Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

La Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

96 reviews

leweylibrary's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.25

The blurb on the front describes it as a mix of Mexican Gothic and Rebecca, and 100% yes absolutely lol. I do still like Mexican Gothic more because it's more about the horror than the romance, but I did enjoy this one nonetheless! I appreciate what the author was trying to do with the deeper messages of colonialism's ills and I liked Andres character a lot. Idk why but something about Beatriz bugged me, and THAT ENDING bugged me too lol ugh.

Quotes:

• Our relationship was founded on one thing and one thing only: my world was a dark, windowless room, and he was a door. (29)
• Roldolfo's message was plain: if San Isidro does not agree with you, come to the capital.
  And do what? Wait on the generals who ordered my house to be burned and killed my father? Simper and smile with their obedient wives?
  No. San Isidro was freedom. San Isidro was mine.
  But San Isidro was also trying to break me, and I did not doubt the force of its will. (92)
• A historical novel is more than the dates of its battles and politicians jockeying for power in affluent capitals. It is the sum of a thousand strokes of a mad artist's brush: it is droughts and floods, new inheritance laws, fabrics and building materials becoming cheap or too expensive, taxes imposed to be paid or ignored, the privilege of one language over another. It is the rhythms of daily life and towns that are silenced, the spirits that move in the shadows cast by the conquerors' history books. (340)
• Reading historical fiction can teach us about world's long gone, but in doing so, It must also inspire reflections on the present. As a historian, a Mexican-American woman, and a fellow reader, I hope the novel inspires the courage, anger, and compassion. We all need to face the ghosts of colonialism that linger today. (342)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Violence, Colonisation, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Abortion and Rape

Minor: Death of parent and War

lorriss's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Murder, Blood, Body horror, Religious bigotry, Racism, Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Classism, Colonisation, Violence, Sexism, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Sexual harassment, Police brutality, and Gore

Moderate: Cursing, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Stalking, Pandemic/Epidemic, Alcohol, Death of parent, Medical content, Grief, War, Rape, Abortion, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Sexual content, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Addiction, Animal death, Pregnancy, and Forced institutionalization

itsheyfay's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

Neat premise but it was nothing to sing home about.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Death of parent, Classism, and Murder

Moderate: Grief, Rape, Abortion, Cursing, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, and Confinement

Minor: Physical abuse, War, and Torture

blacksphinx's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, Violence, Racism, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Sexism

Minor: Physical abuse, Abortion, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Rape

ivy123's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

The Hacienda is a gothic haunted house story set in the aftermath of the war of independance in Mexico. The story was creepy enough to leave me looking around corners at nightime but also an interesting examination of the casta system and the effect this had. I also enjoyed the juxtaposition of the preist who was also a witch and how this both afforded him safety and danger at the same time. I also didnt see some of the twists and turns coming which is always great.

Although i did like the lyrical writing style i did find this took away from some of the scares at times. Overall highly recomend to people looking for a haunted house story as the culture threaded theoughout makes this a stand out read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation and Racism

Moderate: Abortion and Death of parent

Minor: Rape and War

amberinpieces's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Gore, Murder, and Death

Moderate: Classism, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Alcohol, Gaslighting, Grief, Rape, Misogyny, Racism, Confinement, Death of parent, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Infidelity, Cursing, and Pregnancy

vaguely_pink's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Racism, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Classism, Gore, Alcohol, War, Violence, and Body horror

Minor: Colonisation, Confinement, Cursing, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Rape, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Vomit, Animal death, and Abortion

jessmarticorena's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

One of my new favorite books. My ideal gothic tail with a haunted house, a priest that's a witch, romantic tension, and a writing style that I tempted me to read it again as soon as I turned the final page. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Abortion, Rape, and Sexual assault

panickat123's review against another edition

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Murder, Blood, and War

Minor: Death of parent

mamawantsbooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Rape, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Animal death, Confinement, Xenophobia, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, and Death