Children of God: A Novel Audiobook

" A great continuation of the Sparrow, I was skeptical for awhile, but it ended well. "

" I started this book because after reading The Sparrow I was eager to discover how the story of Emilio Sandoz turns out. The story itself is just fascinating, and Emilio Sandoz is an interesting protagonist. Russell paints his journey as a complicated one, and the story in Children of God is complex. However, like its predecessor, the novel has a fragmented narrative. And while it's effective in The Sparrow, it isn't in Children of God. The Sparrow shifts back and forth between two time frames, Children of God concerns four, and it's just too many. I found it a bit confusing. But ultimately, having read The Sparrow, I found Children of God worth reading, although the meditation on the relationship between a man and God, which was the most fascinating and interesting part of the first novel, just isn't as compelling "

" 3.5. I'm not sure I would have enjoyed it as much if I didn't have a deep attachment to some of the characters. It's kind of hard to judge the book on its own, being a sequel and compared to the original, which was stellar (no pun intended). "

" The Sparrow was such a perfect book that I had high expectations for this sequel -- perhaps too high. It starts out well but loses it's way somewhere in the middle. This book has glimmers of the brilliance of The Sparrow, but overall it's a disappointment. "

" I was disappointed by this after The Sparrow. There were so many pieces, and I was waiting for them all to come together...and waiting...and waiting. They did, but it wasn't as satisfying a conclusion as the tension had built up. "

" Hard to read because it really does get darker than The Sparrow, which I didn't think was possible. Cried my way through the end (last four of five chapters). Awesome book. "

" Please read this book along with The Sparrow. It is well worth it and allows you to deeply examine your faith. "

" This, combined with The Sparrow, is one of the best stories I've ever read. "

" Worthy sequel to The Sparrow - again using the framework of science fiction to delve into deeper matters. "

" A fitting sequal to "The Sperrow". The first book leaves you in shell-shocked wonder this gives you hope and closeure. I would kill to meet the author of this book. I would love to understand her thoughts and how she puts such complicated questions into a story format. "

" i had to pick it up as soon as I finished The Sparrow. I really think of the 2 as one book. Fantastic. Memorable. GO READ IT NOW. "

" MARY DORIA RUSSELL-- The Sparrow and Children of God: Two books which tell a story of what happens when an Earth spacecrew sponsored by the Jesuit Order and the Vatican are sent to another planet to engage in first contact. "

" Nice follow up to the Sparrow, if not quite at the same level. "

" A strong follow up to "The Sparrow." I didn't much care for the politics on the alien planet, and some character surprises. But the main protagonist, Emilio, is still so engaging. "

" I liked this one but not as much as the first. I felt the first one wasa complete story, but that being said. I did like reading to find out what happens to these characters as they return to the planet and the impact their initial exploration has had. "

" Loved the Sparrow, and this was a wonderful, fulfilling conclusion to the story. I give it 4 stars instead of 5 just because The Sparrow is one of my all-time favorites, so it'd be hard for any sequel to compare 100% (though this is really just "The Sparrow Part 2"). "

" Not as emotionally gripping as The Sparrow, but a necessary sequel. I hold a small argument with Russell's tendency to fall back on recount for different events instead of taking the reader to the actual events BUT I guess it adds to the oral history aspect of the story. "

" Equally as good as The Sparrow, with less anguished despair, at least in my reading of it. It is a very different book from The Sparrow, but is still most definitely a sequel, and understanding this book depends on having read The Sparrow. "

" I wasn't sure I wanted to read this book, since the first was so difficult and gut-wrenching. I enjoyed it very much even though it's not a light or uplifting story. "

" Definitely worth reading if you enjoyed "The Sparrow." It isn't quite as amazing, but it explains many of the events in the first book. I had trouble relating to many of the non-human characters. "

" Was good to have a follow up to The Swallow. "

" I read this book in high school and remember very little about it, except that it was excellent and I'm reading it again shortly. I will update my review after completing it. :-) "

" I would have given this a 3.5 if possible. I didn't think it was as good as The Sparrow, but I liked having some things explained. One reason I didn't like it as much was because it seemed to jump around a lot more in time and place. But still a good read. "

" Thank you to my cousin who recommended this book. It really is a great story! Definitely one to be experienced. "

" Just finished it. Very satisfying ending to a very interesting tale. "

" Not as good as The Sparrow, but still a good read. I would say that this book would not make a whole lot of sense without reading The Sparrow first. Spoiler alert - It feels good to have something nice happen to Emilio. "

" Wonderful! It dragged a little toward the end as some new characters appeared & I had to go back & try to figure out who they were related to and why it mattered, but STILL, I was very impressed! "

" Great book, but not as awesome as The Sparrow. "

" To wrap up the narrative of Emilio and his interplanetary voyage, I felt Russell did an admirable job bringing the reader back into this topsy turvy adventure. "

" nowhere near as well planned as Sparrow. "

" Fantastic sequel to "The Sparrow." I love authors willing to take on faith as a subject. "

" Science fiction, human drama and faith. Sequel to the Sparrow. "

" Brutal in the beginning, but a totally necessary read after finishing The Sparrow. "