Reviews

How to Order the Universe by María José Ferrada

ananya33's review

reflective sad tense medium-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

3.25

freddie's review

3.0

I find myself struggling to read the earlier part of the book because the child narrator leaves out a lot of details that. Sometimes the child narrator sounds a bit wiser than her age. The ending is quite punchy though.

shiloniz's review

4.0

"E was one of those people whose very presence gives others permission to act naturally. The sort of person who doesn't expect you to arrive on time or, when you do arrive at last, to say something important. The sort of person who distrusts order and who, consequently, brings a little bit of chaos with him wherever he goes."

daniestla's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

gypsynyx91's review

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.75

zellm's review

4.0

A short, heartwarming but also bleak story about a traveling salesman and his daughter. I loved the perspective and the narrator's voice. The story was solid and well presented, I liked the use of short chapters/vignettes. I wish the ending had more to it, the book felt like it wrapped up too quickly and suddenly with no real closure.

juliana2's review

adventurous reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

serenity_'s review

fast-paced

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

4.5

In How to Order the Universe, we view the world through a child’s eyes, forcing us to read between the lines of the child’s understanding. We are expected to fill these gaps with our understanding of the world and knowledge of Chile’s history. Even though I do not know much about Pinochet-era Chile, it was clear that the atmosphere of the book was strongly affected by this setting. I enjoyed the matter-of-fact nature of the writing and the precocious nature of the narrator. Despite this being a character (not plot) driven novel, the story feels complete at the end of the book. 

readacorn's review

4.0

4,5
Eines der wenigen Highlights des BooktubePrize. Außergewöhnlich geschrieben. Kurze, knackige Kapitel, eine einnehmende Handlung und eine sympathische Erzählerin. Die Wortwahl ist für die kindliche Perspektive etwas zu gehoben aber es wird ja auch rückblickend erzählt, daher zwar etwas befremdlich aber nicht völlig unlogisch. Ich las dieses Buch gemeinsam mit meinem Vater, daher schätzten wir die im Anhang aufgeführten Diskussionsfragen sehr. Dieser Titel rangiert in dieser Runde definitiv auf den oberen Rängen.

purplemuskogee's review

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

I was surprised by how delightful this short novel (170 pages) was - as we follow M, an eight years old girl in Chile, as she becomes her father's assistant as he travels around the country as a salesman, selling hardware supplies to various shops. The book is poetic and cute at the beginning; melancholic and reflective towards the end as M, a teenager whose parents have now separated, finds her father again and sees him with different eyes. It was well-written, can be read in just one sitting, and I found the story touching and poignant.