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madmantha's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
5.0
Absolutely loved this book. I highly recommend seeing if your local library has the audiobook as well.
I’ve now reread it multiple times and enjoy it more and more each reading. It’s such a poetic and circular story.
I’ve now reread it multiple times and enjoy it more and more each reading. It’s such a poetic and circular story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Abandonment, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Stalking, and Body horror
Moderate: Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Sexism, and Sexual content
Minor: Animal death, Car accident, Genocide, Outing, Chronic illness, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Alcoholism, Ableism, Classism, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Deadnaming, Deportation, Gun violence, Self harm, Stalking, Terminal illness, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Racism, Religious bigotry, Incest, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Cultural appropriation, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Child death, and Emotional abuse
danicainpages's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
The Inheritance of Orquidea follows the story of Orquidea and her descendants as the latter tries to solve the puzzle that was their grandmother/mother who was always surrounded by an air of mystery and magic their whole lives. This was a stunning book about tragedies, complicated families, making and finding one’s own way, generations of haunting secrets and mystery, and intriguing with magical realism. Cordova’s writing was wonderful and the way she used the dual timeline was seamless and made for more compelling reading. Her prose is beautiful as well and she made me care for each and every character in this book. The characters were diverse and layered. Their dynamic with each other and their struggles with themselves were realistic and relatable and will tug at your heartstrings. While the story did take a while to unravel, I appreciated learning about the other characters as well which I didn’t mind. I’m not always fond of abstract magical realism but for this story, it worked. It only added to the mystery and intrigue of it all.It reminded me a lot of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is Addie got the chance to live her life and have a family. But it also gave me elements of Encanto in a gothic kind of way with a dash of body horror. This was overall a wonderful book and my first from Cordova.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, and Body horror
leannanecdote's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Child death, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Stalking, Violence, Xenophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Drug use, and Cursing
brokenbodybitch's review against another edition
4.5
low spoon review;
- i liked the way the magical realism was done; it was not only interesting but I think done well/realistically?
- ^ add on kinda; I liked the elements of the flowers and the way those hinted at what was going on
- the family dynamics were super interesting; the 'current' generation of the family was a hot mess, and in the best way it was very much the -big wealthy family with the inheritance holder who is kinda pissing everyone off- vibes
- it does have a circus in it though and to my knowledge it was done pretty tastefully but, I am not educated enough on the history of the circus and mistreatment of people [specifically disabled people] to have a valid comment on how it was done [I know some things but not enough to be confident in how it was done] - although there was one comment about a 'circus oddity', in this case it was referring to a magical being so 🤷🏼 I don't know
- the pacing was a little funky for me but that is mostly preference; it jumps back and forth between POV kind and time lines so it was a bit confusing at times but, if you normally don't struggle with this it will not be an issue, because for how much it jumped... it wasn't that bad
my content warnings are not thorough as so much happened, I can guarantee I'm prob missing a few
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Confinement, Infidelity, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Abandonment, and Fire/Fire injury
circus? I have heard of mis treatment of people - specifically disabled people because of the circus and I am not educated enough on the history that to know if it was ok or not - there was one comment about a 'circus oddity', although in this case it happened to be referring to a magical being so 🤷🏼 I don't knowjessgreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
Title: The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina
Author: Zoraida Córdova
Genre: Fantasy / Magical Realism
Setting: Guyaquil, Ecuador & Four Rivers, Indiana
Month Read: May 2022
Book Type: Hardcover
Publication: 2021
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 324
*Book of the Month Selection
TRIGGER WARNING-
Death / Grief / Sexual Content / Infidelity
"But here, in her family's home, she was river and salt and that same sea found her. She was the mouth of an ancient god who would swallow the world. She was an ocean of stories, memories, thousands of little moments that made up her whole being."
No Spoiler Summary (from Goodreads):
The Montoyas are used to a life without explanations. They know better than to ask why the pantry never seems to run low or empty, or why their matriarch won’t ever leave their home in Four Rivers—even for graduations, weddings, or baptism. But when Orquídea Divina invites them to her funeral and to come and collect their inheritance, they hope to learn the secrets that she has held onto so tightly their whole lives. Instead, Orquídea is transformed, leaving them with more questions than answers. Seven years later, her gifts have manifested in different ways for Marimar, Rey, and Tatinelly’s daughter, Rhiannon, granting them unexpected blessings. But soon, a hidden figure begins to tear through their family tree, picking them off one by one as it seeks to destroy Orquídea’s line. Determined to save what’s left of their family and uncover the truth behind their inheritance, the four descendants travel to Ecuador—to the place where Orquídea buried her secrets and broken promises and never looked backed.
