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jkreads's review
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
La Bastarda (The Bastard) was the first novel by a female Equatorial Guinean writer to be translated into English and due to its lesbian MC, it is currently banned in Equatorial Guinea. These two things, along with the fact that the author herself is bisexual and an outspoken advocate for LGBTQI+ issues, made this feel like a perfect pick for The Diverse Baseline March prompt A: a translated book by a BIPOC author.
La Bastarda is a novella, and an easy one to read in one sitting. Although I loved the themes and ideas in this book, the writing style felt clunky at times to me. This could have been a translation issue, but I’ve read other translated books that didn’t have this problem.
The main issue I had with the writing was that it felt like there was a lot of telling, not a lot of showing. There were chunks of dialogue that felt unnatural and forced, and were very much just there to make sure the reader was getting the point. Whenever a book does this it just feels like the author doesn’t have enough trust in their audience to understand the point they’re trying to make. In the case of this novel, the point was clear without the paragraphs of unnecessary exposition.
A LOT happens plot-wise in this book for how short it was. Possibly a little too much, as some of the plot points felt rushed and unrealistic, but overall I enjoyed it and was glad there was a relatively happy ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Trafficking
Moderate: Murder, Incest, and Rape
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