Scan barcode
stephyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, Death of parent, Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic, Blood, Death, Medical trauma, and Murder
baearles's review against another edition
adventurous
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, Blood, Grief, Death, Murder, and Death of parent
Minor: Violence, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Animal death, and Stalking
antoniac's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I loved this book. An emotional journey, powerfully written. Multiple narrators and time frames worked very well.
Agree with previous review that there are some parallels with modern readers to descriptions of the flu epidemic.
I would say to pay attention to content warnings - this can be a difficult read at times, and I imagine could be quite traumatic for some readers, especially the chapters from the perspective of the antagonist.
Agree with previous review that there are some parallels with modern readers to descriptions of the flu epidemic.
I would say to pay attention to content warnings - this can be a difficult read at times, and I imagine could be quite traumatic for some readers, especially the chapters from the perspective of the antagonist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Murder, and Medical content
Moderate: War, Rape, Violence, Pregnancy, and Grief
Minor: Blood, Child death, and Ableism
acoffeeandagoodbook's review against another edition
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
4.0
This slow-paced novel is beautifully written. The story unfurls slowly, drawing the Morales family to a disaster you know is coming. The end feels almost inevitable, and instead, what matters here is the journey to get there.
The translation is excellent, and I can only imagine how beautiful this book must be in the original Spanish.
I love a family saga, and this one is a triumph. Sad, yet hopeful. I also love a bit of magical realism, which this book also handles beautifully. It's never made clear why the mysterious Simonopio has such a mystical bond with bees, or how he is able to know some things before they happen. Instead, it is left up to the reader's imagination to fill in the blanks of this fascinating character.
The translation is excellent, and I can only imagine how beautiful this book must be in the original Spanish.
I love a family saga, and this one is a triumph. Sad, yet hopeful. I also love a bit of magical realism, which this book also handles beautifully. It's never made clear why the mysterious Simonopio has such a mystical bond with bees, or how he is able to know some things before they happen. Instead, it is left up to the reader's imagination to fill in the blanks of this fascinating character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Violence, Sexual assault, and Blood
Minor: Child death, Bullying, and Ableism
theseasoul's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
sad
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
3.5
|| 3.5/5 stars ||
My oh my what a beautiful book this was.
If you’re looking for a story with a fast-paced plot, this isn’t the one for you. It unfolds its treasures very slowly (almost too slowly at times), and the plot isn’t as prominent as the prolonged imageries of nature, the characters themselves, and the descriptions of their day-to-day. I found it difficult at times to figure out who’s perspective we were hearing from in each chapter, as it wasn’t always immediately clear (it was especially confusing before getting well acquainted with the various characters). I was left with a few questions upon finishing this book; but something tells me they are left unanswered for a reason, and the ending is beautiful and satisfying all the same.
These pages gently and delicately immerse you in a world of magic and nature and emotions and culture and relationships—gently and slowly, yes, but in a way that will leave you knowing these characters intimately and remembering their souls long after you’ve placed the book back on your shelf. I think my mind will linger in this world for a while.
My oh my what a beautiful book this was.
If you’re looking for a story with a fast-paced plot, this isn’t the one for you. It unfolds its treasures very slowly (almost too slowly at times), and the plot isn’t as prominent as the prolonged imageries of nature, the characters themselves, and the descriptions of their day-to-day. I found it difficult at times to figure out who’s perspective we were hearing from in each chapter, as it wasn’t always immediately clear (it was especially confusing before getting well acquainted with the various characters). I was left with a few questions upon finishing this book; but something tells me they are left unanswered for a reason, and the ending is beautiful and satisfying all the same.
These pages gently and delicately immerse you in a world of magic and nature and emotions and culture and relationships—gently and slowly, yes, but in a way that will leave you knowing these characters intimately and remembering their souls long after you’ve placed the book back on your shelf. I think my mind will linger in this world for a while.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death of parent, Blood, and Death
carolinacortez's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? No
5.0
"Mis recuerdos, mis impresiones vienen conmigo. Mi realidad, no se si la tuya, va conmigo a dondequiera que yo vaya y deja atrás la capacidad de reinventarse, de desarrollarse"
Se que me tarde un montón en leer este libro, pero la verdad lo ameritaba, la pluma de Sofía es preciosa y te encierra en la historia que te está contando super facil, me tarde por que es una historia que necesita que la estés digiriendo, que no te apresures a leerla, que entiendas lo que te esta contando y que vivas a través de las páginas la historia de Simonopio y Francisco, que entiendas que te está contando no sólo la vida de un undividuo (el narrador), si no de una familia completa, e incluso de una región.
Al principio me costó agarrarle la onda a la cantidad de nombres y el como están relacionados entre si, pero con el paso de las páginas te acostumbras y le agarras el sentido.
"El tiempo es un amo cruel y caprichoso, pues cuanto más lo deseas, más rápido se esfuma y viceversa: cuanto más quisieras escabullirse de él , más inmóvil parece."
Pd. tengo que admitir que si me emociono mucho el hecho de que la historia transcurra en Linares y que Monterrey también tenga sus menciones estelares.
PD2. si lo leen prepárense para llorar, mucho.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief
Moderate: Blood, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Violence, Sexual harassment, Murder, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, and War
Minor: Ableism, Bullying, Colonisation, Vomit, Child death, and Medical content
atamano's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Murder
Moderate: Abandonment and Blood
More...