Alternating between Orquídea’s past and her descendants’ present, The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina is an enchanting novel about what we knowingly and unknowingly inherit from our ancestors, the ties that bind, and reclaiming your power.
(I tried to get a photo of Casita, but this was as close as I could get...)
Review:
I am so upset with myself that I got too busy last September and have let this book sit on a shelf for several months when I could have been loving it this entire time. I was unprepared for how much I would fall in love with the Montoya family, and how perfect this book was to start reading on a gorgeous spring day. I was instantly transported to their house in Four Rivers, and also transported right to Equador several decades ago. The writing was so beautiful it was hard not to see the beauty described in your head. This book is perfect for a movie or tv show.
A book filled with strong female characters is totally my jam, and I couldn't be more thrilled about how hardcore this cast was. I also loved the LGBTQIA+ rep, and how cool the family was about everything. I was expecting it to turn into a weird subplot, but everyone was just super accepting and supportive and it was really nice.
If you're a fan of magical realism, split narratives (and time periods), and a big multi-generational tale with just the right amount of mystery- this book is for YOU. I wish I could read this again for the first time, I truly do. What a fun, enjoyable story. There is a lot of sadness woven in, but never so much that it overtakes you.
"When she’d met Orquidea Montoya, she saw a whisper of a girl who wanted to become a scream."
See more reviews at: https://jessgreads.wixsite.com
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Infidelity, Sexual content, Grief, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Classism, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Fire/Fire injury
drinaiscold'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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Sexual content, Abandonment, Death of parent, Stalking, Infidelity, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Cursing, Violence, Body horror, Pregnancy, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Car accident
now_booking's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I absolutely adored this fantastic work of magical realism meets multigenerational family saga. I love the work of Isabelle Allende and how she captures the complexity of characters in a family where heroes and villains aren’t monolithic but rather are complex with complex motivations and experiences that make them the characters they are. This is one such book. This is very much like if Isabel Allende focused more on the technicalities of the magic in her books to the point of almost approaching the fantasy genre. I’m not a huge fan of fantasy so I’m amazed how much I loved this. Indeed, perhaps that is because this is not quite fantasy, it is indeed plausible in the way it acknowledges that a pragmatic understanding of the world might find the events in this book fantastical and unrealistic, but there are phenomena we can’t quite explain and things that can be believed to be true beyond what is empirical and explainable. In a sense, when Marimar, Rey, and Rhiannon go on an epic journey to discover the truth about the origins of their matriarch Orquídea Divinia and save the rest of the family from the curse she has brought on them, it is an attempt to explain the lifetime of magic and surrealism that has surrounded their family.
For me, what I liked most about this book were the themes around family and loss and support and complex relationships and the themes of home. I think what tipped this away from fantasy as a genre and more into literary fiction is that despite having adventurous elements, this is ultimately a story about love and family and fighting more than it is one about magic or one that is about another world. It is about the extent one goes through for family, the bad decisions that have awful consequences and the struggle and sacrifices we make to make everything okay again. It also doesn’t hurt that the writing and use of language is absolutely gorgeous and even lyrical in parts yet accessible and unpretentious. The characters and their flaws are relatable and kind evocative of people you may know and situations you may have witnessed. This was a very readable book even in the moments where it was devastating or shocking. The depiction of the close relationship between cousins Rey and Marimar and their intrepid sidekick Rhiannon (who’s actually the brains of the operation), and the complex toxicity of Orquídea’s relationship with everyone- from her own mother Isabel, to her first husband, Lazaro the shooting star, her children and grandchildren, was great and really interesting to unravel. As a protagonist, perhaps she is not the most likeable, but she is interesting and complicated and there’s a lot to her as a characteristic.
I think there is justified criticism that much of the action of this book is saved till the last third or so of this book. So yes, the book is slow-ish, that said, I did really enjoy the build up and the set up in the first two-thirds of the book and thought it was essential if a little unnecessarily long with a transition that ended up telling a bit instead of showing. And I think beyond that, the past and present formulation might be annoying to some as it delayed or slowed the action somewhat, but again I understood this formulation of telling the story and felt it made sense and was enjoyable to read even though typically I don’t like past-present storytelling formats as I tend to find it kills the plot momentum. Perhaps I wanted more about Marimar’s personal life and maybe to know her more as individual beyond her identity as constructed within her complex family dynamic. Perhaps I think if Marimar and Orquídea were the main characters of this book, Orquídea by far outshines and outpersonalities Marimar and so it is perhaps a little implausible that Marimar is the Montoya family heroine because she is so minimised character development-wise in the story. Indeed, if we consider that the modern generation of Montoyas are the current-day protagonists to Orquídea’s role as the “past” protagonist, even then they are unbalanced because Orquídea benefits from much more character development and a more cohesive and complete story, even though there are patches here and there and there were places I would have loved the author to rest and dwell in a bit more to more explicitly develop the characters.
