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3.08 AVERAGE
3.08 AVERAGE
dnf @ 1/3rd of the novel. i know isabel allende is a very popular author, so i'm giving the benefit of the doubt that it's just this particular book that i did not like and perhaps her other ones are a lot better. i had to stop reading because it was genuinely putting me into a slump and i don't want to be in a slump. i'm not even exaggerating when i say that the majority of what i read was character descriptions. i felt like i was being told things about characters–there wasn't any kind of flow to this book. on the rare occasion something interesting was happening, it was cut off either by another character description or a new chapter. it kept taking me out of the book. i don't really like not finishing books, and i did give it 2 stars because maybe it does get better, but i just can't keep reading it.
Ugh. I have loved Isabelle Allende books in the past, so I was really surprised how little I enjoyed this. Reading it felt like a chore. It tried to be several different genres, and didn't quite succeed at any of them. The characters felt one note, and she kept hitting us over the head with each of their specific quirks. I found myself skimming some of her (many) lengthy descriptions of their personality traits... which she kept throwing in there, even 3/4 of the way through the book. The suspense/thriller part felt like something from a lesser episode of Criminal Minds, or a made for TV movie. It just didn't hit any of the right notes for me.
Allende’s sweeping literary style that suits her so well does not suit a modern murder mystery. The pacing and character development are just off, and while I was engaged with the first half, the second half sort of falls apart. If you like Allende for the style she’s known for, like I do, skip this one.
Smut, of the caliber I'd associate with Danielle Steel. So very disappointed.
What a disappointment! I really liked Allende's historical novels and a memoir that I read previously, and I love a good mystery, so I had high hopes for this book. Maybe it was partly the narration, a big factor for an audiobook, but much of the problem was the uneven pacing, and clumsy and implausible plot.
I think I'll stick with Allende's historical fiction and leave the mysteries to other authors.
I think I'll stick with Allende's historical fiction and leave the mysteries to other authors.
This book was good, but also incredibly bizarre coming from Isabel Allende. I kept having to remind myself she wrote it because I kept not believing it.
Recommended by Ellen J. Read her review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/957973771?book_show_action=false&ref=ru_lihp_up_rv_94_mclk&uid=1698577250
Check our catalog: http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Sripper%20allende__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=pearl
Check our catalog: http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Sripper%20allende__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=pearl
Se me antojo desde que lo vi en la página del Fondo de Cultura Económica, y si bien no es mi historia favorita del año (esa es la saga de Anna <3) si es uno de los mejores que he leído este año; me atrapo tras empezar las primeras páginas y me mantuvo en suspenso hasta el final.
Por otra parte puedo decir que Amanda es el símbolo de inteligencia que siempre he creído toda mujer posee. Y si bien demuestra también la debilidad que todos tenemos cuando nuestro mundo se derrumba, hace lo propio para levantarse y seguir.
Sin duda me deja un buen sabor de boca y puedo decir que en el futuro leeré más de Isabel Allende.
Por otra parte puedo decir que Amanda es el símbolo de inteligencia que siempre he creído toda mujer posee. Y si bien demuestra también la debilidad que todos tenemos cuando nuestro mundo se derrumba, hace lo propio para levantarse y seguir.
Sin duda me deja un buen sabor de boca y puedo decir que en el futuro leeré más de Isabel Allende.
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
