Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

107 reviews

cassie7e's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

A reasonably enjoyable book, especially for a debut. Didn't really feel creeped out or drawn in for most of it but the storyline was fine. And what an illustration of how oppressive systems turn women against each other, hated for competing for what scraps of power it allows them to hold, when they could question why there's only one way out and they can't all have it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Violence, Murder, and Colonisation

Minor: Death, Rape, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

leweylibrary's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

The blurb on the front describes it as a mix of Mexican Gothic and Rebecca, and 100% yes absolutely lol. I do still like Mexican Gothic more because it's more about the horror than the romance, but I did enjoy this one nonetheless! I appreciate what the author was trying to do with the deeper messages of colonialism's ills and I liked Andres character a lot. Idk why but something about Beatriz bugged me, and THAT ENDING bugged me too lol ugh.

Quotes:

• Our relationship was founded on one thing and one thing only: my world was a dark, windowless room, and he was a door. (29)
• Roldolfo's message was plain: if San Isidro does not agree with you, come to the capital.
  And do what? Wait on the generals who ordered my house to be burned and killed my father? Simper and smile with their obedient wives?
  No. San Isidro was freedom. San Isidro was mine.
  But San Isidro was also trying to break me, and I did not doubt the force of its will. (92)
• A historical novel is more than the dates of its battles and politicians jockeying for power in affluent capitals. It is the sum of a thousand strokes of a mad artist's brush: it is droughts and floods, new inheritance laws, fabrics and building materials becoming cheap or too expensive, taxes imposed to be paid or ignored, the privilege of one language over another. It is the rhythms of daily life and towns that are silenced, the spirits that move in the shadows cast by the conquerors' history books. (340)
• Reading historical fiction can teach us about world's long gone, but in doing so, It must also inspire reflections on the present. As a historian, a Mexican-American woman, and a fellow reader, I hope the novel inspires the courage, anger, and compassion. We all need to face the ghosts of colonialism that linger today. (342)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation

Moderate: Rape and Abortion

Minor: Death of parent and War

lorriss's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.0

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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

itsheyfay's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Neat premise but it was nothing to sing home about.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Rape, Sexual assault, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

Minor: Physical abuse, Torture, and War

blacksphinx's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexism

Minor: Physical abuse, Rape, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Abortion, and Death of parent

ivy123's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective 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

4.25

The Hacienda is a gothic haunted house story set in the aftermath of the war of independance in Mexico. The story was creepy enough to leave me looking around corners at nightime but also an interesting examination of the casta system and the effect this had. I also enjoyed the juxtaposition of the preist who was also a witch and how this both afforded him safety and danger at the same time. I also didnt see some of the twists and turns coming which is always great.

Although i did like the lyrical writing style i did find this took away from some of the scares at times. Overall highly recomend to people looking for a haunted house story as the culture threaded theoughout makes this a stand out read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Colonisation

Moderate: Abortion and Death of parent

Minor: Rape and War

amberinpieces's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

vaguely_pink'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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Violence, Alcohol, War, and Classism

Minor: Animal death, Confinement, Cursing, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual content, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Colonisation

jessmarticorena's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

One of my new favorite books. My ideal gothic tail with a haunted house, a priest that's a witch, romantic tension, and a writing style that I tempted me to read it again as soon as I turned the final page. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Abortion

panickat123's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Blood, Murder, and War

Minor: Death of parent