Scan barcode
fifteenthjessica's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
It's a horror and historic fiction hybrid, and while I don't read the former much and can't say how well it holds up to others (it's the best of the few I've read), but the historic fiction aspects are excellent. Isabel Canas shows an expertise of the era of history she has set this in, and I think she gets around the issue of delivering exposition about the setting to readers less familiar with life in the era by making its presence related to some of the emotional wounds of her primary characters and really most of the cast. Canas demonstrates an excellent knowledge of how social issues like sexism, racism, colorism, and classism impact people/characters, and I find it hard to completely hate most of the antagonists.
The prose is gorgeous and at times macabre. I (and a few members of the book club I read this for) quickly learned that reading it at night is not a good idea as we were quite jumpy afterwards.
It's not a flawless debut. While the book focuses heavily on the casta class system in Mexico, the few members of the servant class that get development is almost entirely Andres and his family, which I think slightly undercuts the theme. Rodolfo also feels more like a plot device than a character, which I'm not sure how I feel about it. His decision to leave the hacienda in Beatriz and Juana's hands while he rubs elbows with politicians in the capital is necessary for character motivation, it leaves him underdeveloped, and readers are left on their own to reconcile the Rodolfo who his first wife adores and the one who (sexual abuse mention and a spoiler)
There is also something about the ending that left a bad taste in my mouth.
Graphic: Sexism, Blood, Classism, Colonisation, Misogyny, and Racism
Moderate: Cursing, Gore, Murder, Violence, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Physical abuse
Minor: Rape, Sexual content, Abortion, Alcohol, Vomit, and War
seasidefaye13's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Fire/Fire injury
itsheyfay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Death of parent, Classism, and Murder
Moderate: Grief, Rape, Abortion, Cursing, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, and Confinement
Minor: Physical abuse, War, and Torture
crrieandrsn26's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Blood and Violence
Minor: Rape
bookishcori's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Murder
Moderate: War, Colonisation, Racism, and Classism
blacksphinx's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, Violence, Racism, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Physical abuse, Abortion, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Rape
maddymac97's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Murder and Blood
Minor: Suicide
amberinpieces's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Gore, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Classism, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Alcohol, Gaslighting, Grief, Rape, Misogyny, Racism, Confinement, Death of parent, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Infidelity, Cursing, and Pregnancy
sophmcgraw's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Murder and Mental illness
Moderate: Rape, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual violence, and Blood
Minor: Abortion and Alcohol
vaguely_pink's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Murder, Racism, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Classism, Gore, Alcohol, War, Violence, and Body horror
Minor: Colonisation, Confinement, Cursing, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Rape, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Vomit, Animal death, and Abortion