Book Reviews of The Sparrow

This was an unsettling book. You know within the first several chapters that something very bad has happened but you don't know what or why or how. I found myself speed-reading trying to find out, and even worse, I felt anxious! I really enjoyed it though. The plot is interesting and unusual and the ending causes you to examine your spiritual beliefs very carefully. Without being preachy, the author presents her belief that although there is an all-powerful God out there, He is under no obligation to protect and preserve those who love Him. I'm now looking for the sequel to this, called Children of God. I can't wait to read it!

This book is amazing. The basic plot is that in 2019 we detect radio signals from a nearby system. The Jesuits decide to mount a private expedition. In 2060, one survivor returns. The question is then: what happened? The author manages to interweave two narratives - the past and the present - seamlessly. She builds suspense, dropping tiny hints about what happened, slowly revealing the horror they experienced. Along the way we must deal with heavy philosophical problems: what is God's will? What is our purpose? How do we deal with an entirely alien civilization? What if our actions have unforeseeable consequences?

Creepy but really good, very well-written.

I finished this book the other night and am still a bit baffled by it. The character development and first half of the book was so slow and drawn out, a few times I wondered if I should give up (I have only done this once in my life) on it. The 2nd half of the story seemed very rushed to me. So much ground seemed to be glazed over in a dash to the ending. I didn't care for the writers style, not enough "flow" for me but the story is definately different. All in all, an interesting read but not sure I'll be picking up any more books by this author.

You'll either hate this book, or love it.

I hated it.

If you like books with action, stay away from it. If you like books where characters with plenty of angst sit around discussing things ENDLESSLY, get it.

This is a heavy book, emotionally

VERY intense, dense and complex, beautifully crafted. Shouldn't miss _Children of God_ either.

I LOVED this book. Full of amazing adventure, relationships and drama. Can't wait to get my hands on the sequel!

Highly recommended!

A good read, looking forward to the follow up.

Reviewers compare Russell's "The Sparrow" to H.G. Wells and Bradbury. This is only a general comparison, expect someone very much like Octavia Butler instead. (Butler would be a good alternate for those who enjoy Russell and vice versa.)

The story has two tracks. The first narrative takes place in 2019 so there are many familiar references to the 20th century. The second narrative takes place in 2060 but the action is confined to a private estate in Italy. The story unfolds in a kind of flashback fashion.

Russell a Ph.D. is a recent convert to Judaism. Once a Catholic, it is no accident that Jesuits are the focus of this story. You will find the intellectual Russell explores relationships, personal values and ethics as much as strange new worlds. Those who expect an elaborate description of an exotic new universe (ala...Iain Banks) and a fast action thriller will be a bit disappointed. Her focus on relationships lends to criticism that the characters are talky, the plot slow to develop and the interactions with the alien culture too brief.

That said, "The Sparrow" is a deserving winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award. The story flows well and the characters are well written for science fiction. Recommended for those who enjoy the exploration of human values and relationships as much as alien planets. This is still good old fashioned science fiction and in that respect references to Bradbury and Wells are fitting.

I read this book over a year ago and I still cannot get over it. As an avid reader, I enjoy a lot of books but this one is incredibly thought provoking. Try it -- its not an easy read but it will leave you thinking and pondering on it for a long, long time.

This is a book that wormed its way into my head. It is pretty well-written, with nicely developed characters. The author's tone is a little distant, and I never became truly engaged with the characters, never really FELT what they felt, but they stayed with me all the same, and I will probably keep this book as part of my pantheon.

Ms. Russell touches on themes that also stay with you: bigotry, faith, doubt, and above all redemption. That last one is often the most difficult for people, particularly when it is the redemption of the self (not of someone else) that is at stake. The central character, Emilio Sandoz, is perhaps a bit extreme in his stance, given his character development early in the book, but it makes for a good read, nonetheless.

I really enjoyed this book, good characters, fast moving and highly readable. Makes me want to read the next one.

This is among the top ten best books I have ever read. It will shock you, astound you, make you cry, and make you think deeply about the world. FABULOUS book.

Beautifully written, thoughtful and thought-provoking.

This is a very interesting book. I'm not a science-fiction buff, but I did enjoy this for a change of pace. Four Jesuit priests, a young astronomer, a physician, her engineer husband, and a child prostitute turned computer expert are selected to explore a newly discovered planet to contact a totally unknown species. Definitely gives you lots to think about!

I won't get into the plot, because the blurb on the product page does a perfectly good job of that.

The book is extremely well written, and very interesting. It has a definitely thought-out and unusual perspective on the idea of first-contact with aliens.

That said, it was also extremely depressing, and when I finished it, I was quite sure I never want to read it again, and will not recommend it to friends, and do not want to know about what happens in the sequel. It's probably the most nasty, unpleasant, disgusting, depressing end to any book I have ever read, and I sincerely wish I had never read it.

I really enjoyed this. I agree with other reviewers that the ending seemed rushed, but the rest of the novel was so lovely, and the characters so well drawn, that the resolution wasn't really the most important part for me.

I read this book on a recommendation, and I am so glad I did. It is a very slow burn, but haunting and extremely well-done. While several characters in the book are Jesuit, I would not call it a Christian book; I'm not a Christian, and I enjoyed the book immensely. Faith is just part of who the people are.

However, the book is not about action. If you enjoyed Michael Flynn's Eifelheim, which I can't suggest strongly enough, you will like this book. The book's greatest success, I think, is convincing the reader that each character is unique and interesting. It's a tragedy, and the reader knows that from the beginning. I felt something for each character because they seemed like real people; I cried more than once. Not everyone's cup of tea, certainly.

Well, the character development was quite strong, and the plot interesting with many "twists". There was plenty of discussion about God and religion,and considerable focus on sexuality. The "science" part was less detailed and less plausible.
All in all, I would rate this book "good-very good" and probably will read the sequel.

In a million years I would not have picked this book up to read as it is in the science fiction section. I did read it for my book club and so glad I did. It brought up so many questions about so many issues. We had a great time discussing this book-social, religious, racial issues are among the few topics that came up.

I agree that it is either a love it or hate it kind of book. I am one that does recommend this to people to see their take on it.

As an aside-the sequel, Children of God, was pretty good also.

This book is an excellent read. Do not let the cover or title fool you. Challenges your faith and thinking. Enjoy...

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