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awkwardimagination's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Im gonna be honest this is not what I was expecting from this book and I'm slightly disappointed by that. It is a family story, and by that I mean it is the story of this family told through supernatural means. It wa solidly written and by all means a good story, its's just not my kinda a story. Also I know this is supposed to be an adult book, but I was fully convinced it was YA. I think that makes it new adult?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Blood, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Medical content, Forced institutionalization, Sexual harassment, and Racism
Minor: 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
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, and Classism
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Racism, and Death
Minor: Murder, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Cultural appropriation, and Colonisation
Colorismartsybrea's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation and Racism
bookdragon217's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
"Don't the stories that aren't true say as much about us as the ones that are?...And we won't get into the concept of what truth really is. It's like different cameras all photographing the same object. We all experience events differently and with our own particular angle."
The Storyteller's Death by Ann Dávila Cardinal was December's pick for #ReadPuertoRican book club and it was the sleeper hit I needed to end the year with. Dávila Cardinal brings 1970's Puerto Rico to life with this generational saga full of secrets, ancestral gifts, scandals and magical realism. Ann's storytelling ability weaves this unforgettable tale that hooks you in from the very first sentence. At its conclusion, you are left thinking about the Sanchez family and wondering about everyone's fate.
Not only was the prose in this one beautiful and rich, but the way Dávila Cardinal handled its deep themes was tender and unique. She gave us a family story that uncovered Euro-centrism, colorism, classism, himophobia, machismo, emerging feminism, stigma about storytelling and gifts, and secrets galore. She showed us all the layers that could be hidden in one family across generations and how those secrets have repercussions for future generations.
The character of Isla reminds us that storytelling is as important as the storyteller. She personifies what it means to be an agent of change in your family first and how speaking up is the only way to sustain future generations. To break toxic cycles, one must confront the past head on and call out the negative behavior and traits. It's never too late to right a wrong so seeking out truths is never a wasted feat. She also reminds us about the power of storytelling and the perspective of the storyteller. andIsla embraces the space of unbelonging and carves out a path for herself that brings healing to her family. The magical realism elements added a special touch to the story and really brought the characters and Puerto Rico to life. If you're a fan of family sagas and magical realism, pick this one up. Dávila Cardinal will keep you hanging on her every word. This is definitely one of my top ten 2022 reads.
The Storyteller's Death by Ann Dávila Cardinal was December's pick for #ReadPuertoRican book club and it was the sleeper hit I needed to end the year with. Dávila Cardinal brings 1970's Puerto Rico to life with this generational saga full of secrets, ancestral gifts, scandals and magical realism. Ann's storytelling ability weaves this unforgettable tale that hooks you in from the very first sentence. At its conclusion, you are left thinking about the Sanchez family and wondering about everyone's fate.
Not only was the prose in this one beautiful and rich, but the way Dávila Cardinal handled its deep themes was tender and unique. She gave us a family story that uncovered Euro-centrism, colorism, classism, himophobia, machismo, emerging feminism, stigma about storytelling and gifts, and secrets galore. She showed us all the layers that could be hidden in one family across generations and how those secrets have repercussions for future generations.
The character of Isla reminds us that storytelling is as important as the storyteller. She personifies what it means to be an agent of change in your family first and how speaking up is the only way to sustain future generations. To break toxic cycles, one must confront the past head on and call out the negative behavior and traits. It's never too late to right a wrong so seeking out truths is never a wasted feat. She also reminds us about the power of storytelling and the perspective of the storyteller. andIsla embraces the space of unbelonging and carves out a path for herself that brings healing to her family. The magical realism elements added a special touch to the story and really brought the characters and Puerto Rico to life. If you're a fan of family sagas and magical realism, pick this one up. Dávila Cardinal will keep you hanging on her every word. This is definitely one of my top ten 2022 reads.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation, Racism, and Classism
Minor: Gun violence
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