‘The Clan of the Cave Bear’ Book Review

“The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel is a sweeping prehistoric novel that follows Ayla, a young Cro-Magnon girl orphaned by an earthquake and taken in by a group of Neanderthals known as the Clan. Though she struggles to fit into their rigid and traditional society, Ayla’s intelligence, curiosity, and independence set her apart—both as a threat and a wonder to those around her. As she grows, she challenges the Clan’s customs and expectations, especially through her relationships with the clan’s spiritual leader and his ambitious son. Rich in anthropological detail and emotional depth, the novel is a story of survival, identity, and the clash of cultures in a distant, ancient world.”

The idea of having the majority of the characters in this book be a clan of Neanderthals, with modern-day (in a biological sense) humans in the minority, is so unique and interesting—it’s what instantly drew me to this book. Sadly, we do not know a whole lot about Neanderthals; they aren’t here in their 100% form to tell their story, so we have to rely on science for that. The author did an incredible amount of research, which I’ll get to later, but it effectively gives Neanderthals a voice.

Now, let’s talk about Ayla, our main character and the human character in the modern sense of the word. She is almost like a chosen one character, even though this is a historical fiction novel and not fantasy or sci-fi. Exceptions are constantly being made for her, and traditions are being changed just for her, which makes the stakes never feel too high.

I mentioned the research and the level of detail that was put into this book, and I think that really detracted from character development and attachment. While Ayla does develop as a character, she ultimately lacks that connection, and I believe it falls back on the information dumping that was present in the book.

I also want to talk about the age chosen for Ayla. When Isa finds her, she is a five-year-old girl, and I completely understand having her be that age because children can absorb languages and customs much easier than adults, and they don’t question things as much. That makes total sense for her character. However, some of the plot points introduced as the story progressed were very uncomfortable to envision as a reader. I think the author should have waited until Ayla was older to include these elements because, while they may make sense for the story in terms of why this character might do something, they can be disturbing. Even if these events are historically accurate for characters of this age, it’s uncomfortable to read about. It’s likely meant to be uncomfortable, but I wanted to note that in my review.

The atmosphere in this book was fantastic. I keep mentioning the info dumping, but the world-building is extensive. This makes sense, as this is the start of a series, and I’m sure it will taper down a bit as the series progresses. I will admit that it did get a bit much at times, but it does a great job of painting a vivid picture of this world in your mind. I love exploring this culture, seeing their beliefs, and how these could evolve into our modern religions and other cultural beliefs.

Again, this is historical fiction, so none of this may be true, but I read this for entertainment purposes and allow authors creative license with their works. The story takes place in modern-day Eurasia, but tens of thousands of years ago. This is a land that does exist in our world, but because it’s set so long ago, the author really has to build it up and make it believable—and she did a great job with that.

The writing is where I’m having a hard time figuring out how I feel about it. There is so much information being thrown at us that it often lost my attention. It would go over my head, and I found myself having to reread passages several times to understand what the author was trying to convey and to log all this information in my mind. Personally, this made it a pain to read, and the chapters were so long that I was hesitant to pick up the book. There were definitely pacing issues, and while I think the world-building and information were important for the story, I feel that the author went a bit over the top, wanting to include every bit of research she did in the book.

As for the characters, I do think the info dumping detracted from the plot, which I found to be overall pretty boring. The story revolves around a girl trying to fit into society, and it mostly depicts the day-to-day life of the people in this world. Regarding character work, I mentioned that the stakes were never high because everything always worked out for her. Let me tell you, pretty much every single prediction I made for this book came true. This is one of the most predictable books I’ve ever read, and while I didn’t take away much from my experience, it’s still surprising to me that I was able to figure everything out so easily.

Again, I want to give this book high praise for the research that was put into it. I didn’t read the acknowledgments before diving into the book; in the physical copy, they come first, while in the audiobook, they’re at the very end. So, I didn’t know if the author had just imagined the vibes and feelings of how stereotypical cave people lived or if she actually did extensive research. It turns out she did a lot of research—so much so that she spent a night in a cave at Mount Hood, sleeping in a bed that ancient humans would have used in the middle of January. That’s an incredible commitment to research for a novel, and I give her high praise for that.

I’m not rushing to pick up the next book in the series, but I’m not opposed to continuing it. I just don’t feel an urgent need to do so. However, if anything I mentioned here sounds intriguing to you, I would recommend giving the book a try.

3.25 out of 5 stars.

