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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
Beautiful, heartbreaking. The narrative voice is guiding and warm, which is a startling contrast to the plot.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Izrādās, ka arī tā dzīvo sievietes otrā pasaules malā. Mēs šeit esam laimīgā un pūkainā paradīzē.
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I had an experience shared by Owen with movies recently, where I loved the first third and then kind of lost that love. I sped through the first part completely enraptured by the setting and the relationships, especially between Ladydi and her mother. Then in the second part, there wasn't anything that really grabbed my attention past the Mike stuff, and I'm disappointed we never got closure about him. The relationship was fucked up so it was hard to read for me. The third part was somewhat interesting but it still didn't grab me as much. The characters didn't get fleshed out enough, I guess. Overall it was fine, but the beginning far exceeds the latter parts for me. Still good though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Confinement, Violence
Moderate: Child death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Murder
Book Summary:
Ladydi Garcia Martinez grew up in a place where no girls were born. Where there were no women, only – that isn't quite true, now is it? She grew up in a place where the world wasn't safe for girls or women, so she was raised to look like a boy.
It's not the start one would expect in life, but it is the life she knew. However, her simple work gets much more complicated as cartels, and others venture ever closer. Worse, it seems like everyone she knows and loves tricke away.
My Review:
Wow. Prayers for the Stolen hits hard. I mean that. Yet there's something about the writing that feels so hopeful and alive, despite all the heavy elements of the story. There's something beautiful about that!
Ladydi is a character that never lingers on the bad. It happens, she acknowledges it, and she moves on. As such, the pacing in Prayers for the Stolen is pretty fast. It's also worth noting that there are no parentheses when characters talk. You'd think that would be off-putting, but you get used to it. It just becomes another quirk of Ladydi's storytelling method.
Long story short, Prayers for the Stolen is worth the read. I'm so glad my book club picked this, as I might not have heard about it otherwise (despite the fact that there's already an adaption for it? How did I miss that?!).
Highlights:
Stream of Consciousness
Adaptation
Coming of Age
Trigger Warnings:
Kidnapping
Rape
Assault/Violence
Child Death
Drugs
Animal Death
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
Ladydi Garcia Martinez grew up in a place where no girls were born. Where there were no women, only – that isn't quite true, now is it? She grew up in a place where the world wasn't safe for girls or women, so she was raised to look like a boy.
It's not the start one would expect in life, but it is the life she knew. However, her simple work gets much more complicated as cartels, and others venture ever closer. Worse, it seems like everyone she knows and loves tricke away.
My Review:
Wow. Prayers for the Stolen hits hard. I mean that. Yet there's something about the writing that feels so hopeful and alive, despite all the heavy elements of the story. There's something beautiful about that!
Ladydi is a character that never lingers on the bad. It happens, she acknowledges it, and she moves on. As such, the pacing in Prayers for the Stolen is pretty fast. It's also worth noting that there are no parentheses when characters talk. You'd think that would be off-putting, but you get used to it. It just becomes another quirk of Ladydi's storytelling method.
Long story short, Prayers for the Stolen is worth the read. I'm so glad my book club picked this, as I might not have heard about it otherwise (despite the fact that there's already an adaption for it? How did I miss that?!).
Highlights:
Stream of Consciousness
Adaptation
Coming of Age
Trigger Warnings:
Kidnapping
Rape
Assault/Violence
Child Death
Drugs
Animal Death
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
This is why I love to read. A story about the other side of the “wall” that helps you understand why so many flee their homes for a safer better life in America.
This is a heartbreaker but beautifully told through a fascinating protagonist. I read it in one sitting.
After a couple duds from the used section of my local bookstore, this one rose from the rabble with its mesmerizing cover and its care, a story of hardship and love, despite everything, between the women left behind.
This book was intense, sad, and eye-opening. I can only imagine growing up and living under the fraught conditions that the young girls and women had to endure. The drug cartel has zero limits to the horror they can and will inflict on individuals, animals, and communities.
I really enjoyed this book. It's writing is almost like Ladydi is sitting down with you and telling you her story. It has some suspenseful parts but it's very easy to understand and easy to read.
I received this book courtesy of Blogging for Books, in exchange for my review.
I received this book courtesy of Blogging for Books, in exchange for my review.