Overall, what do you think of Migrations? No spoilers in this thread, please.

Overall, what do you think of Migrations? No spoilers in this thread, please.

The book was a bit slow in the beginning but once the voyage started the story picked up. The hints of a backstory that only became clear towards the end of the book kept me enthralled. The idea that there was very little left in the wild is a terrifying premise and kept me turning the pages to see if Franny succeeded in her quest and what her earlier life and marriage had been like. The crew on the fishing boat were all well drawn and interesting individuals in their own right. Some motivations might have been a bit obscure or actions forced, but I found Migrations to be a thought-provoking book that I continue to think about long after reading the last page.

The book was astonishing, powerful and provocative to me. Certainly well written. It opened my eyes to why we need to protect our environment not only for our selfish selves but for our children, grandchildren and future generations and, of course, poor creatures, animals and plants that are forced to adapt to our misuses and are totally at our mercy and helpless. Also interesting in terms of what mental illness can manifest. Yes depressing but perhaps that can evoke some positive actions on our part in terms of the environment and how to deal with challenges of mental illness. I highly recommend it. We're seriously considering visiting Antarctica now and before reading this book it never entered my mind to do so.

The book was so beautifully written and while the world is bleak I found the story that unfolded very compelling. I am so glad I read this book and while the cast of characters was interesting I did not find them unlikeable but just flawed as humans are.

Migrations is a powerful and moving read. In general, The author’s deep understanding of wildlife resonated with me in such a personal way. It was heartwarming to find my own feelings toward birds shared. Franny is a deeply damaged individual but also sympathetic. I also found the book to be uplifting in a way and full of solace the characters were fascinating and complex. I loved this book and look forward to her next one.

I found it depressing - the characters were not very likable and Frannie was so morose. I found her difficult to root for. The premise of the book was interesting to me because I saw Arctic terns when I was in Iceland and find them fascinating. I didn’t realize when I requested this book, that it was set in the future - & what a bleak future it is. The state/fate of the environment is a scary thing. It definitely made you think.

I thought the book was great for creating mood and atmosphere and making me think about some aspects of wilderness and connection. It frustrated me that it got too many obvious physical and scientific things wrong, even as it purported to be about nature and birds and to be hard-nosed about physical realities. I also tired of Frannie's tendency to cause harm while feeling herself to be the innocent.

I loved it! When I started I wasn't sure if the writing style would be for me but it really won me over--I actually read it in a single sitting because I was so engrossed. I thought the characters were fantastically vibrant and it's one of the most emotionally resonant books I've read in a while.

I loved the book. The story was exceptional and the characters intriguing and well written. It was mesmerizing, and right up there with "The Overstory" in writing about climate change.

I agree with gvieth. I too found it depressing. Definitely not an uplifting view of the future.

Powerful. Moving. Intriguing. Mesmerizing. The author did a wonderful job of pulling the reader in and refusing to let her go.

Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy is a beautifully written and thought provoking read that still keeps me thinking about our role in extinction and climate change. Fanny is a complex character obsessed with extinction. She is cloaked in a mysterious past that we yearn to unravel.

I absolutely loved this book. I have been an environmentalist since my teens so the prospect of what they told in this book could very well may happen if we keep going the way we are.
I was intrigued with Franny's life and how she had many physical problems due to the trauma she incurred. Not happy with the story line of how she murdered two people. Could of picked a different approach than drunk driving.

Overall I loved the book. But, I also found it to be overwhelmingly sad. Sad because of the trauma in Franny’s life, but also so very sad that the animals are dying and the sense of helplessness caused by both.

Migrations is a beautiful, multi-layered, complex story of survival and love. I knew from the opening paragraph that I would read this book slowly in order to savor every single word that was written on the pages. While a sad story of childhood trauma and its consequences AND the devastating cost of human destruction to our Earth, I ultimately rejoiced in the joy and hope delivered at the story's end. Through rebirth all things can be made whole again. Franny's strength and resilience throughout her journey- -her migration- -and her awakening and emergence from the ocean renewed my spirit. "We can nurture it." "There's still the wild."

I was unfamiliar with Charlotte McConaghy before reading Migrations. Since finishing, I have placed her book, Once There Were Wolves, on hold at the library. She is an author I want to hear more from.

I was intrigued with Migrations from the beginning. So well written and so much to think about in terms of the environment. I was sad much of the time while reading it. Sad for what is going on in the environment and sad because of Franny's abandonment and how devastating childhood trauma can be. At times I was frustrated about waiting to find out what really happened to Franny and anxiety crept in while I was reading the book, so I would set it aside for a while and then get back to it. I was hoping to recommend it to my book club, but I decided against it. It is not a book that I could go back to and discuss.

I think that the book was really well written and the author does a really great job envisioning the future of our planet with climate change. The store was very interesting so that made up for the fact that the main character was not very relatable or likeable. I suppose not all main characters need to be likeable though.

I loved being admitted to the select society that share Franny's secrets and motivation. Excellent read with topical urgency.

LOVED IT!
Beautifully written, well researched’ a good plot and interest characters.

This atmospheric, nonjudgmental book was good, but I think that it will translate into an even better movie. Maybe together, they will encourage more humans to reassess their "needs vs. wants" ratio in order to assist in the recovery of the planet.

