Reviews tagging 'War'

La hija de la española by Karina Sainz Borgo

16 reviews

dannb's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A front row seat to incredible loss and grieving, the only parent you know and your city and your country.  Set in 2014 Caracas during revolution protests of the government while the typical Caracan tries to live from one day to the next in the midst of corruption and insane inflation.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Torture, and Police brutality

Moderate: Death of parent and Panic attacks/disorders

mrlsdevos's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, and War

Minor: Cancer and Animal death

rhi_'s review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

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

1.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Genocide, War, Torture, Violence, Death, and Rape

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Vomit, Blood, and Fatphobia

mountain_adventures's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

This book emotionally drained me, but I am glad that I read it. Like all stories in war torn countries, the lives of the people there are complicated. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Torture, Death of parent, Murder, Cancer, War, Terminal illness, Grief, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail

brooketreads's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

This was a little bit of a tough one to get through. I found myself dragging my feet to read it. Adelaida loses

first her mother, then her home, then her identity, and then her country.

So many facets of grief. Chapter 30 felt so very heartfelt early on remembering her mother. However, I didn’t feel the book actually helped me understand what was going on in Caracas in the big picture. Rather, it just stressed how dangerous Adelaida’s situation became. I hated that

there was a character added in that we got to know a little only for him to die and be barely skirted over.

I think the ending was very high stakes for no reason. The TV thing didn’t make much sense to me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Violence

Moderate: Physical abuse and Torture

I marked it as war, but maybe civil unrest fits more.

emka918's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, War, and Violence

Moderate: Rape

megansoetaert's review against another edition

dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

(this is my Storygraph Reads the World 2024 Venezuela pick)

I listened to It Would Be Night in Caracas, and really enjoyed the narrator--it felt like I was listening to someone tell me their personal stories. The chapters go back and forth between Adelaida Falcon's present day, living in a tense and dangerous Caracas, and past memories of her youth in Caracas and the countryside of Venezuela.

I think the author did a very good job at situating the reader in Adelaida's life and the stress of living in present-day Caracas and all of the parties at play in the political (and everyday) landscape there. Sometimes, though, I found myself paying more attention to her memories, rather than what was going on in the present. I loved reading about her and her mother. also like... go for it Adelaida,

steal that identity & go to Spain!! in all seriousness, i'm glad she's safe, even though she's a fictional character.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and War

jayisreading's review against another edition

dark reflective tense slow-paced

1.75

I found this novel really monotonous. There wasn’t anything gripping about what was happening, despite the very real political tensions in Venezuela impacting citizens. Unfortunately, the story lacked substance and, to me, I got the impression that Sainz Borgo was relying heavily on the reader to be fixated on the turbulence of the country to make up for the cluttered organization of the book and its lackluster protagonist, Adelaida. On that note, I can’t help but feel that this novel was not telling the full story. The ramifications of US imperialism in Venezuela (and Latin America, more broadly) was never mentioned, for one. While my understanding of modern Venezuelan history is limited, I know enough to be wary of media that doesn’t highlight this fact. I also felt there was something voyeuristic about the everyday violence that people were facing in the novel. Perhaps this is a result of the author’s journalist background, but whatever the reason may be, it didn’t sit well with me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Death, War, Gun violence, Violence, and Police brutality

Minor: Rape

nubiani's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Torture, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Cancer, War, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual harassment and Sexual violence

stindex's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Grief, Murder, Police brutality, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Violence, and War