This is the kind of multiple-POV book where a bunch of stories start out seeming kind of disjointed, and then they all come together and intertwine in a satisfying way that you get to uncover throughout your read. Each chapter is told by one of several characters, where each has their own voice that is unique to them and that helps the reader really empathize and connect with them.

The book reveals fairly early on what traumatic event will take place at its climax, so it has a slow-burn thriller feel to it as the story progresses. This, plus the fact that you've built such deep connections with the characters make the read feel even more exhilarating as you start to see events unfold towards the climax and you wonder if the characters you've come to know and care about progressing towards that event.

I really loved that that author included some non-fiction chapters in the story, and I thought that the self-insert character, Dene, was written really tastefully yet in a way that singled to the reader what he was aiming for with the book. This books also teaches a lot about different Native American experiences, and I really enjoyed that about it.

The writing was so beautiful and full of symbolism that one could spend hours pondering, and this is all around a book that will stick with me. It's so heart wrenching and so sad, but only in the way that some of the best books are. 10/10

Expand filter menu Content Warnings