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macknificent's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I did find myself fully immersed in the scary scenes, to the point that I could only read this in daylight. Unfortunately, I wasn't much interested in the rest. Neither the mystery, nor the romance were compelling and sometimes it felt like the author didn't really know her characters. The horror/magic didn't seem to have any rules either, which made the ending a bit anticlimactic.
This was a debut novel so I'm willing to try this author again in the future.
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Infidelity, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Grief, Abortion, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
miak2's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
San Isidro was supposed to be my victory. My future. My home.
Now all I could do was hope that it wouldn't be my tomb. p.170
This was the perfect, spooky read for the start of fall. I'm a bit of a weenie when it comes to horror, but The Hacienda has me wanting to seek out more. The atmosphere was so eerie and tense, and I could picture the scenes playing out as if they were in a movie. In fact, the horror elements were some of my favorite parts of this book; Cañas was so imaginative and descriptive. It was truly unsettling at times, and it was even better that I knew that the dangers from the house were real, and not just in Beatriz's head.
I haven't read a ton of horror/thrillers because usually I find the main character frustrating to follow. They make stupid decisions. They don't trust the evidence that's in front of them. It's even more frustrating that it's usually women, as if a dumb male lead wouldn't be believable. But that's a rant for a different day. Beatriz was the exact opposite. She was smart and level-headed. She ran when she was in danger. She trusted her instincts. Hey, it turns out that a book like this can work with an intelligent lead. And that made it all the more compelling. I wanted Beatriz to be okay. I was rooting for her, and for Andrés. They were rational, capable individuals who weren't immune to fear, but who acted like I would in the same circumstances (or, at least, how I'd like to think I would act).
What bothered me, though, was that for all of Beatriz's intelligence, she was slow to come to conclusions. And it absolutely felt deliberately done by Cañas in order to keep the reader from putting the puzzle pieces together quicker. But I don't buy it, based on what I've said already about Beatriz being quite sharp. I don't necessarily know a way that this could've been done better, but it was a bit out of character, in my opinion.
The other thing that frustrated me was Cañas' tendency to explain relevant things more than once. For example, early on we get a flashback chapter explaining Beatriz' situation and how she came to end up at San Isidro. And then the next chapter, we hear the story in full again as she explains it to somebody else. The unnecessary repetitions made the book drag at times, especially when the action would be ramping up and we'd stop for more exposition.
That said, I did really enjoy the main plot of this book. I thought it was well thought-out and intriguing. I'm always guessing what the twists will be, and while there wasn't anything here that had me jumping out of my seat in shock, I couldn't accurately predict where the book would go at any given point. The climax of the book made sense with the information we'd already been given (a lot of thriller books/shows tend to hinge on 'gotcha's' that don't fit with the story narratively). I also loved the context of it being set after the Mexican War of Independence, and we got a harrowing glimpse of class dynamics in 1800s Mexico. Overall, a really well-done and thought-provoking horror book. And I'll for sure be reading whatever Cañas comes out with next!
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Murder
Moderate: Vomit and War
lauramparis's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Graphic: Body horror and Death
Moderate: Confinement, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Vomit, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
blackcatkai's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.5
this is a slow historical gothic horror with romance sprinkled within, dual perspective, and a few flashbacks. overall I really enjoyed it! slow historical isn't usually part of any genre I usually read, but im really glad I gave this one a try. gorgeous writing, creepy atmosphere, supernatural and spooky, I was hooked. can't wait to read more from cañas in the future!
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Ableism, Racism, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
rbash2391's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Racism, Self harm, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Infidelity, Rape, and Abortion
Minor: Confinement and Injury/Injury detail
maya_reads_books's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Racism and Sexual assault
Minor: Death of parent
madelinekramer2021's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Abortion, Alcohol, Dysphoria, War, and Classism
lindsloveslit's review against another edition
3.75
The Hacienda was a slow burn for me, set in the 1800s after the end of the Mexican War of Independence. The descriptions and setting throughout were 👌🏽*chef's kiss*. (The imagery and visuals reminded me of Silvia Moreno-Garcia & Kali Fajardo-Anstine.) It definitely had a spooky and disturbing vibe 👻 with sprinkles of language and culture throughout.
As beautifully as it was written, I wish the story had been longer. I wanted more from the ending and would've loved more character development. I also wish Cañas would've hit harder on the themes of colonialism, intergenerational wealth, racism, classism, and religion.
Moderate: Death, Racism, Rape, Blood, Abortion, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
dukeofkel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Death and Blood
Moderate: Murder, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Rape, Abortion, and Death of parent
dalmavatai's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Death, Racism, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Moderate: Rape