Reviews

Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton

ajkremer's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional sad slow-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

3.5

domicspinnwand's review against another edition

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4.0

Gut - macht Lust auf mehr! Und offensichtlich geht die Geschichte um die Perrez-Schwestern weiter, mit "Wir träumten von Kuba" erscheint im Dezember 2019 ein zweiter Band, in dem die Geschichte von Elisas Schwester Beatriz erzählt wird.

Ich wusste nicht viel über Kuba, als ich dieses Buch begonnen habe, vermutlich das, was die meisten Leserinnen meiner Generation so an gesundem Halbwissen haben: Kubakrise, Oldtimer, Fidel Castro, Zigarren und Rum.

Das Buch spielt auf zwei Zeitebenen, die im Hörbuch von zwei verschiedenen Sprecherinnen erzählt werden. Dabei gefällt mir die jüngere Stimme der Elisa einen Tick besser als die von Marisol, aber beide Sprecherinnen machen ihre Sache sehr ordentlich und ich kann mir gut vorstellen, mehr von ihnen zu hören.

Die Liebesgeschichte(n) von Elisa und Pablo und von Marisol und Luis sind eingebettet in die Schilderung der jeweiligen Lebensumstände auf Kuba. Das hat mich dazu gebracht, mich mehr mit der jüngeren Historie Kubas auseinanderzusetzen, denn das ist zugegebenermassen eine Gegend, in der ich noch nie war und ich habe - auch nach dem Buch -nicht unbedingt vor, da demnächst hinzufahren - zu heiß!

Allerdings habe ich mir schon überlegt, wie ich reagieren würde, wenn ich in der Situation von Elisa oder Marisol gewesen wäre: Hätte ich den Mund aufgemacht und gekämpft? Oder eher versucht, mich mit der Situation zu arrangieren? Schwer zu sagen, aber wert, mal darüber nachzudenken. In den zweiten Band der Serie werde ich also definitiv mal hereinhören respektive lesen

mandareads1's review against another edition

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2.0

Boring, mediocre writing. Took me 5 months to finish.

ilovebooksalltoowell's review against another edition

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4.0

I’ve started reading this book last year, hoping to read a lot about Cuba, where I went on holiday many years ago and was fascinated to know more of its history. I got annoyed by the continuous conversations that were described however, and the extensive descriptions of how in love the main characters were. Yeah yeah I get it! English is not my first language so I got stuck and put the book away. I picked it up a few days ago and must say that the second half is soooo wel written. It was hard to stop reading, so surprising, informative, it was all I hoped the book to be. My final verdict is 4,5 starts and since I struggled through the first part I think 4 is the right choice

abbyprinceatwood's review against another edition

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2.0

Meh. I liked the grandmother’s story but the rest felt like a book report coupled with how a jr high student would view an adult relationship.

amontez728's review against another edition

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4.25

Fav quote
"To be Cuban is to be proud—it is both our greatest gift and our biggest curse. We serve no kings, bow no heads, bear our troubles on our backs as though they are nothing at all. There is an art to this, you see. An art to appearing as though everything is effortless, that your world is a gilded one, when the reality is that your knees beneath your silk gown buckle from the weight of it all. We are silk and lace, and beneath them we are steel."

The history was fascinating 

upasnab's review against another edition

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5.0

The story about love, bravery of women and so much more! I am at loss of words but am so filled with emotions ❤️

You must give it a read, I insist!

sheepgotohello's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

lexibutwithbooks's review against another edition

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emotional informative tense fast-paced

4.25

emsbookishnature's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0