Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez

1 review

astoriareader's review

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challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

SYNOPSIS
  • 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.

MY THOUGHTS
  • 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.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️magical realism with some historical fiction. amazing character development, strong writing. unique premise and beautifully executed.

Thanks to Algonquin Press and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is out now.
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