I really wanted to like this novel. The premise is fascinating, I enjoy Russell's writing style, and living not terribly far from the Everglades now, it was cool to recognize some places and geographical features in the story. But unfortunately, I kept waiting for the novel to grab me and it just didn't -- at least not until I was already more than 300 pages in.
The dual focus on Ava and Kiwi was interesting, but their "quest" stories start very late in the novel. And that's really the part that I found interesting. The rest of it seemed a bit directionless.
Don't get me wrong; as an aspiring novelist myself, I am loath to criticize anyone else's work, and Russell is an accomplished writer. But Swamplandia! just didn't rise to the level of expectation I had for it.
The dual focus on Ava and Kiwi was interesting, but their "quest" stories start very late in the novel. And that's really the part that I found interesting. The rest of it seemed a bit directionless.
Don't get me wrong; as an aspiring novelist myself, I am loath to criticize anyone else's work, and Russell is an accomplished writer. But Swamplandia! just didn't rise to the level of expectation I had for it.
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