Overall rating and opinion of "Strong Heart"

eelavahs-jay · Post by **eelavahs-jay** » 02 Oct 2017, 08:48

This book was so difficult to read that I couldn't finish it. The narration needed some organizing. I couldn't follow the dialogue properly and that took away from the story. I don't think its fair for me to give it a rating since I gave up on it. But for the few chapters I made it through it was 1 out of 4 stars all the way. It didn't interest me.

Ferdinand_Otieno · Post by **Ferdinand_Otieno** » 02 Oct 2017, 08:57

I would give it a solid 4 out of 4 stars rating.

-- 02 Oct 2017, 16:58 --

I kept hoping that the story would get a sequel.

Mallory Whitaker · Post by **Mallory Whitaker** » 02 Oct 2017, 10:58

gali wrote:
hsimone wrote:I honestly had a tough time enjoying this read. We don't really learn about the characters and their backgrounds, which in general this makes me care less about characters who aren't developed well. The flow of the story was slow for me and I found some of the bickering and dialogue unrealistic and stiff. There were some good themes here, but overall my enjoyment aspect brought my rating. I was teetering between a 1 or a 2, and decided a 1 out of 4 stars.
I felt the same, but I rated it 2 out of 4 stars since I liked the blend of science, mysticism, and magic.

I finished the book a couple of days ago and found it an ok read. I liked it, but it but it didn’t really make an impact on me. It starts off pretty good, dragged in the middle, and then came back on track. It was too slow-paced at times, and the over-detailed passages about the ice ages made it tedious to read.

Sarah experiences were interesting to read, but it could have been tightened. I thought the ending was very abrupt and unsatisfying and I found the writing quite stilted at times.

That's exactly how I felt. I ended up giving it 2 out of 4 stars just because the themes were great and I enjoyed the personification of natural elements around them. I read it a month or two ago, and it hasn't really stuck with me. I have to keep referring to my PDF to make sure I'm remembering things accurately. The vast majority of the characters lacked development and had similar voices.

Basya · Post by **Basya** » 02 Oct 2017, 11:42

I read and reviewed this multi-layered novel. The attention-grabbing story line and believable characters combine with Native American traditions and the issue of corporate greed to make an unforgettable tale. The rocky yet budding relationship between a grandfather and his newly-discovered granddaughter is a high point of the novel, and the story-within-a-story blends seamlessly into the main narrative. The unfortunate need for a bit of editing--there are numerous grammatical flaws and awkward passages--detracts from the quality of the novel. (As I noted in my review, these errors do not exist in the story within the story; the language here is lovely and poetic.) It is only because of these drawbacks that I gave Strong Heart a rating of 3 instead of 4 stars. The satisfying ending does not tie up all the loose ends, making we wonder if there is a sequel in the works.

boringyanks · Post by **boringyanks** » 02 Oct 2017, 12:45

This book was fabulously plotted... Those who enjoy fiction about native legends and myths will find themselves engrossed in this book.

violet-trey19 · Post by **violet-trey19** » 02 Oct 2017, 14:42

I like the book and I recommend it to other.Characters are strong in 'Strong Heart'.

Zelinda · Post by **Zelinda** » 02 Oct 2017, 17:30

prenaramesh wrote:What I liked best about the book was Myra and Sergei's conflicts - the different things they believe in. I honestly felt they both were right. Myra believes the legends she grew up with are true because she believes they come from fact. Sergei, on the other hand, would prefer to wait on scientific evidence. From their perspectives, they were both right. However, what I didn't like about the book was how Sergei and Myra switched between belief and disbelief.
In the beginning, Myra believes Sarah about seeing the bear. And then she doesn't believe Sarah's story. Sergei meanwhile says he doesn't believe anything without scientific evidence and then believes Sarah's story and even defends it. I found this switch a little confusing.
Did anyone else feel the same way? Or did I miss some explanation in the book?

I think I missed the part about Myra disbelieving Sarah after believing her. But in terms of the switching viewpoints, that is part of what I liked about the book - that the characters were strong but thoughtful, and after thinking over some things were able to see that there might be a different point of view. Maybe not so much belief as trust. I think that speaks to all of us today, especially in the US, where people don't seem to want to see any other viewpoint but their own.

