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amadswami's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
sgenheden's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
rebecka2023's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lailalina's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
susannekaluza's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
cygnetbabe's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
oliviaeld's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
tense
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? It's complicated
4.0
gloconno's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
shit!!! fuck!!! ow!!!
thinking about the nyt reviewer who said that Xuela sees herself as a symbol, is too unrelenting in her cold vision of the world and her domination, that it doesn’t feel real because there is no texture of life in its pages. I think in a lot of ways that is an accurate description of the prose, but doesn’t work as a value judgment imo. I think a lot of what made it so hard and new and real was bc that is how xuela lives her incredibly alienated life, increasingly so as the book progresses, and what makes it so hard and devastating to read. but also real, bc what does it mean to try to reckon with the forces of history and genealogy and positionality so unrelentingly, to ask and see what our lives mean and what it means that they feel the way that they do. i’m still not sure what to do with it all, this book offers literally no way out besides just like, accepting death and hoping we make peace with it all?? but it doesn’t even push us to accept it bc it really just reminds you that it’s happening anyway, and that there is no escaping loneliness until then anyway
thinking about the nyt reviewer who said that Xuela sees herself as a symbol, is too unrelenting in her cold vision of the world and her domination, that it doesn’t feel real because there is no texture of life in its pages. I think in a lot of ways that is an accurate description of the prose, but doesn’t work as a value judgment imo. I think a lot of what made it so hard and new and real was bc that is how xuela lives her incredibly alienated life, increasingly so as the book progresses, and what makes it so hard and devastating to read. but also real, bc what does it mean to try to reckon with the forces of history and genealogy and positionality so unrelentingly, to ask and see what our lives mean and what it means that they feel the way that they do. i’m still not sure what to do with it all, this book offers literally no way out besides just like, accepting death and hoping we make peace with it all?? but it doesn’t even push us to accept it bc it really just reminds you that it’s happening anyway, and that there is no escaping loneliness until then anyway