Acton reviewed Swamplandia! by Karen Russell
Review of 'Swamplandia!' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
What a captivating novel! I became immersed in this story very quickly. It's quirky, serious, sad, and funny. I picked this up without knowing anything about it at all, and so hesitate to say too much. Meet the Bigtrees, a family making a living (or not) in a bizarre fashion, in the swamps off the coast of Florida. When their way of life starts to unravel after a tragedy, three siblings--Kiwi, Osceola, and Ava, are forced to make sense of what is happening and make decisions about their own survival. Some of these decisions are misguided and downright dangerous. I thought Ava's story was the most compelling, and the way her story is told alternatively with Kiwi's less life-threatening (and occasionally humorous) one makes the book a real page-turner.
Great book!
What a captivating novel! I became immersed in this story very quickly. It's quirky, serious, sad, and funny. I picked this up without knowing anything about it at all, and so hesitate to say too much. Meet the Bigtrees, a family making a living (or not) in a bizarre fashion, in the swamps off the coast of Florida. When their way of life starts to unravel after a tragedy, three siblings--Kiwi, Osceola, and Ava, are forced to make sense of what is happening and make decisions about their own survival. Some of these decisions are misguided and downright dangerous. I thought Ava's story was the most compelling, and the way her story is told alternatively with Kiwi's less life-threatening (and occasionally humorous) one makes the book a real page-turner.
Great book!