Ashley Simon · Post by **Ashley Simon** » 02 Oct 2017, 17:53

hsimone wrote:I honestly had a tough time enjoying this read. We don't really learn about the characters and their backgrounds, which in general this makes me care less about characters who aren't developed well. The flow of the story was slow for me and I found some of the bickering and dialogue unrealistic and stiff. There were some good themes here, but overall my enjoyment aspect brought my rating. I was teetering between a 1 or a 2, and decided a 1 out of 4 stars.

Although I gave it four stars, I can definitely understand where hsimone is coming from. It was hard for me to get over the fact that we didn't learn much about the characters and their backgrounds. I thought that the book had a strong & interesting plot, and accomplished its goal in that way, which is why I ended up giving it four stars. However, on a personal level, I would have liked to see more character development.

mratdegraff91 · Post by **mratdegraff91** » 02 Oct 2017, 19:35

I enjoyed this novel. I struggled to put it down. I loved following Sarah as she adapted to life with her family and also reading about her dream vision. It was fascinating. I was shocked at some of the things revealed toward the end of the book that happened with Sarah's mother and almost with her. I am curious if they ever went back after the fires to seek out the area the bear was attempting to lead them to. I did not like the short lag in the middle of the book and that there could have been more to the story at the end, so I rate this novel a 3 out of 4 stars.

0719672189 · Post by **0719672189** » 02 Oct 2017, 23:21

It's a great book and I rate it 4 out of 4 stars, the characters are strong people as the title suggests.The author describes the journey clearly making the readers willing companion.It's not only a journey through the native hills but also one of growth and discovery.

Heidi M Simone · Post by **Heidi M Simone** » 03 Oct 2017, 03:51

Ashley Simon wrote:
hsimone wrote:I honestly had a tough time enjoying this read. We don't really learn about the characters and their backgrounds, which in general this makes me care less about characters who aren't developed well. The flow of the story was slow for me and I found some of the bickering and dialogue unrealistic and stiff. There were some good themes here, but overall my enjoyment aspect brought my rating. I was teetering between a 1 or a 2, and decided a 1 out of 4 stars.
Although I gave it four stars, I can definitely understand where hsimone is coming from. It was hard for me to get over the fact that we didn't learn much about the characters and their backgrounds. I thought that the book had a strong & interesting plot, and accomplished its goal in that way, which is why I ended up giving it four stars. However, on a personal level, I would have liked to see more character development.

Thank you for your thoughts. Characters are such a big part of my enjoyment in any read, so this weighed a lot on my choice in giving it a lower rating. I think it's great to see how different everyone's thoughts and opinions are for one book. Thank you again and I'm glad that you were able to enjoy the read!

Amagine · Post by **Amagine** » 03 Oct 2017, 05:18

boringyanks wrote:This book was fabulously plotted... Those who enjoy fiction about native legends and myths will find themselves engrossed in this book.

I agree that it is a good book for those who like legends and myths.

gali · Post by **gali** » 03 Oct 2017, 06:04

Mallory Whitaker wrote:
gali wrote:
hsimone wrote:I honestly had a tough time enjoying this read. We don't really learn about the characters and their backgrounds, which in general this makes me care less about characters who aren't developed well. The flow of the story was slow for me and I found some of the bickering and dialogue unrealistic and stiff. There were some good themes here, but overall my enjoyment aspect brought my rating. I was teetering between a 1 or a 2, and decided a 1 out of 4 stars.
I felt the same, but I rated it 2 out of 4 stars since I liked the blend of science, mysticism, and magic.

I finished the book a couple of days ago and found it an ok read. I liked it, but it but it didn’t really make an impact on me. It starts off pretty good, dragged in the middle, and then came back on track. It was too slow-paced at times, and the over-detailed passages about the ice ages made it tedious to read.

Sarah experiences were interesting to read, but it could have been tightened. I thought the ending was very abrupt and unsatisfying and I found the writing quite stilted at times.
That's exactly how I felt. I ended up giving it 2 out of 4 stars just because the themes were great and I enjoyed the personification of natural elements around them. I read it a month or two ago, and it hasn't really stuck with me. I have to keep referring to my PDF to make sure I'm remembering things accurately. The vast majority of the characters lacked development and had similar voices.

I agree and indeed the vast majority of the characters lacked development.

Gikonyo Caroline · Post by **Gikonyo Caroline** » 03 Oct 2017, 06:21

I rated it 4 out of 4 stars for allowing history to be retold and relived albeit taking different forms or identities

Post by **Kourtney Bradley** » 03 Oct 2017, 07:54

I tried to start this one, but just could never really get into it enough. The beginning seemed okay, but then it slowed down and I got bored with it.