Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

33 reviews

ktv's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I’m so glad I keep coming back to this book and trying to finish it bc it was soooooo good. It kept me on my toes the entire time. I rly love a good gothic horror. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Cursing, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death of parent, and War

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Abortion, and Pregnancy

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense 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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Colonisation

Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Rape, Sexual content, Vomit, Abortion, Pregnancy, Alcohol, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

allisonz6's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Murder

Moderate: Infidelity, Rape, and Abortion

Minor: Alcoholism

markieh's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-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

4.75

I really enjoyed this one. I did a little bit of research (a very fast Google search) to get a better understanding of the setting because I wasn't very familiar with the Mexican Revolution time period. That helped give me better context. 

It never felt slow to me. It's been a long time since I stayed up all night to finish a book because I wanted to, and not because I had nothing else to do during ADHD insomnia. 

Beatriz thinks she has made a practical choice to keep herself comfortable. That she can settle for contentment if it means safety and stability, but from the minute she enters the hacienda at San Isidro, something is wrong. It starts to slowly unfold. Maybe she imagined that. Maybe it was the wind. Maybe that was a cat, but we along with Beatriz know something is wrong. 

The author did a great job mixing the prejudices of the time period with the horror element, adding to the tension when she's dismissed by the local priest. 

Actually my only complaint about the book is that I wish Padres Andres had a better back story revelation. I feel like we missed a very key piece of who he was and had to sort of put it together in pieces, and not in a fun discovery way. At first I thought it had been a typo or something. 

Still, this book was everything. A haunted house murder mystery with some forbidden love against the backdrop of a post war uneasy peace and racial divide. I can't wait for the next one. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Rape, Blood, and Murder

Minor: Violence, Abortion, and War

horizonous's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Death, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Self harm, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Alcoholism, Rape, Terminal illness, Abortion, Death of parent, Colonisation, and War

deepcurvesahead's review against another edition

dark informative mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Racism, and Rape

lorriss's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Abortion, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, and Pregnancy

arichey1988's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Gore, Abortion, and Classism

jordan_uhden's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: War

Minor: Alcoholism, Rape, and Alcohol

on_your_raedar's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

I genuinely enjoyed this book! I listened to it and I think that helped a lot, I'm sure I'd still be reading if I read it instead because it can be pretty slow. The author spent unnecessarily time trying to build anticipation with the ghost in the house and the "twist" was not a twist so the book felt about 1-1.5 hours too long.

Some things I loved:
1. Love a good ghost story
2. In incorporation of a culture different than mine
3. The dual POV 
4. A strong mother/daughter relationship (though this is is minimal at the beginning and end)

Some things I didn't enjoy:
1. The priest that made his flaws everyones problems
2. The dutiful marriage trope
3. Any level/ amount of DV

Overall, I would recommend. This is my first Gothic thriller/horror and I will be exploring more in this genre. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, and Classism

Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Abortion