Official Review: American River: Tributaries

[Manang Muyang]

I read the sample and could relate to the reviewer's comments. A casual reader will find the story challenging to follow because of the large cast and the time jumps. I believe that the author meant this for an audience prepared for serious contemplation, like that required for a classic novel for a class in English Literature. The history (a century of experiences), cultural diversity (three continents are represented), and artistry (the vivid descriptions) will be fascinating to discuss.

[Ruadhan]

I was curious about the book, having read other immigrant tales. However, I found the sample slow reading, with a lot of set-up with very little action. Not to my usual taste. It is well enough written, though I did find two errors in the letter mentioned in chapter four ('sream' for stream, and 'am' where one would expect 'is'.) Those might be artifacts of the letter itself, deliberately inserted for color. I don't think so, however.

I agree with the reviewer. The piece has some flow issues and the vast array of characters are difficult to keep track of (three families' worth over multiple generations? WOWZER.) The list of characters at the front was very useful -- I referred to it during the preview. Not the best of signs, but not, on its own, a bad one. I remain curious -- and that is definitely a good sign.

[Rosemary Wright]

An eye-opening read about immigrants and different cultures. From your review, the book seems like a worthwhile narrative.

[DancingLady]

Sounds like an interesting story, but I can understand how it could be difficult to follow with so many characters and different families. I would be curious if the author included a visual family tree somewhere in the book that might be a helpful reference to flip back and check who is related to who ect as you are going along.

Thank you for addressing the sex scene; I would certainly have been quite shocked had I been reading along and found such dialogue. I agree that is in very poor taste and could be very disturbing to anyone who has been a victim of a sexual crime, or is close to someone who was a victim.

[jedreid]

a large cast is a challenge indeed as i have a hard time remembering names. still, i'm willing to give this book a try! good job on writing a thorough and honest review!

[liniageline89]

I do appreciate a broad view of culture every now and then, but trying to describe several cultures and their associations with each other in one book sound ambitious.

Thank you for the review though. I'm not much of a generation-spanning historical book lover. I prefer to read those in a series.

[Mrtech]

Wow what a wonderful book. What an interesting one, these is a must read and i must recommend them to my friends. Infact these book made my day, this book actually caught my attention from the first page the characters are so unique. & amazing, thumps up to Mallory M. O’Connor, American River is just everything I want in literature.

[Maksimaleksejev]

This was a life hitting moment reading this book because it wasn’t hard to realise at first that these things are completely impossible to happen but as you keep reading you get a great insight into how it actually could be and literally get to feel the character and their life.

[Chelsy Scherba]

I generally enjoy historical stories, but I’m not wild about reading anything with racy scenes, so I’ll pass this one up.

[micoleon13]

I've also looked at reviewing this book, but I think I would find so many characters where they fit in confusing. Thanks for the review.

[R-g-R]

Intertwined and separate stories of the three families - ancestors and inheritors - plot a story of change and growth in the landscape, the homes, the fortunes, the lives and characters of the many family members. Not normally a genre that I would select to read, the sample demonstrated quality writing with attention to detail. It’s interesting to read your response to the ‘rape’ comment. I agree that such statements leave a bad taste, even if it is realistic for what the character would say and do. Thanks for your review and sharing some of your story.

[Bnall]

American River: Tributaries begins with a turn off for me personally...a list of characters and who is related to whom! I prefer a book which allows me to discover the characters and connections as I read it.

Although I just opted for the sample, I feel the story was compelling, but it jumped around too much. If I read the entire book, my review might be better. Each family has a story to tell, but these stories seem to jumble too much for me to enjoy. Again, this is purely based on the sample so others may find it more enjoyable. The sample does not persuade me to make the purchase.

[fatemeh133]

Thank you for the detailed review.
It made me think, but I do not think I will pick up this book.

[Paul78]

The book shows the lives of the immigrants in California. Well, I admire the way three different cultures are brought together in this book. This makes the American tributaries an interesting book to read.

[MarisaRose]

I had considered reading this one previously. I was drawn in by the multifaceted characters and complex plotting, but now I’m a little hesitant. I don’t think the writing style and the author’s handling of the main themes would work for me.