Reviews

A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende

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zoejpap's review

emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I started this book for the first time in late October/early November 2023 for my class on Women in Literature, and then restarted it in April 2024 before finishing the class. In my opinion, it was a VERY slow start. It took getting through a good quarter-third of the book for me to enjoy it, but once I was there I was THERE. Did not want to put the book down. It was an epic in all senses of the word, and I cannot recommend it enough. However! If your mom (or any loved one) just recently passed from cancer, I’d stay clear for a while! There was a cancer diagnosis and ultimate death towards the end that I was in no way prepared for, though Allende handled it beautifully.

mariadonnamc's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

markalkman's review against another edition

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3.0

RTC. Bookclub book of the month November

ammarahw's review

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emotional informative reflective sad 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

3.5

This book is interesting and I loved the story and characters but it seemed to drag at times for me.

utahmomreads's review

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4.0

A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende follows Victor Dalmau from his time as a medic for the Republic during the Spanish Civil War to his time as a refugee in Chile. Accompanied by his brother’s widow Roser, Victor navigates a world of political upheaval and finds a successful career, love and solace.⁣
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The first section of the book was thrilling. It was filled with drama and rich characterization. I enjoyed learning more about the politics and history of both Spain and Chile. I was intrigued and fascinated. The second section read less like a novel and more like a narrative history. It was still interesting but went through the details of their lives and covered a long time line rather quickly. Though the later events of their lives were just as rich and emotional, the intensity was lacking because it seemed more disengaged with them personally. I found myself caring less about the characters. There was no more passion.⁣
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Overall, I enjoyed the novel. I liked learning more about the history and politics. It was a fascinating read. It did feel like the characters were real people and had very interesting lives. ⁣
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A LONG PETAL OF THE SEA by Isabel Allende was published in January 2020. ⁣
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tinsleygh's review

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dark emotional inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

dani__gomezz's review

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challenging emotional reflective 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

4.5

A beautiful book where Isabel Allende’s own connection to the Chilean civil war and dictatorship. The story of Victor’s resilience and love in the face of uprooting himself constantly is touching. The book reads a little slow because it’s clear Allende is an expert on the history here, but other than that, it’s wonderful.

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