The Sparrow

"I read this book as an assignment but I really loved it! I don’t usually like sci-fi and I would say that’s the genre of the book, but it had something for everyone and I would highly suggest you try it out!"

"Wow!!! What an amazing read. It shelves for most as sci-fi but it's so much more than that. I LOVED this book."

"Rarely have I read a book that, even as I read it, inspired such a desire to read more. It captivated me from our very first moments together. It transported me as few books have in my adult life.<br/><br/>USA Today said the author "shows herself to be a skillful storyteller who subtly and expertly builds suspense." I am convinced it is Mary Doria Russell's gift: Suspense. Not the sordid, cheap kind, nor the frustrating and uncomfortable kind, not even the contrived cliffhanger-cheat kind, but the real deal. The truly intriguing. A genuine story.<br/><br/>I stumbled across a few of Russell's critics while I still read. I began to dread the ending. <br/><br/>But they were wrong. They missed it. Perhaps they were too hardened by our own despotism to appreciate the subtleties, or they were too desensitized by movie explosions to grasp the complexities and their commentary on humanity, religion, and culture.<br/><br/>That being said, it was not without its weaknesses. There was occasional sidestepping or even plain avoidance of what sci fi writers and readers would otherwise revere. There was this spot in the middle that seemed a bit of a let-down, an anti-climax. But it was momentary; the apparent transgression was folded in like a foil to the narrative. The reveal is not the reveal. And the story may not be about what you might think.<br/><br/>I cannot say anything more without giving too much away, but upon reflection, my favorite part of the book is its ironies. I highly recommend it. <br/><br/>Audience rating is Mature, more for context than content, with trigger warnings for references of and to domestic violence, child abuse, gang violence, murder, slavery, prostitution, and rape, with no graphic descriptions of any save a careful narrative dealing with the last three."

"I love this book SO much. Exquisite characters and masterful storytelling"

"Thought provoking and bittersweet"

"This is disturbing book, but one that I will never forget."

"great characters that you really get attached too and the story keeps you turning the pages finding it hard to put down."

""He felt sometimes like the seedhead of a dandelion, flying apart, blown to pieces in a puff of air." (Russell 238). Mary Doria Russell does a fantastic job melding science fiction with the painful depths of a spiritual journey story. Following a Jesuit mission to an alien planet, The Sparrow is equally sci-fi thriller and religious self-discovery. Admittedly, it took me a little while to get used to the writing style, but the story was compelling from the beginning, and I eventually came to app"

"Wow, just wow.<br/><br/>In a time of global quarantine, one reaches for escapism, but I was met with character development that revealed new, dear friends. From small details that spoke of places I have known, to an intense yet general exploration of life on another planet, enough description so I felt joy, and also deep disturbance in the pain and loss of the characters. <br/><br/>I thought I was just floating through this distraction read, but I felt connected to it and the spiritual turmoil of Emilio Sandoz. I too am questioning, and to see him question, feel him evolve, and be wrapped up in the humor and the strangeness and the pain and the beauty and the glory, made me feel less alone.<br/><br/>Sometimes a book comes along at the right time. This, was my right time.<br/><br/><br/>Read it if you like deep descriptions, the lightheartedness of questioning and comparing religion and culture, and a good romp through the universe and the idea of love, community, good people doing bad things, the realization of the inevitable, an exploration of loss, a fervent hope, and some good writing.<br/><br/>One of my favorites, because the layers are deep, the revelations are well planned, and there’s another book yet to explore."

"Bookshelf"