I felt like I was always on the cusp of knowing these characters... I did not enjoy the pages and pages and pages detailing the ants. That is just not anything I find interesting. I found the characters very over the top stereotypical, too... I struggled to understand Raff as a real person. There were suggested relationships throughout that were never given their time... And I guess it was intentional... But not my kind of book. At times I felt like I was reading a science journal, then it veered off course and turned Grisham-esque with a lawyer getting pressured/ threatened by some crazy locals... Just not my kind of book. This book had an interesting premise. It's about a boy in Alabama interested in insects who wants to save the environment from its worst enemy: humans themselves. Interesting, right? I liked the descriptions of the South in the book, the mentality there. Really. But. The book's writing style was really off-putting; it was dull, and I actually found myself skimming over a lot of the book. It didn't really read like a novel. I guess this is because E.O. Wilson, the author, is a naturalist, and this is his first novel. Still. No excuse for a dull writing style. It read more like a science book, which is fine, but not for a novel that's supposed to be telling a story. There were a few interesting chapters about ants which saved the book from being a total flop. That's where Wilson's true forte is. But overall, a disappointment.My blog is at novareviews.blogspot.com.
What do You think about Ant Hill (2000)?
Beautifully written, a joy to read and I never knew ants could be so interesting :-)
—keisha
THE BEST PART WAS ABOUT THE ANTS THEMSELVES
—kattanzeina
