Status Updates From The Sparrow (The Sparrow, #1)

“Do you know what the worst of it is? I loved God,” Emilio said in a voice frayed by incomprehension… “It’s all ashes now. All ashes.”

Brutal. This I feel is one of the main themes of the book: being doubtful, finding faith + God thru perseverance and love, and having it all ripped away from you through unbelievable horror.

Rip your heart out, man

there’s something about the pacing that makes it that much more heartbreaking when something shocking is revealed

the time jumping makes it extra strange ; a man gone mad, has lost his faith, has lost everything, who has been through something so terrible he cannot speak vs the man who believes God has given him and his friends this mission.

very moving. mixed in with the human-ness , the desires vs vocation

“We all make vows; and there is something very beautiful and touching and noble about wanting good impulses to be permanent and true forever”

touching on everything here. love, music as communication, science, unlikely friendships, unrequited feelings. outer space, the nature of first contact, smart people getting emotional. sex, death, violence, and raw energy all trapped in an asteroid towards the unknown

I know I’ve already said it, but this is such a thoughtful, well-made book. The characters are screamingly real. The timeline skips are enthralling; this is slow, and forces me to really sit with each page. It’s nice. Although the story itself is really quite sad, and I feel like I’ve barely even touched the surface.