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State of Wonder
State of Wonder
Author: Ann Patchett
A provocative and ambitious novel set deep in the Amazon jungle. Dr. Marina Singh, a research scientist with a Minnesota pharmaceutical company, is sent to Brazil to track down her former mentor, Dr. Annick Swenson, who seems to have all but disappeared in the Amazon while working on what is destined to be an extremely valuable new drug, the dev...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780062049810
ISBN-10: 006204981X
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 353
Rating:
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 107

3.8 stars, based on 107 ratings
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed State of Wonder on + 2 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 7
I loved, loved, loved this book. This is the first book I have read by the author and I will be thinking about it for a long time. Very enjoyable and very interesting. I highly recommend it and am so sorry that I finished it - nothing can top it!
mjsocd avatar reviewed State of Wonder on + 8 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
Beautifully written. The story starts out a bit slow, but then leaves you with lots to think about and discuss. It's a good book club selection...
richarddory avatar reviewed State of Wonder on + 2 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
A very good novel. I enjoyed the Amazon setting, the mysterious, reclusive Dr. Swenson and her dedication to her scientific research, and the wonder of what her research might bring. Patchett wraps the novel up with an emotional, bitter-sweet ending. Highly recommended.
readinginthedark avatar reviewed State of Wonder on + 16 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
I'll admit, when I first started this book, I did not necessarily expect to like it. With as many tears as it cost me, you might conclude that I didn't like it in the end, but I did. Patchett has a beautiful way of writing that describes things you would never expect and answers questions you would never think to ask. The places to which she takes you are at once horrible and beautiful; it seems to change at each moment. Patchett is not afraid to write about the uncomfortable and, sometimes, really terrible parts that are integral to the story. In fact, sometimes she jumps in very suddenly, and I am so shocked that I am unsure how to react afterward. All-in-all, this book is fantastic, but don't read it if you are wanting a happy ending. Not that it is unhappy per se, but there are two sides to everything in this novel, and sometimes it is hard to tell on which side you are standing.
jolyno avatar reviewed State of Wonder on
Helpful Score: 2
I just started reading this book yesterday, but I can't put it down. Ann Patchett is a masterful story teller. I'm thoroughly enjoying this complex tale and will write a proper review when I finish it.
Read All 26 Book Reviews of "State of Wonder"

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onstagegirl avatar reviewed State of Wonder on + 81 more book reviews
Another Ann Patchett novel that was a fantastic read. In the Amazon jungle with the Lakashi tribe to discover a new medication with romance and deceit, and underlying stories contributing to the intrigue. Worth the time.
readinggrammy avatar reviewed State of Wonder on + 12 more book reviews
Very different story, very amazing read. Another masterpiece by Ann Patchett.
reviewed State of Wonder on + 7 more book reviews
This novel joined fact with fiction in a beautiful way. It was a little slow at the beginning but wove the tale so nicely that I couldn't put in down half way through. A must read for young girls and not bad for mature ones, too.
Hophead avatar reviewed State of Wonder on + 285 more book reviews
Wow, what a great book. I loved the way the characters developed and the extra short story at the end was so appropriate! Highly recommended.
aladdin avatar reviewed State of Wonder on + 154 more book reviews
Chasing pharmaceutical discoveries in the back of beyond among indigenous peoples in the Amazon. The lyrical natural wonders didn't get it for me. I was not entranced nor even absorbed. It just kind of wound down at the end, I was expecting more tension. Ah well.


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