‘Migrations’ Book Review

Franny Stone has always been the kind of woman who is able to love but unable to stay. Leaving behind everything but her research gear, she arrives in Greenland with a singular purpose: to follow the last Arctic terns in the world on what might be their final migration to Antarctica. Franny talks her way onto a fishing boat, and she and the crew set sail, traveling ever further from shore and safety. But as Franny’s history begins to unspool—a passionate love affair, an absent family, a devastating crime—it becomes clear that she is chasing more than just the birds. When Franny’s dark secrets catch up with her, how much is she willing to risk for one more chance at redemption?

Franny, I have a hard time saying I loved her as a character. She is not a good person, but I felt some kind of love for her as a person. I would not want to know her personally, but I do love her soul even if she sees it as a curse. I loved the wanderer that she was. I loved the journey of life that I got to read in ‘Migrations’. I did have some fault with the side characters; I was scared at the start of the story that there would be too many characters in too little of a space to develop them fully. My reservations were only a tiny bit correct. Two of the men on the ship, Dae and Mal, had no layers at all. The other four crew members were more developed, but I don’t understand what their motivations were. There was great characterization with the main character, but the side characters were a bit lacking.

The atmosphere was absolutely the best part of the novel. It was enchanting. Ireland is a land of stories, and we see the impact that Irish culture had on other parts of the world, such as Australia and Canada. This setting has led me on a chase to find other stories with a similar vibe. It was all new but left such an impact on me.

A quote on the back of the book stated that the story is enchanting but not in the manner of a fairy tale. It is haunting in some ways. There’s this knowing of something bad in the past and that it could impact the present at any moment. This novel was also very informative on birds and the impact that humans have on nature. I was enchanted and informed by this book.

The plot is not just what you see in the summary on the flap of the cover. To be honest, I think that is more of the background story. The forefront being that life, in general, is a migration of our soul, going from one stop to the next until we meet our meaning. I just loved how that theme was handled. There was plenty of symbolism between our main character, Franny, and the arctic terns that she was tracking. A great and subtle story that brings out more than you expect from it.

There was great characterization with the main character, but the side characters were a bit lacking. The atmosphere was absolutely the best part of the novel. I was enchanted and informed by the writing of this book. A great and subtle story that brings out more than you expect from it. I loved this book but it is not a new favorite book.

4.4 out of 5 stars.

‘Convergence’ Book Review

“It is an age of exploration. Jedi travel the galaxy, expanding their understanding of the Force and all the worlds and beings connected by it. Meanwhile, the Republic, led by its two chancellors, works to unite worlds in an ever-growing community among near and distant stars.

On the close-orbiting planets of Eiram and E’ronoh, the growing pains of a galaxy with limited resources but unlimited ambition are felt keenly. The two worlds’ hatred for each other has fueled half a decade of escalating conflict and now threatens to consume surrounding systems. The last hope for peace emerges when heirs from the planets’ royal families plan to marry.”

These characters were flat and one-dimensional, except for Axel, the son of the chancellor of the Republic. The Jedi knight, prince, and princess were all set in their ways and did not develop over the course of the novel. However, Axel was constantly questioning things and his path in life. He was the only character who had somewhat of an arc in this story, even if it was not necessarily a redemption arc. This book fell victim to the author adding in too many characters too quickly, not allowing the reader the proper time to form a bond with them.

The atmosphere was decent. The first chapter did a great job of setting the tense tone of the novel. You could feel the nervousness, yet the way life continued for the citizens of the planets at war. I’m still uncertain about the cause of the war. Was it due to low supplies and resources? It never seemed like there was a shortage, but who knows. Additionally, I struggled to differentiate between the two twin planets. Although the tone set at the start of the novel was good, it didn’t extend beyond the first chapter.

The writing style was alright—fairly average and neither hated nor loved. However, I found the story hard to follow. It continuously jumped from one point of view to another, making it choppy. I resorted to skimming, which might not have helped much.

As mentioned earlier, I struggled to follow the plot. Events seemed to unfold just to move the story from point A to point B, lacking logical progression. It felt like the author was pushing to conclude the book rather than building a coherent storyline. As I wasn’t emotionally invested in the characters, certain plot twists had little impact on me, and I found myself disconnected from the story. Better character development and writing might have changed that for me.

These characters were flat and one-dimensional, except for Axel, the son of the chancellor of the Republic. This book fell victim to the author adding in too many characters too quickly, not allowing the reader the proper time to form a bond with them. The atmosphere was decent. Although the tone set at the start of the novel was good, it didn’t extend beyond the first chapter. The writing style was alright—fairly average and neither hated nor loved. I resorted to skimming, which might not have helped much. As mentioned earlier, I struggled to follow the plot. Better character development and writing might have changed that for me. This book did nothing for me but it’s another step in the Star Wars universe for me.

2 out of 5 stars.