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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I chose this book as my Venezuela entry in the StoryGraph Reads the World challenge.
I have chosen this book partly because I want to read more outside my comfort zone, partly because of how appealing and interesting the synopsis was, and partly because I want to read more women in translation.
This was a pretty dark and kind of tragic read, but I also think it was important. I feel like topics such as war are more relevant than every, as we are witnessing them happen in front of our eyes. It really made me think about how safe and privileged we all are, living our lives while so many people around the globe suffer.
The story itself was a bit monotonous, but I really liked the retrospective, where we learn more about Adelaida, her mother, and her aunts. It also made the difference in life during war stand out more compared to peace.
The story drags you in and makes you ask yourself, How can people be so rude? On the other hand, it perfectly describes the desperation and the basic human reflex to survive at all costs.
It blends a personal tragedy with a collapse of society and the strength and perseverance of people who survive it, day by day.
I think this is a book everyone should read, and I cannot wait to read more by Karina Sainz Borgo.
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
'"Each of us belongs to the place where our dead are buried." As I observed the shorn grass around her grave, I understood that my mother, my only dead, tied me to this land.'
Adelaida Falcón stands over the open grave of her mother in Caracas, Venezuela, and bids goodbye to the only family she's ever known. The city is falling to ruin amid a revolution: the currency is worthless, tear gas rains down on protestors, and food is scarce. Grieving both her mother and her country, Adelaida faces harsh choices if she's to survive the anarchy raging outside.
The escalating violence and privations faced by Venezuelans make this read like a dystopia, though it reflects real events. Among the nightmarish present, Adelaidas's memories of a happy childhood and a prospering Venezuela that welcomed immigrants from all over the world seem impossibly far away.
The novel explores loss, of loved ones but also of the sense of safety in our homeland many of us take for granted. Once this is eroded, other losses follow easily: the loss of belongings, a home, memories, and identity. It also examines what fills those empty spaces. Police are replaced by bands of vigilantes, a cherished home becomes a rebel base, identity papers are forged, lies are told to shore up this fakery. How many replacements can you make in a life before, ship of Theseus-like, you're left questioning your original identity, and if this means anything at all?
Sainz Borgo's background is in journalism which shone through in her concise but closely-observed snapshot of the turbulent revolution, and the world before it, but it felt like this came at the expense of more character development of Adelaida. As the story progressed it lost some drive, instead having Adelaida move mechanically from event to event. There are still some very moving moments, especially where the mother-daughter relationship is the focus, and though I'd have liked more of that side of the story it remained an impactful read about a piece of history that could be lifted from the very bleakest dystopian novel.
Adelaida Falcón stands over the open grave of her mother in Caracas, Venezuela, and bids goodbye to the only family she's ever known. The city is falling to ruin amid a revolution: the currency is worthless, tear gas rains down on protestors, and food is scarce. Grieving both her mother and her country, Adelaida faces harsh choices if she's to survive the anarchy raging outside.
The escalating violence and privations faced by Venezuelans make this read like a dystopia, though it reflects real events. Among the nightmarish present, Adelaidas's memories of a happy childhood and a prospering Venezuela that welcomed immigrants from all over the world seem impossibly far away.
The novel explores loss, of loved ones but also of the sense of safety in our homeland many of us take for granted. Once this is eroded, other losses follow easily: the loss of belongings, a home, memories, and identity. It also examines what fills those empty spaces. Police are replaced by bands of vigilantes, a cherished home becomes a rebel base, identity papers are forged, lies are told to shore up this fakery. How many replacements can you make in a life before, ship of Theseus-like, you're left questioning your original identity, and if this means anything at all?
Sainz Borgo's background is in journalism which shone through in her concise but closely-observed snapshot of the turbulent revolution, and the world before it, but it felt like this came at the expense of more character development of Adelaida. As the story progressed it lost some drive, instead having Adelaida move mechanically from event to event. There are still some very moving moments, especially where the mother-daughter relationship is the focus, and though I'd have liked more of that side of the story it remained an impactful read about a piece of history that could be lifted from the very bleakest dystopian novel.
