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ericageorge91's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
“This book missed the mark for me.”
Arrest me. Take me to book jail because I was clearly on one during my first read 😅
“I thought that this ‘inheritance’ was going to be a thorough discussion of generational trauma mixed with magical realism but it felt lacking.”
The discussion was there! The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina is a story filled with magic told in dual timelines. One follows the Montoya matriarch, Orquídea, a woman that goes to great lengths to escape a past so painful that she never speaks of it. The present timeline opens with an invitation to her remaining family to return to their home in Four Rivers to witness her death. We closely follow her grandchildren, Marimar, Rey, and Tatinelly, and her great-grandchild, Rhiannon. After tragedy strikes, they embark on a journey to uncover their family’s secrets. This would prove to be incredibly challenging because, like the ceiba tree she turned into, Orquídea was stoic and silent throughout their lives.
The generational trauma was there! How did I not process the parallels of how Isabella’s parents treatment of her affected how she mothered Orquídea in the same way that Orquídea’s upbringing with Isabella informed how she treated her kids and grandkids? Isabella was shamed for having a child out of wedlock, which led to her projecting those insecurities onto Orquídea throughout her childhood. This ultimately pushed Orquídea to run away from home. In the same vein, Orquídea heard nasty insults growing up from her former family. This contributed to the punishing and impenetrable silence she wielded on her descendants that consequently pushed them away.
“We didn’t get to know any of Orquídea’s children in depth, so if this was supposed to speak on generational trauma, skipping whole branches of the family tree made that theme feel disjointed and incomplete.”
This point is still true, but Orquídea had such a big family, that readers would have been bogged down by the weight of them all. We do get to see glimpses of her children’s relationship with her: Félix’s role as peacemaker, Caleb’s unwavering acceptance, and Enrique’s explosive anger and resentment to name a few. Others were so fed up with their matriarch’s ways, that they swore to never come back home. Do I still wish we got a POV for at least one of the aunts or uncles? Yes, but the story still feels complete without it.
If you wanted to read a book that gave Encanto vibes only for a mature audience? Definitely check this book out! It wasn’t a tear jerker for me, but it still brought me joy 😌
———-
[Original Review: 3.25⭐️] This book missed the mark for me. I thought that this “inheritance” was going to be a thorough discussion of generational trauma mixed with magical realism, but it felt lacking. We were introduced to so many people in the Montoya family and didn’t get to know any of them beyond a surface level save for Orquídea, three of her grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. We didn’t get to know any of Orquídea’s children in depth, so if this was supposed to speak on generational trauma, skipping whole branches of the family tree made that theme feel disjointed and incomplete. I might try a reread in the future to see if I like it more with time.
TW: Homophobia (brief), child abuse, emotional neglect, toxic relationship, sexual content, body horror, death, murder, violence, infidelity
Rep: Latinx (Ecuadorian) characters, gay main character
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, and Murder
Minor: Homophobia
bookmaddie's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.5
Y'all this book made me almost cry at 35% in. That's when you know a book is gonna be good.
I think what made me immediately invested in this story is Córdova's writing—it is so warm and magical. It makes you feel wrapped up in a hug from a loved one, and instantly part of whatever story she is crafting on the page. Each character, setting, star, gust of wind is imbued with life.
It was heartening to see how the Orquídea's family came together around her, to support her and each other in their greatest time of need. When everyone reunited in the end, it was even more touching and beautiful to see how everyone had changed and grown, and their love for each other was stronger than ever. This book is just a beautiful (and magical!) tribute to family, and I've not read a book that warmed me in this way in a long time. Even at its saddest moments, this book is just so full of love.
I can't forget the MAGIC in this story. It's everywhere! And we also get a magical river guardian, a historical, mysterious circus, and otherworldly beings. I was delighted by the mix of folklore, family history, luck, and wishes gone wrong. Combined with Córdova's writing, it makes for an unputdownable read!
Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for my advanced digital copy that I should have read months ago.. woopsies!
I think what made me immediately invested in this story is Córdova's writing—it is so warm and magical. It makes you feel wrapped up in a hug from a loved one, and instantly part of whatever story she is crafting on the page. Each character, setting, star, gust of wind is imbued with life.
It was heartening to see how the Orquídea's family came together around her, to support her and each other in their greatest time of need. When everyone reunited in the end, it was even more touching and beautiful to see how everyone had changed and grown, and their love for each other was stronger than ever. This book is just a beautiful (and magical!) tribute to family, and I've not read a book that warmed me in this way in a long time. Even at its saddest moments, this book is just so full of love.
I can't forget the MAGIC in this story. It's everywhere! And we also get a magical river guardian, a historical, mysterious circus, and otherworldly beings. I was delighted by the mix of folklore, family history, luck, and wishes gone wrong. Combined with Córdova's writing, it makes for an unputdownable read!
Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for my advanced digital copy that I should have read months ago.. woopsies!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, and Death
alibookedup's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Death, and Blood
Minor: Death of parent and Child death
ktdakotareads's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, Infidelity, and Death of parent
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Child death
thereaderfriend's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Absolutely loved this. The books that are emotionally challenging to read are usually the best ones to read and this was a great example. Loved the takes on generational trauma, and vulnerability. Loved the magical realism and fantastical aspects too. And mainly loved the lesson abiut how chosen family can help you in the midst of challenges :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual content, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Child death, and Domestic abuse
courtneyfalling's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Aghhhhhh this book ripped out my heart and I said thank you. Achingly beautiful take on generational trauma and vulnerability and domestic abuse, and I'm very excited to discuss this with friends for a casual book club!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Death, Body horror, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Child death
hillysreads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Minor: Child death
onemorepagecrew's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova was my favorite kind of coming-of-age story, the ones that dig into family history and pass ancestral gifts or knowledge to the younger generation. This one had a touch of mystery and magical realism, which is icing on the cake for me.
In this story we meet Orquídea, the matriarch of the Montoya family who does not leave the family home and is full of unanswered questions. She invites her family to the home for her transition to the afterlife and their inheritance, which kicks off the unusual events and the start of getting to know the next two generations in the family.
The story is full of family banter as they decipher Orquídea’s cryptic messages, make sense of their supernatural abilities, and seek answers in Ecuador. The mystery unfolds in dual timelines to bring together the matriarch’s life story and pass the inheritance on to her loved ones.
At times it read a little YA, but I didn’t mind since that is a genre I really enjoy. The story was well done and the writing held my attention. The magic was sprinkled in and part of everyday life, differentiating it from a full-on fantasy novel. I am so glad I came across this in Libby and recommend it for those who enjoy multi-generational stories of ancestral powers with a hint of supernatural elements.
Content warnings: Death, Infidelity, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, and Grief
awebofstories's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, and Grief
thewildmageslibrary's review against another edition
4.0
This story was really intriguing! I had no expectations going in and it really caught me up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, Death, and Infidelity
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual content, Child death, Racism, Pregnancy, Stalking, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Animal death