1.31k reviews for:

The Cemetery of Untold Stories

Julia Alvarez

3.78 AVERAGE

leslie_d's review

4.0

---

a story exploring the power of stories, their telling, their tellers by an experienced crafter of stories. The telling of stories as a means of survival…
It reminds me of how this kind of Lit used to be more in my realm of regular reading. It was effortless, nice, w/shocking and disturbing twists and some predictably sad turns.

sittingwishingreading's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

aimeebenitez4's review against another edition

3.5

reflective

toniak's review

4.0

challenging emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

slategrey's review

4.0

---

4.0 out of 5

sommerkarma's review

DID NOT FINISH: 39%

---

This book was only broken up into 4 chapters. I found this book very hard to follow. I wasn’t sure who characters who and what was even going on. 

glowpez's review

3.0

mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: N/A

Loveable characters: N/A

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

lanibakes's review

4.25

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

abditoryalive's review against another edition

3.0

reflective sad slow-paced

---

The happiest moments of my life were in the past. I was a ghost before my time

🪦A story about stories, memory and the legacy you leave behind. The premise is intriguing, an aging writer buries her unfinished stories, ironically some parts feel unfinished.

Unresolved Threads:

Like what happened to her friend? that part of the story just kinda dropped off without closure. Filo and Perla mother never got that reunion with their lost mother Tatica that was linked to Alma's father? The timeskip between Perla being released seems sudden as well, did she ever speak?

🪦A love letter to writing and creation. There is some beautifully, heart-breaking introspective moments.

🪦 While the novel explores fascinating ideas, its execution feels more like a collection of unfinished thoughts than a fully realized story. I found myself admiring from afar rather emotionally connecting to it. I will admit some themes were too close to comfort.

I just want one untraumatized woman, but that's not what this story is for

.

🪦 Historical Significance: I feel like I've learnt much about Bienvenida Ricardo y Martínez, which I did thoroughly enjoy. Her Prescence leant a sense of realism and richness to the overall narrative. 

 That's why in certain tribes they say when an old person dies, a library is gone. 

🕯️Fans of philosophical and literary fiction and woman's history. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Murder, Abandonment, Deportation

Minor: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Death of parent

quizzicalchris's review

4.5

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes