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jedore's review
emotional
reflective
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
4.5
“…she feigned strength, as she would do for a long time, and by feigning it she would end up believing it, and by believing it, she would make it a reality.”
Segovia's writing is simply stunning. Just like Isabel Allende, she weaves a rich and slow-burning story with a bit of magical realism and fascinating characters that stick with you even when you’re not reading.
Narrated by an elderly man recalling his childhood growing up with his adopted brother in Linares, Mexico, the story is mostly touching, sometimes tense and sad, and ends on a seriously bittersweet note.
The book came so close to making my all-time favorites list…the only reason it didn’t is because I was inexplicably reluctant to pick it up at times despite adoring it. I blame social media for speeding up my brain!
Read this book! It’s absolutely beautiful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Abandonment, Classism, Murder, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Animal death
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
sarah984's review against another edition
emotional
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I thought the language (and translation) was beautiful, and the history was interesting to me, but the book itself was also annoying. There are only three categories of people in this book's world: benevolent put-upon landowners, childlike peons who are so grateful for the landowner's kindness, and evil ungrateful peons who are greedy and hurt people for no reason. Annoying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Stalking, Ableism, Classism, Violence, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Child abuse, Medical content, Misogyny, Torture, Vomit, and War
Minor: Animal death, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, and Xenophobia
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