Reviews

This Rebel Heart by Katherine Locke

Only show reviews with written explanations

whenlohaz's review

Go to review page

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

izzys_internet_bookshelf's review

Go to review page

1.0

1/5

I wanted to DNF this book so much but I somehow was able to finish it.

starry_eyed_nikki's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

"Her father had told her that cities, to those who knew them best, each had a unique magic, a signature that was all theirs and very rarely matched by another (and even then, anyone who really knows a city can spot a forgery if they look closely)."

This book was absolutely breathtaking. The way the fantasy elements were interwoven with historical reality reminded me a lot of "Deathless" by Catherynne M. Valente, and if you liked that book be sure to check this one out!

Our main character, Csilla, is living in Budapest, Hungary, following WWII. Although the Nazis were gone, the Communist Party remained, and the Soviet Union effectively had control of the country until a student-led revolution in October 1956. However, as the events of the book and history illustrate, they would return with tanks in November, and remain an installation in Hungary for 35 long years after.

The biggest and one of the most beautiful motifs of the book is the Duna river, which actually separates Buda and Pest. Csilla's call to action and pursuit of the truth mimics the river in all its forms, and I love how her courage and passion is reflected in the magic of the city. Although the revolution ultimately failed, the power it held did historically lead to change.

It's also important not to discount the many intersecting identities beautifully present in this book. Csilla and her remaining family member Ilona are Jewish, Holocaust survivors traumatized by the antisemitism present in their lives and the deep losses to their family. Throughout the book they take solace in each other and their faith to help guide them forward, and yes, there is a golem in this book!! No spoilers, but there are also several LGBTQ+ characters in this book and the relationships between them are loving, tender, and complex.

If you're looking for a book where you can equally be swept away by the jaw-droppingly-gorgeous writing, the magical elements, and learn something new about history, I'd strongly encourage reading "This Rebel Heart"!

vandavknihach's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Tato knížka má na zadní části obálky přirovnání k Mlčícím fontánám od Ruty Sepetys. Nejenže s tím souhlasím, ale ještě bych to rozšířila o další knihu stejné autorky, Musím tě zradit. A tím chci říct, že tento příběh rozhodně zaslouží číst stejně jako knihy od výše zmíněné spisovatelky. Hlavní hrdinka Scilla nám dává náhled na maďarskou revoluci odehrávající se v Budapešti. Ukazuje nám komunismus z pohledu další země v našem okolí, náladu společnosti, a nespravedlnost s odvahou. To je propleteno metaforickými fantasy prvky zastoupenými řekou, vymizením barev a samotnou charakteristikou hlavní hrdinky, kterou doprovází anděl smrti. Co je ale to, co knihu vyzdvihuje, je přítomnost emocí. Surových, silných emocí, které zlomí srdce, i kdyby ho čtenář měl z kamene.

thriftylibrarian's review

Go to review page

4.0

I'm not too experienced with magical realism and it shows in this book. I think I went into it expecting historical fiction in my head, and then maybe fantasy, and then realizing that it was something with elements of both. I also listened to this as an audiobook, which may have complicated things. It took me until about 40% of the way through the book that I could connect with the characters and the plot, and I really enjoyed the story when I did. Locke's writing is very beautiful and almost dreamlike, and the symbolism was very rich and detailed. I may end up rereading this at some point as a physical book, because I feel like it would help with comprehension. Overall a really interesting tale of 1950's Hungary and the People's resistance to communist rule!

I feel like the cover definitely deserved an extra half star.

bookmarkedbyfi's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

5.0

lsparrow's review

Go to review page

3.0

this story set in the hungarian 1956 uprising/revolution - told by a young jewish girl - has a lot of interesting things to say about history, family, revolution and following your heart. I found some of the more mythical aspects (river turned to stone, everything in grey scale, the golem) confusing. I perhaps wanted to much for this to be historical fiction but this was more historical story telling.