Scot’s Reviews > Playground > Status Update
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Jonathan
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rated it 5 stars
Feb 21, 2026 01:20PM
Any thoughts so far? I loved this one and in many respects thought it was better than his Pulitzer winner, but that's just me :)
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I love the arc of the characters, the slow steady expansion of life on the island, the depth of back story and how I have no idea what is going to happen or emerge. I also love how well he manages people with cognitive issues.
Agreed..its a bit confusing in the beginning but Powers does a beautiful job of sorting it out with a magnificent climax..While I enjoyed Overstory and some of his others, this and Bewilderment remain the favorites
PS, while of a different ilk, if you've yet to read Brian Doyle, I'd recommend Mink River, The Plover and Martin Marten..of all under the radar authors, he stands alone due to his creative characters and plots..shame he passed away though
I have enjoyed each and every one of his novels and also loved Bewilderment! Adding those recommendations to my TBR immediately!
As did I..and you're going to love Brian Doyle as well..his lyrical narratives, remarkable characters and use of metaphor puts him in a league of his own
I neglected to add "The Curse of Pietro Houdini" which is also magnificent whose author is in a similar league to Doyle
OK got it..In my opinion its a unique coming of age plot set in that time period with some very unique characters and plot points..very engaging too
My pleasure Scott..finding another reader who enjoys literary fiction by under the radar authors is welcome. Hope Playground exceeds your expectations
Have you read Percival Everett? William Kent Krueger's Cork O'Connor series is unique since WKK blends Indian spirituality with family and redemption within his mystery plots
I have some of Everett’s books in my TBR, just haven’t gotten around to them. I’ll try the WKK series as I love the Longmire books and feel like they may have some similarities. I liked the Longmire TV series, but the books are so much better.

