This was a reread as part of a buddy read with an increase in stars. First time reading: 4/5 stars. Now, 5/5 stars.

My feelings: This book has brought back my love for long books and has restored my faith that authors can still grow a story throughout a book without making it feel like filler. In my opinion, nothing about this book is filler.m, if anything the ‘filler’ is the amazing character detail Tartt goes into that makes The Goldfinch what it is.

Donna Tartt is a very talented author who gives so much detail about the characters, the paintings, and each scene that you almost feel like you’re in the scene with Theo and whoever else is with him.

The Goldfinch starts out with Theo, the main character in Amsterdam as an adult, hiding out in a hotel for a reason that will unfold through the story.

Tartt then takes the story back to Theo’s childhood in New York City, where tragedy strikes and his life will be changed forever. He’ll meet Hobie, after following a dying wish of his business partner and Pippa, the girl who also survived tragedy. With nowhere else to go in NYC, he’ll live with the Barbour family for a bit while everyone around him tries to help him make sense of his new life.

From there he’ll go Las Vegas where one world traveling, multi-lingual character will change his life later on.

Then, back in New York he’ll run back into Hobie and live with him while going through college prep, college, and early adulthood in the antique shop.

Some bad decisions will lead Theo back to an old friend on accident and from there, Theo will be lead down a path to redemption on something that started in NYC back when he was 13.

Have you read any of Donna Tartt’s books? What do you think?

I’ll be reading her book, Little Friend, in March.

Want to follow along with what I’m reading? Follow me on my bookstagram @onmalsshelf or on Goodreads.

I also changed my blog Instagram handle to @mainlymallory to match the new blog title!