I loved this book. It was compelling and pushed me to the limit of what I consider an entertaining book. I am generally not a science fiction fan, but the characters and their flaws grabbed me and pushed me to keep reading. Normally I need to attach myself to a character, I mean find a character I empathize with or identify with, and in this book, that was not the case. It surprised me that I liked it. At first I was hesitant to read something so “heavy,” but I like the fact that I’m still thinking about the book, weeks after I finished reading it.

I really enjoyed this climate fiction book, I feel like Franny was sending us a message of impending doom. The global warming is real and this is just an example of what we are doing to the planet we live in. Franny's story is sad, she had to fend for herself from a very early age, she can not stay in one place for too long she feels she does not belong here, her life is on the verge of collapse the same as she sees the world collapsing around us. This is a gorgeously written book in beautiful descriptive prose, the story is at times devastating but always full of hope in the resilience of humans and animals in an endangered planet and the people we love.
This is the first book I read by Charlotte McConaghy and I enjoyed her writing so much that I sent for her next book “Once there were Wolves” and I am enjoying it just as much, It's very good.
I highly recommend this book you won't be able to put it down.

I loved the book. It is chuck full of breathtaking moments and sad moments that broke my heart. I haven’t cried over a book in a long time but I did this one. It’s truly an amazing book.

I loved this book from the first page. Maybe I am the perfect reader for it. I love birds. I love watching birds, looking for birds, identifying birds. The writing in Migrations is beautiful, descriptive and often breath-taking. I was able to form images and sensations as I read the book. I cried, wept, actually, as I have not done while reading a book in a long time. This novel feels so real that I had to remind myself several times that it was fiction. THE BEST BOOK I'VE READ IN 2021!

This book is crushing in its beauty of the story it tells, it’s characters, and in its writing. I loved it, and very much look forward to the author’s next book, too.

I struggled with the darkness of the book, but the writing is lovely. The topic felt a bit heavy for summertime reading. But, I’m glad to have stepped outside my comfort zone.

I found this a difficult book for a number of reasons. The picture of the future was sobering, the characters (especially Franny) hard to fathom and the shifting timelines distracting. And while there is a resolution and hint of hope, it left me overwhelmingly sad. That being said, it is beautifully written and I enjoyed the many literary references.

I loved the book. It was an adventure story - following Franny Lynch as she chased the Arctic terns on their migration to the southern hemisphere on the character filled fishing vessel. It turned out also to be a mystery and an exploration of Franny's character and her marriage. The writing was beautiful. Once the mystery kicked in with small hints in every chapter, I couldn't put it down. Others have called the story bleak and dark but I thought it was ultimately hopeful.

I loved this book - definitely in my top 5 for this year. I'm a big Goodreads user and always look at reader comments before I decide on a book. Actually made me sad when I saw some readers rated this as a 2 or 3. The writing was lyrical, the story compelling, and it totally captured the Eco-distress that many of us are feeling. I look forward to her next book.

I think it is a book everyone should read and for those who are naysayers of global warming it should be a wakeup call to what is happening to our planet. Although the plot takes place in the future it should inspire all of us to stop thinking about our personal wants and needs and give a good hard look at what will be here in fifty years.
The story itself was a bit difficult to fathom in places especially swimming and surviving in such cold water. I think it is a good book to share with a book club group. Lots of good discussion topics.

I loved the book!!!! However, after reading the first 100 pages I almost gave up on MIGRATIONS. It was sad and I was feeling pulled down into despair for Franny and our planet's future. As a die hard nature lover, I am so concerned about global warming and its affect on wildlife and humans. However, I continued reading to the book's conclusion!
This would be a challenging audio book due to the timeline jumping around a lot, I found myself double checking where and when I was in the story. Some parts were a little hard to believe. The descriptions of nature and scenery was beautifully written. MIGRATIONS would be an excellent book club reading choice. After finishing, I'm still thinking about the topics and some well written points. I know I ended up really liking MIGRATIONS because I told my husband all about it!!!

I think this is a fantastic book. I love the way it goes back and forth over time, peeling off layers and layers, like an onion, to reveal the reasons that the protagonist, Franny, finds herself in her current situation, striving to follow the last migration of the last remaining birds on earth. I found it engrossing from beginning to end. It certainly kept me guessing.

I found it a bit slow in the beginning, but by then end couldn't wait to find out what happened. The author just giving us short snippets of the past and then going on with the story was genius. It left you wanting to find out more. I think this book would be a good read for anyone who doesn't believe in climate change or saving the environment. Maybe it would open their eyes to what could be our future.

I agree that this book opened my eyes to the effect of climate change on animals that I knew little about. We hear about the polar bears, elephants and other large animals but the birds that are affected are seldom mentioned. Recently, a tour guide in a Netflix movie "Holiday in the Wild" was describing various wild animals of Africa to a tourist who asked what was the most dangerous animal? The reply was WE ARE!
This book gave that line meaning.

I found Migrations difficult to read. I have read other climate fiction and related to the stories. I found this one difficult. I read what others have written about loving the book and I have a dear friend who is an avid reader who also loves the book. It just did not appeal to me. I do appreciate the message and wish more people would believe climate change is REAL!