Reviews tagging 'Violence'

L'Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

83 reviews

kellyofcali's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

So, I read this in two chunks (library issues), which may have affected my enjoyment a bit as I think given the horror genre you probably don't want to stop and break the tension...but overall a fun spooky read! I enjoyed the setting and the author does a great job with the horror aspects, I just sometimes felt like characters and their stories fell in and out quickly.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

kquixotic's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

My new book club chose this as our first book. When I went to find it at the bookstore I was surprised that it was shelved in the horror section. 

As a lover of magical realism I found the story delightful. It gripped me easily and the writing was fine but not exceptional. Horror was definitely the right shelf for the story, but I’m usually reticent to read horror because I scare easily. Although gory for sure, I wasn’t scared or creeped out reading The Hacienda. 

Whenever a book is written in English but set in a place where English is not the spoken language, I’m often a little frustrated by when and where to use the English word or the word in the language of the setting. For example, why not “La Hacienda” as the title? 

Nonetheless, it’s a great read for when you just want some bubble gum for the brain. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

kshertz's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

I saw a review that this is mexican gothic and Rebecca and I feel like that’s spot on. It’s creepy and you can’t trust anyone. Is it paranormal? Is it a real person haunting everyone? Who is behind all of this? Plus a love story that was realistic. I loved it. Highly recommend 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

bookishlypleasant's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This was an incredibly gripping thriller! I couldn't put it down and finished about 90% of it in one night! There were a few aspects that were a little predictable but the storytelling was so good, I didn't mind. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

lisabrune's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

hayy6747's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

cassielaj's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

The Gothic and magical realism elements of this book were impressively immersive — I didn’t ever want to stop reading! I also appreciated the context of the Mexican War of Independence: the insurgents, the casta system, the religious Inquisition. Cañas’ author’s note was a great way to end the book; I enjoyed reading about her intentionality regarding those aspects. 
I wanted a bit more character development for the main character at times, but I really enjoyed the supporting characters. 
TLDR: definitely worth the read!! 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

blackcatkai's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark hopeful tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

CW: rape (mentioned), casual ableism, blood, war/colonialism, colourism/racism, violence, death, classism, gaslighting

this is a slow historical gothic horror with romance sprinkled within, dual perspective, and a few flashbacks. overall I really enjoyed it! slow historical isn't usually part of any genre I usually read, but im really glad I gave this one a try. gorgeous writing, creepy atmosphere, supernatural and spooky, I was hooked. can't wait to read more from cañas in the future!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

maya_reads_books's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

ukponge's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark hopeful tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

Expand filter menu Content Warnings