Scan barcode
summermorning's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I think the prose and writing was good. I loved the magical realism aspects, I loved the historical fiction aspect, and the idea of tracing a family through that tumultuous period and all that led up to it. I even really liked the way the story wasn't told entirely chronologically, and I got over the weird switch between first and third person narrative just fine.
That being said, after I started reading this, I was really shocked it wasn't a male author. The gratuitous, excessive sexual violence was insane. I understand that she is trying to illustrate how powerless women, both upper and lower class, were at the time, but at points, it just seems way too much and unnecessarily descriptive for the purposes of narrative.
My biggest complaint is that this book is heralded for its strong female characters. Who? Where? Literally all the women never do anything but get abused until maybe the last 30 pages or so, and even then, Alba's biggest contribution seems to be to suffer nobly. All the big revolutionary players who accomplish things, or even try to, are men. And the women exist to love them, get in their way (@Miguel), or suffer for them. Clara has magical powers and was raised by, at least for the time, decently liberal people. Yet she marries someone she doesn't love, puts up with his abuse, and even forgives him. I fail to believe the only revolutionaries in Chile were male, and all the women could do were sing in concentration camps and survive.
I also felt like the second half of the book fell flat with the magical realism. Had it been to illustrate the realistic suffering of the war, or to highlight the modern age, that would have worked. But instead it was sort of thrown in willy nilly just enough to ruin that idea, but not enough to make it feel connected.
Honestly, some of this might even have been okay reading if not for the fact that not a single character was redeemable and literally nothing good happens except for maybe 20 pages in the middle of the book. I understand a tragedy, but honestly, this book was too long for almost no highs and only lows. It makes the tragedy drudgery and torture for the reader rather than powerful and poignant with nothing good to contrast it with.
This book was not at all what it has been heralded as, and I was really disappointed with it.
Graphic: Incest, Rape, Torture, Racism, War, Death, Gore, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse
makbrandt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
Moderate: Homophobia and Racism
chaoticnostalgia's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Classism, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Violence, Blood, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Sexism, Sexual assault, Animal death, Grief, Sexual content, Death, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Racism, Rape, Abortion, Alcohol, Car accident, Chronic illness, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Excrement, and War
Minor: Drug use and Pregnancy
seawarrior's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Racism, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Death, Rape, War, Torture, Slavery, Sexual violence, Misogyny, and Lesbophobia
norimee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Classism, Emotional abuse, Racism, Torture, Ableism, Death, Grief, Police brutality, Rape, Addiction, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Abortion
erinwolf1997's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Death of parent, Death, Grief, Abortion, Classism, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, War, Rape, and Torture
Moderate: Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Blood, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Pregnancy, Murder, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Medical content, Police brutality, Racism, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Drug abuse and Drug use
chiaraaaa's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Abortion, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Child abuse, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Genocide, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Racism, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Self harm, Suicide, Slavery, Sexual content, and Sexism
Minor: Animal death
funkyyicken's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Classism, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Genocide, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Police brutality, Racism, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Torture, War, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Physical abuse
shonaberu's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Violence, Torture, Racism, Rape, and Classism
Minor: Car accident
mirireads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Torture and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Physical abuse, Misogyny, Death, Alcohol, Animal death, Sexual content, Rape, Racism, Confinement, Murder, Abortion, Car accident, Classism, Violence, Racial slurs, and Police brutality
Minor: Animal cruelty, Blood, Drug use, Excrement, Death of parent, Medical content, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Pedophilia