Reviews

Land of Love and Drowning by Tiphanie Yanique

vivacissimx's review against another edition

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2.0

Unfortunately there is nothing really redeeming about this book. It commits what to me are some of the cardinal sins: it tells but never shows. It is exclusively the story making demands on the characters rather than the other way around. It attempts to reconstruct the love story and fails. And it makes points that you only know it makes because it tells you and never stops telling you.

I don't think any of these characters are particularly compelling or fully fleshed, nor are their relationships ever in any real risk of changing/growing. The prose is beautiful but to what end, honestly?

sitrab's review against another edition

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It was okay for the first half but I hit a point where it just wasn’t very engaging anymore. 

agnessastre's review against another edition

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adventurous reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

karissakate's review against another edition

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2.0

I'm sad to say I gave up on this book. I was about 80% through it but I just didn't care and was bored every time I sat down to read. I enjoyed the 'island-appreciation' aspect of this book and getting to know the history and culture of the islands a little better but did not enjoy the story as a whole.

jerseygrrrl's review against another edition

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I just can't get into a book that presents incest without critique. Perhaps if I had read on, I would have found the critique. I didn't get far enough because I was too creeped out. Too bad. I've heard great things about this book. And the writing was, indeed, spectacular.

islandbooky's review against another edition

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Not a fan of the sexual abuse storyline 

laurapeschroe's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

bookish_calirican's review against another edition

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

3.0

thescorpiochic's review against another edition

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tense slow-paced

3.0

kelseywbohl's review against another edition

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3.0

Just ok to me. Kind of a sad story. I kept rooting for the sisters, but nothing ever seemed to work out for them. Writing was beautiful, but I just couldn't get into the story.