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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
This fed my love of historical fiction and my interest in Chile...but at some point I stopped caring what happened to the main character.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is surprisingly my first Isabel Allende novel. It was given to me for a book club. I expected her writing to be heavy and classical in style, but what I found instead was a nice flow and beautiful prose.
I enjoyed this story of a woman trying to establish her identity as an independent person during the Chilean civil war. Seeing the world through Emilia’s eyes was interesting. I liked watching her find herself in surprising ways — ways I don’t think I’d be brave enough to pursue.
I enjoyed this story of a woman trying to establish her identity as an independent person during the Chilean civil war. Seeing the world through Emilia’s eyes was interesting. I liked watching her find herself in surprising ways — ways I don’t think I’d be brave enough to pursue.
I don’t have space for this beautiful book right now, gotta get to work, but I will def be back when I have the time to enjoy her writing!
adventurous
informative
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Thr first half was engaging enough, but the entire last half was boring. I skipped a few chapters.
adventurous
reflective
medium-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:
No
Emilia del Valle is the kind of heroine who kicks down doors, writes under a fake name, and covers civil wars like it’s just another Tuesday. Isabel Allende gives us a whirlwind of historical fiction, feminist rebellion, and romantic tension but sometimes it feels like she’s trying to fit three novels into one corset.
The good? Emilia’s voice is fierce, the prose is lush, and the backdrop of 19th-century Chile is gorgeously chaotic. The bad? The character development occasionally takes a backseat to the plot’s need for speed. It’s giving “girlboss in a war zone” with a side of “wait, what just happened?”
Still, the emotional payoff lands. Emilia’s journey of self-discovery, her complicated family legacy, and her slow-burn romance with Eric Whelan all add depth to the drama. It’s not perfect, but it’s bold and sometimes bold is enough.
The good? Emilia’s voice is fierce, the prose is lush, and the backdrop of 19th-century Chile is gorgeously chaotic. The bad? The character development occasionally takes a backseat to the plot’s need for speed. It’s giving “girlboss in a war zone” with a side of “wait, what just happened?”
Still, the emotional payoff lands. Emilia’s journey of self-discovery, her complicated family legacy, and her slow-burn romance with Eric Whelan all add depth to the drama. It’s not perfect, but it’s bold and sometimes bold is enough.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The plot, like most Allende novels, feels like it’s going nowhere but weave together a beautiful story. Unfortunately the last portion of this book doesn’t do it for me. The ending is vague.
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
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