Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Nacht in Caracas by Karina Sainz Borgo

15 reviews

hannahleewhite's review against another edition

dark reflective sad

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Violence, Torture, and Death of parent

Moderate: Sexual violence, Murder, Cancer, Grief, and Fatphobia

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Animal death, and Excrement

dannb's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

A front row seat to incredible loss and grieving, the only parent you know and your city and your country.  Set in 2014 Caracas during revolution protests of the government while the typical Caracan tries to live from one day to the next in the midst of corruption and insane inflation.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Torture, and Police brutality

Moderate: Death of parent and Panic attacks/disorders

mrlsdevos's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-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? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, and War

Minor: Cancer and Animal death

rhi_'s review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

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

1.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Genocide, War, Torture, Violence, Death, and Rape

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Vomit, Blood, and Fatphobia

mountain_adventures's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

This book emotionally drained me, but I am glad that I read it. Like all stories in war torn countries, the lives of the people there are complicated. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Torture, Death of parent, Murder, Cancer, War, Terminal illness, Grief, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail

brooketreads's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

This was a little bit of a tough one to get through. I found myself dragging my feet to read it. Adelaida loses

first her mother, then her home, then her identity, and then her country.

So many facets of grief. Chapter 30 felt so very heartfelt early on remembering her mother. However, I didn’t feel the book actually helped me understand what was going on in Caracas in the big picture. Rather, it just stressed how dangerous Adelaida’s situation became. I hated that

there was a character added in that we got to know a little only for him to die and be barely skirted over.

I think the ending was very high stakes for no reason. The TV thing didn’t make much sense to me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Violence

Moderate: Physical abuse and Torture

I marked it as war, but maybe civil unrest fits more.

jayisreading's review against another edition

dark reflective tense slow-paced

1.75

I found this novel really monotonous. There wasn’t anything gripping about what was happening, despite the very real political tensions in Venezuela impacting citizens. Unfortunately, the story lacked substance and, to me, I got the impression that Sainz Borgo was relying heavily on the reader to be fixated on the turbulence of the country to make up for the cluttered organization of the book and its lackluster protagonist, Adelaida. On that note, I can’t help but feel that this novel was not telling the full story. The ramifications of US imperialism in Venezuela (and Latin America, more broadly) was never mentioned, for one. While my understanding of modern Venezuelan history is limited, I know enough to be wary of media that doesn’t highlight this fact. I also felt there was something voyeuristic about the everyday violence that people were facing in the novel. Perhaps this is a result of the author’s journalist background, but whatever the reason may be, it didn’t sit well with me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Death, War, Gun violence, Violence, and Police brutality

Minor: Rape

nubiani's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Torture, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Cancer, War, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual harassment and Sexual violence

chrisiant's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Death, and War

Moderate: Death of parent

daniellekat's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

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

1.75

While the focus on Venezuela’s political unrest was an interesting history that I am not familiar with, this book was just too slow paced. The main character was boring and unlikeable. The narrative alternated between past & present in weird halting and confusing jumps. The writing was overly metaphorical and came across as trying too hard. I think the actual story had potential but this missed the mark. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Violence, Gun violence, Torture, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Murder, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, and Confinement

Moderate: Cancer

Minor: Excrement, Vomit, Rape, and Pregnancy