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diviedg32's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
jgorkaya15's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
sad
tense
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
kiannaamaya's review against another edition
5.0
this was a great ride. i loved the storytelling, it was well done. i really enjoyed being in this world. i would 100% read this again!
melbsreads's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
3.5
Content warnings: death, cheating, death of a parent (in the past), death of a grandparent, fire, grief, toxic relationship (in the past), body horror, death of a child, death of a loved one, stalking, emotional abuse
Okay I have two issues with this. Don't get me wrong, I did like it! But I have two issues:
1. I thought that this was YA, so I was a little confused as the story progressed; and
2. I wish I hadn't listened to the audiobook because I feel like I lost a lot of the threads of the story when I didn't have the physical book in front of me.
I went into this thinking it it was paranormal fantasy YA and instead found that it was adult magical realism. That is absolutely NOT the book's fault. It's my fault for not looking into it more closely before picking it up. But as a result, this was not at all what I expected it would be. Instead, it was...weird? It was definitely magical realism weird, and if I'd known that I would have been prepared for the weirdness. But I wasn't. And it threw me every time something happened.
Anyway, this was good but I was still left with the feeling that I would have liked this more if I'd read it with my eyeballs and not my ears.
Okay I have two issues with this. Don't get me wrong, I did like it! But I have two issues:
1. I thought that this was YA, so I was a little confused as the story progressed; and
2. I wish I hadn't listened to the audiobook because I feel like I lost a lot of the threads of the story when I didn't have the physical book in front of me.
I went into this thinking it it was paranormal fantasy YA and instead found that it was adult magical realism. That is absolutely NOT the book's fault. It's my fault for not looking into it more closely before picking it up. But as a result, this was not at all what I expected it would be. Instead, it was...weird? It was definitely magical realism weird, and if I'd known that I would have been prepared for the weirdness. But I wasn't. And it threw me every time something happened.
Anyway, this was good but I was still left with the feeling that I would have liked this more if I'd read it with my eyeballs and not my ears.
darrahsteffenwrites's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
alyssahugs's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars. All the pieces were there but it didn’t really blend well. It would flip suddenly into a strange sci-fi/fantasy and then back to the history of Orquídea and her family’s lives but the two didn’t blend well together and the fantasy parts sometimes just grossed me out. Some awkwardly written sentences as well … I actually had to go back and reread things more than once because the meaning got lost in all the words. I did like the overall story and concept.
erinhawley's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
jake_evan_'s review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This was cute. My main gripe with it was that I found a bit boring besides the major events, like the first night at Four Rivers and a few fun moments in Orquidea's past. I also felt like I didn't get enough time in the climax of the story, which, stylistically, I thought fit with the whole fairy-tale, folk taley vibe that I thought the story gave.
I really enjoyed the focus on family and re-connecting throughout the story. There were multiple moments that made me tear up, making me think of relatives that have passed and ones that will eventually pass. Stories are what keep a person alive and I love that, even though she passes, Orquidea lives on in the many questions and stories that surround her. I really loved the character of Orquidea as well. I found her as fascinating and as interesting as her entire family did. The story of her past was so magical and tragic, but I loved how resilient and hopeful she is. I loved that she was really flawed as a character and there were pieces of her to love and to hate. Her being so fearful and filled with pride that she couldn't properly love her family, though that was the most important thing to her. So real. I really felt like I was one of her grandkids trying to uncover her secrets, though being angry she wasn't open enough with me.
The themes of memories and dead relatives living on through stories will stick in my brain, but every character besides Orquidea were extremely forgettable and the story, overall, was a little eh.
I really enjoyed the focus on family and re-connecting throughout the story. There were multiple moments that made me tear up, making me think of relatives that have passed and ones that will eventually pass. Stories are what keep a person alive and I love that, even though she passes, Orquidea lives on in the many questions and stories that surround her. I really loved the character of Orquidea as well. I found her as fascinating and as interesting as her entire family did. The story of her past was so magical and tragic, but I loved how resilient and hopeful she is. I loved that she was really flawed as a character and there were pieces of her to love and to hate. Her being so fearful and filled with pride that she couldn't properly love her family, though that was the most important thing to her. So real. I really felt like I was one of her grandkids trying to uncover her secrets, though being angry she wasn't open enough with me.
The themes of memories and dead relatives living on through stories will stick in my brain, but every character besides Orquidea were extremely forgettable and the story, overall, was a little eh.
akinnunen's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Emotional abuse