That said, despite all this, I LOVED this book. I enjoyed reading it and listening to it in audio. Frankie Corzo, the narrator did a fabulous job with it and really captured the drama and emotion and adventure on this one. Highly highly recommend for fans of Isabel Allende and fans of family sagas who love magical realism or are not fantasy-sticklers.
For me, what I liked most about this book were the themes around family and loss and support and complex relationships and the themes of home. I think what tipped this away from fantasy as a genre and more into literary fiction is that despite having adventurous elements, this is ultimately a story about love and family and fighting more than it is one about magic or one that is about another world. It is about the extent one goes through for family, the bad decisions that have awful consequences and the struggle and sacrifices we make to make everything okay again. It also doesn’t hurt that the writing and use of language is absolutely gorgeous and even lyrical in parts yet accessible and unpretentious. The characters and their flaws are relatable and kind evocative of people you may know and situations you may have witnessed. This was a very readable book even in the moments where it was devastating or shocking. The depiction of the close relationship between cousins Rey and Marimar and their intrepid sidekick Rhiannon (who’s actually the brains of the operation), and the complex toxicity of Orquídea’s relationship with everyone- from her own mother Isabel, to her first husband, Lazaro the shooting star, her children and grandchildren, was great and really interesting to unravel. As a protagonist, perhaps she is not the most likeable, but she is interesting and complicated and there’s a lot to her as a characteristic.
I think there is justified criticism that much of the action of this book is saved till the last third or so of this book. So yes, the book is slow-ish, that said, I did really enjoy the build up and the set up in the first two-thirds of the book and thought it was essential if a little unnecessarily long with a transition that ended up telling a bit instead of showing. And I think beyond that, the past and present formulation might be annoying to some as it delayed or slowed the action somewhat, but again I understood this formulation of telling the story and felt it made sense and was enjoyable to read even though typically I don’t like past-present storytelling formats as I tend to find it kills the plot momentum. Perhaps I wanted more about Marimar’s personal life and maybe to know her more as individual beyond her identity as constructed within her complex family dynamic. Perhaps I think if Marimar and Orquídea were the main characters of this book, Orquídea by far outshines and outpersonalities Marimar and so it is perhaps a little implausible that Marimar is the Montoya family heroine because she is so minimised character development-wise in the story. Indeed, if we consider that the modern generation of Montoyas are the current-day protagonists to Orquídea’s role as the “past” protagonist, even then they are unbalanced because Orquídea benefits from much more character development and a more cohesive and complete story, even though there are patches here and there and there were places I would have loved the author to rest and dwell in a bit more to more explicitly develop the characters.
That said, despite all this, I LOVED this book. I enjoyed reading it and listening to it in audio. Frankie Corzo, the narrator did a fabulous job with it and really captured the drama and emotion and adventure on this one. Highly highly recommend for fans of Isabel Allende and fans of family sagas who love magical realism or are not fantasy-sticklers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, Grief, Gore, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Homophobia, Torture, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, and Racial slurs
Minor: Sexual harassment
nrogers_1030's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Death, Grief, and Violence
Minor: Child death and Pregnancy
summerlyn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Toxic relationship
Minor: Blood
foreverinastory's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
4.0
I loved this!
Rep: Mainly Ecuadorian and Ecuadorian-American cast of characters. Two cishet female MCs, one gay male MC.
CWs: Abandonment, alcohol consumption, blood, child death, death, death of parent, emotional abuse, fire, grief, infidelity, pregnancy, sexism, sexual content, toxic relationship, violence, murder. Moderate: injury/injury detail, misogyny, stalking, body horror, gaslighting, child abuse, racism/colorism.
Rep: Mainly Ecuadorian and Ecuadorian-American cast of characters. Two cishet female MCs, one gay male MC.
CWs: Abandonment, alcohol consumption, blood, child death, death, death of parent, emotional abuse, fire, grief, infidelity, pregnancy, sexism, sexual content, toxic relationship, violence, murder. Moderate: injury/injury detail, misogyny, stalking, body horror, gaslighting, child abuse, racism/colorism.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Stalking, Body horror, Gaslighting, Child abuse, and Racism