Swamplandia! by Karen Russell
Published 1st March 2012 by Vintage
Star Rating - **
Goodreads Challenge - 8/75
Synopsis (from Goodreads)
The Bigtree alligator wrestling dynasty is in decline--think Buddenbrooks set in the Florida Everglades--and Swamplandia!, their island home and gator-wrestling theme park, is swiftly being encroached upon by a sophisticated competitor known as the "World of Darkness."
Ava, a resourceful but terrified twelve-year-old, must manage seventy gators and the vast, inscrutable landscape of her own grief. Her mother, Swamplandia!’s legendary headliner, has just died; her sister is having an affair with a ghost called the Dredgeman; her brother has secretly defected to the World of Darkness in a last-ditch effort to keep their sinking family afloat; and her father, Chief Bigtree, is AWOL. To save her family, Ava must journey on her own to a perilous part of the swamp called the "Underworld," a harrowing odyssey from which she emerges a true heroine.
Ava, a resourceful but terrified twelve-year-old, must manage seventy gators and the vast, inscrutable landscape of her own grief. Her mother, Swamplandia!’s legendary headliner, has just died; her sister is having an affair with a ghost called the Dredgeman; her brother has secretly defected to the World of Darkness in a last-ditch effort to keep their sinking family afloat; and her father, Chief Bigtree, is AWOL. To save her family, Ava must journey on her own to a perilous part of the swamp called the "Underworld," a harrowing odyssey from which she emerges a true heroine.
Review
I was really hoping to like this book but it didn't quite hit the spot for me. Last year I read and enjoyed Karen Russell's short story in St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves set in Swamplandia so thats what pushed me to pick up the full novel.
I was actually enjoying it at the beginning but as it went on I found it starting to drag. I enjoyed the elements of magical realism, these intrigued me and that was the story line I was most invested in but as we progressed towards the end it felt unfinished too me.
About halfway through the novel split into two perspectives and I just found myself wanting to skim through the perspective set on the mainland. As I said I was more invested in the magical realism story line set in Swamplandia.
Overall I was disappointed with the one which was such a shame because I enjoyed the short story but the full length novel just wasn't for me.
I was actually enjoying it at the beginning but as it went on I found it starting to drag. I enjoyed the elements of magical realism, these intrigued me and that was the story line I was most invested in but as we progressed towards the end it felt unfinished too me.
About halfway through the novel split into two perspectives and I just found myself wanting to skim through the perspective set on the mainland. As I said I was more invested in the magical realism story line set in Swamplandia.
Overall I was disappointed with the one which was such a shame because I enjoyed the short story but the full length novel just wasn't for me.
Overall Rating
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