The Last Karankawas tells the story of what it is to live and hope in and around a community in Galveston, Texas. Each chapter is told from a different person’s perspective. Throughout the novel, you get a feel for the way that we are all connected by our desires to both be connected with our family and community but at the same time to be true to our own personal dreams.

I had a hard time getting into this book. There were too many characters to keep track of. When the hurricane hit, I expected a bigger story. The story takes place in Galveston, Texas, and the surrounding areas, so if readers are from there or like reading about Texas, this might be an interesting book for those readers.

The Last Karankawas started out with promise. The writing is beautiful. The community is interesting and I didn't know much about this area of the country and their unique make-up.

Unfortunately, if fell flat for me. The book is organized into chapters and each chapter is like a short story of a different member of the community, some recurring, some from a different timeline. The results was that I did not see character growth from any particular character to become invested. Though I learned some new things, including the myth-like tribe of the Karankawas, it was not enough to make it a winner.

A bit hard to keep track of what's happening but the themes are strong. I found I could relate with the community this centers in (Hispanic and Filipino).

Full review to come closer to pub date and rating may change!

In her novel, The Last Karankawas, Kimberly Garza introduces a mixed
group of Native, Filipino, and Mexican American characters. I grew up 1.5 hours from Galveston and have been there many times. I’ve never learned about the history of the Natives that resided there. I do remember how devastating Hurricane Ike was and the decision a lot of people faced beforehand of whether to stay or to leave, which is not a feasible option for many people. I can’t imagine how much harder the decision would be if your home is already being slowly taken away. This book is very reminiscent of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies in which there are separate stories and points of view that seem disjointed but all come together in the end. In both instances I felt confused because I’m not the type of reader that consumes books to memorize the details. I would probably have to take notes to understand the connections between all of the characters and their storylines.

This is one of those books that I truly wanted to like more than I actually liked. With so many characters and abrupt shifts in the narrative, the reader has to work hard to keep track of what is happening where. There are true gems of descriptions and relationships. But it ends up being a frustrating experience for the reader.

Some things I enjoyed:

📚 The author’s writing style was vividly descriptive, and most of the characters had unique voices.

📚 Seeing how the different characters were connected to each other was fascinating!

📚 Getting to see Texas through the eyes of a diverse cast of characters.


Some things I didn’t:

📚 There were just too many characters, each telling a story through their own POV. It was really difficult to remember who was who, and how they knew the others.

📚 The book skips over long periods of time. I wanted to know the aftermath of several events and then only got them as snippets from years after they happened.

📚 I felt like we didn’t really get closure on any of the characters…

I enjoyed much of the book, especially in the lead up to and aftermath of Hurricane Ike. I felt confused several times, though, because there were too many characters to keep track of.

Very well written book I like how she described the book and she wrote it like a short story which was pretty amazing and everybody had a say in their story but it was connected with the other stories in the book. So I like how she did the hurricane theme as well and how this kind of bought people together and pulled people apart that was another interest. And how the Philippines the native Americans and Mexicans all seem to get alon. The girlfriend who is friends with Jessa who's gonna be a great ball player but he had an interesting story too his father was in prison present and how his sisters took care of everything and his mother just really couldn't cope with anything you'll find out more why this happened... When Jesse was growing up he always compared himself to William the Conqueror and that also was in the book interwoven with his story and then as you got older that part went away the but that that was another interesting concept.... Girlfriend was raised by her grandmother because cousin brother left and went to the Philippines oops she was very headstrong the granddaughter.... There was another character called Ruth and she was married to Person who was raised on Galveston island. Root was not raised though she was raised in England and she wanted to come back to her home because she was Mexican and her family came from Brownsville Texas but but she met up with one of her ex boyfriends and started having an experienced affair her husband did not realize this. There are so many twisting turns in this book especially when the hurricane finally hit.. I hope this author writes more books

Great book about an island community in Galveston, TX. The different characters and families keep one interested, and the magical realism lends to the power of family and belief. Hurricane Ike is more than a weather event, and becomes an interesting character in the book. Great read!

Decent book but very hard to follow. I was expecting more. Far too much going on and too many characters.

First, this story and the POV was very unique. The downside to this story was that there are so many characters. It was hard for me to actually get attached to anyone. With there being so many characters it got confusing at times to keep up.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this and to give an honest review. I struggled a bit with so many characters to follow. While I can appreciate the way the author developed each character, I did have a hard time keeping track of who was who. The story felt very much like several short stories rather than one flowing story. However, I did like that cultural diversity in each character and how it showed the struggles of being a person of color in their community.

Unique story. One of which I had yet to read really. This story features a lot of characters. Too many, in my opinion.. as I find many get lost in the shuffle. That and it got to be a tad confusing at times. A bit fragmented. Still astutely written.

The Last Karankawas is a novel that reads like a short story collection, much to its detriment. Books following a big cast of characters are some of my favorites—Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing comes to mind—but this is exactly where Garza fails: too many characters are introduced at often odd times, making for a harrowing read and pivoting the emotional scenes into straight dullness as soon as the switch to a new character happens. I was gripped by the first chapter's greatness, in the veins of Brit Bennett's The Mothers, which I love, but was struck by the sudden change in the writing's quality.

I think this was one of those stories where I have to say, "It's not you. It's me."
The writing was almost poetic but at times, I had a hard time focusing. I truly think that those who are really into the cultural background will enjoy this.

The Karankawas are a Native American tribe near extinction, residing in Texas near Galveston. In order to continue to survive, descendants marry others so that they can keep their numbers viable. In her novel, The Last Karankawas, Kimberly Garza introduces a mixed group of characters that besides the Natives, include Filipinos, Mexicans and Texans. This is a culture, and geographic area of which I knew very little. The writing of The Last Karankawas is beautiful The author paints magnificent scenes and develops characters extremely well. There are very many characters. At first I felt the story was overly fragmented. I think on a second reading I would take notes because the characters are all related in some way. Everything in the book leads up to the arrival of Hurricane Ike and how the characters deal with it. As I recognized the connections, I came to really feel for the characters. This is not a novel where everything is tied up in neat little ribbon. Several stories remain open ended. Garza let’s the reader observe for a brief period, a snippet of the lives of these people and then makes up walk away.

The Last Karankawas is a collection of linked stories surrounding the community of Galveston, Texas. The world Garza creates starts with a small seed and blossoms outward before returning to its original tight focus. I enjoyed this immensely; the stories felt both real and at times, magical. I appreciated the exploration of the border--a palpable thing that at the same time is imaginary and invisible and plays a central role in so many lives.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a review copy of this book.

This novel is a collection of interrelated stories from the different points of view of many people connected to Galveston, Texas. Each character expands the reader's understanding of the diverse population that makes up the community of the island, an island that goes about its business under the threat of hurricanes. At the same time, the stories hone in on the human condition--why we stay, why we leave, what drives us to want something more or different. There is a restlessness, a desire for a bigger life among many of the characters that is completely relatable, especially after a couple of years of pandemic. Insightful and beautifully written.

This book was moving and complex. “The Last Karankawas” will stick with you long after you’ve finished this powerful story from Kimberly Garza.

I received an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review

This book starts out a bit alienating but slowly draws you in. The characters grown on you and you find yourself really feeling what they feel through the ups and downs. A timely meditation on belonging, love and family; not too sweet, not too sour.