Once Upon A River is a STORY. Yes, all novels are stories, but this has the feel of a long campfire tale or a bedtime story told to children in eagerly anticipated installments. There is magic in its words and the voice of its narrator, who feels more like a storyteller. It opens like a fairy tale as we settle in to listen to said narrator's tale and are told our setting is a place people go to for storytelling. And just like that, I was sold.
The book has a dreamlike atmosphere and walks a thin line between reality and supernatural. Through much of the book Setterfield had me believing that the least possible outcome was the most likely. When I read the line "just 'cause a thing's impossible don't mean it can't happen" I smiled at how it evoked the essence of my reading experience.
Like a river this story flows and twists. I enjoyed the gentle, winding ride of its first half, then the second half completely swept me away in its racing current. It is the perfect mix of unexpected and satisfyingly predictable in all the right places. There are gorgeously written phrases and moments that nearly took my breath away or made me tear up with emotion. It's an epic story, brilliantly told.
The book has a dreamlike atmosphere and walks a thin line between reality and supernatural. Through much of the book Setterfield had me believing that the least possible outcome was the most likely. When I read the line "just 'cause a thing's impossible don't mean it can't happen" I smiled at how it evoked the essence of my reading experience.
Like a river this story flows and twists. I enjoyed the gentle, winding ride of its first half, then the second half completely swept me away in its racing current. It is the perfect mix of unexpected and satisfyingly predictable in all the right places. There are gorgeously written phrases and moments that nearly took my breath away or made me tear up with emotion. It's an epic story, brilliantly told.