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astoriareader's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
- Alma is a successful writer, but she has some unfinished stories.
- She decides to stop writing. She recently inherited some land in the Dominican Republic, where she grew up, so she decides to move back there.
- On the land, Alma buries her unfinished stories in a cemetery of untold stories. She hires Filomena to care for the cemetery, and Alma also builds a casita on the land where the cemetery is.
- As Filomena cares for the cemetery, two of the characters from the untold stories tell her their stories. We also learn Filomena’s story.
- Magical realism with some historical fiction.
- Really enjoyed this one. Strong writing & super unique idea that was seamlessly executed. Alvarez is a rich storyteller, and I was so invested in what happened.
- Loved getting a glimpse of some of Dominican Republic’s history and culture as well.
- I enjoyed Alvarez’s mix of Spanish words throughout the book as well. It made all the stories feel more authentic.
- The only reason I am going 4 stars instead of 5 stars is the ending was just okay to me. With such an amazing book, I would have loved a stronger finish.
Graphic: Murder, Infidelity, Child death, Gun violence, Animal death, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Miscarriage, Dementia, and Death of parent
Minor: Body shaming, Genocide, and Homophobia
mondovertigo's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Murder, Infidelity, Child death, and Animal death
Moderate: Rape, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual assault
jennshelfishlife's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Classism, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, and Murder
teii's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Infidelity, Xenophobia, Murder, Racism, Abandonment, and Misogyny
Moderate: Child death, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, and Animal death
Minor: Rape, Miscarriage, and Homophobia
taural41's review
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Infidelity, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent, Deportation, Misogyny, Rape, Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Confinement, Dementia, and Racism
Minor: Animal death, Pregnancy, Homophobia, and Miscarriage