Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

The Storyteller's Death by Ann Dávila Cardinal

6 reviews

cnannery19's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Grief, Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Classism, Death, Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, Death of parent, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Racism, Violence, and Terminal illness

nozycozy's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

The Storytellers Death was an immersive read through beautiful descriptions of Isla’s environment in Puerto Rico, her successful/fruitless encounters and the eye opening relationship with her family. I loved the magical aspect of this mystery/family saga. I enjoyed Islas character and how she copes with learning about her families stance on many racial/class issues as well as how people in town view her and her family. The dialogue and interactions with her family reminded me a bit of my own. It was a very engaging, relatable read for me. The narrator Marisol  Ramirez was amazing. I enjoyed every minute of it. 

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Racism, Grief, Alcoholism, Addiction, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, and Gun violence

Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, and Terminal illness

Minor: Forced institutionalization

rhi_'s review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Murder, and Addiction

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Classism, and Racism

Minor: Grief and Bullying

catwhisperer's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Addiction, Abandonment, Alcohol, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Bullying, Death, Alcoholism, Blood, Death of parent, Classism, Colonisation, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail

bookdnbusy's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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

5.0

this book and this author are INCREDIBLY underrated.

not only is ann dávila cardinal a fantastic writer, but she’d managed to bring nostalgia to me by the way she described the island, the food, the tastes, the sounds, the sights as if i didn’t grow up watching, feeling, and experiencing this myself up until a few years back when i made the tough decision of moving to the states. 

the storyteller’s death tells the story of what happens when family secrets and bias are so deep-rooted into our ancestry that the domino effect that happens as each vital member passes on the grief and guilt, pain and trauma to the younger generation that at some point is as if staring at a tsunami wave growing and growing and growing but never really quite tumbles down until someone down the line decides that enough is enough. 

there are a lot of heavy topics discussed in this book, mainly: racism, colorism, and classism, but it’s done from the point of view of our heroine, isla, over the span of ten years. she’s stuck between two worlds in which she does not feel a part of fully, despite spending part of her time with her mother’s family on the island. isla tells and shows how her family’s secrets and bias affect her, and how her own secret slowly eats away at her until the passing of her great-aunt. as we say back home, “esa fue la gota que colmó la copa” and as a reader, i was so proud to finally watch her blossom and take control and face everyone, including her mother! 

i wanted to keep going, find out the truth myself, but i didn’t want it to end. i wanted more of isla, more of josé, more of maría, more of elena, more storyteller’s visions, and in the end it all comes together and leaves you feeling hopeful for her future, for her continuous learning and growth. 

ann dávila cardinal wrote and told this story phenomenally, i even forgot that the entire book is written in isla’s perspective, even as a child we see a mature thought process from little isla and her search and desire to fit in and belong. ann’s way of comparing a toothless smile with empty spaces, describing the prickling sensation of the sun on your skin after a long beach day, and the filling sensation the starchiness of plantain leaves behind was refreshingly evocative and left me wanting and searching for more of her work. 

do yourself a favor and pick up a copy for you, one for your friend, and one for a stranger, because you all deserve to live in isla’s world for a day or two. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, and Classism

Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Racism, and Death

Minor: Murder, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Cultural appropriation, and Colonisation

Colorism

goldguardie's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

I *loved* this book🥹🥹🥹

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Racism, Alcoholism, and Alcohol