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vandavknihach's review against another edition
5.0
Tato knížka má na zadní části obálky přirovnání k Mlčícím fontánám od Ruty Sepetys. Nejenže s tím souhlasím, ale ještě bych to rozšířila o další knihu stejné autorky, Musím tě zradit. A tím chci říct, že tento příběh rozhodně zaslouží číst stejně jako knihy od výše zmíněné spisovatelky. Hlavní hrdinka Scilla nám dává náhled na maďarskou revoluci odehrávající se v Budapešti. Ukazuje nám komunismus z pohledu další země v našem okolí, náladu společnosti, a nespravedlnost s odvahou. To je propleteno metaforickými fantasy prvky zastoupenými řekou, vymizením barev a samotnou charakteristikou hlavní hrdinky, kterou doprovází anděl smrti. Co je ale to, co knihu vyzdvihuje, je přítomnost emocí. Surových, silných emocí, které zlomí srdce, i kdyby ho čtenář měl z kamene.
thriftylibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not too experienced with magical realism and it shows in this book. I think I went into it expecting historical fiction in my head, and then maybe fantasy, and then realizing that it was something with elements of both. I also listened to this as an audiobook, which may have complicated things. It took me until about 40% of the way through the book that I could connect with the characters and the plot, and I really enjoyed the story when I did. Locke's writing is very beautiful and almost dreamlike, and the symbolism was very rich and detailed. I may end up rereading this at some point as a physical book, because I feel like it would help with comprehension. Overall a really interesting tale of 1950's Hungary and the People's resistance to communist rule!
I feel like the cover definitely deserved an extra half star.
I feel like the cover definitely deserved an extra half star.
bookmarkedbyfi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
lsparrow's review against another edition
3.0
this story set in the hungarian 1956 uprising/revolution - told by a young jewish girl - has a lot of interesting things to say about history, family, revolution and following your heart. I found some of the more mythical aspects (river turned to stone, everything in grey scale, the golem) confusing. I perhaps wanted to much for this to be historical fiction but this was more historical story telling.
erikkay20's review against another edition
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
troetschel's review against another edition
3.0
I don't quite know how I really feel about This Rebel Heart. It's 433 pages and sometimes it truly felt like it. But sometimes it really grabbed my attention and went so quickly.
It's historical fiction and magical realism mixed up together, but they did not mesh together perfectly. I would be really getting into the historical fiction aspect of it when the magical realism side would pop up again and you could feel this slight friction. I think the book simply expects you to take everything at face value, but the overall tone of the book is also one of a giant metaphor. I listened to this on audio and the narrator gives the prose such weight, all of the words and sentences and paragraphs are delivered with such earnestness that I can tell I'm supposed to find everything beautiful and meaningful and magical. But it also just didn't quite work all the way. I'm so sad to say it, because there was a story in here that I absolutely loved - Csilla and Tamas and Azriel and the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, something that I've never read about before. The more I learn about the Jewish faith the more beautiful I find it. I love a story about rebellion and resistance and the bravery that comes along with it. It should have worked for me.
In the book, Csilla wakes up in her bed in her apartment in pieces and has to literally (not metaphorically) put herself back together. Her body parts have become detached, and she has to re-assemble herself every morning. By the end of the book, she's no longer coming apart overnight and her seams have been smoothed over. I can tell that This Rebel Heart was supposed to do the same thing, but I don't think it did. The pieces never really quite fit together for me.
It's historical fiction and magical realism mixed up together, but they did not mesh together perfectly. I would be really getting into the historical fiction aspect of it when the magical realism side would pop up again and you could feel this slight friction. I think the book simply expects you to take everything at face value, but the overall tone of the book is also one of a giant metaphor. I listened to this on audio and the narrator gives the prose such weight, all of the words and sentences and paragraphs are delivered with such earnestness that I can tell I'm supposed to find everything beautiful and meaningful and magical. But it also just didn't quite work all the way. I'm so sad to say it, because there was a story in here that I absolutely loved - Csilla and Tamas and Azriel and the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, something that I've never read about before. The more I learn about the Jewish faith the more beautiful I find it. I love a story about rebellion and resistance and the bravery that comes along with it. It should have worked for me.
In the book, Csilla wakes up in her bed in her apartment in pieces and has to literally (not metaphorically) put herself back together. Her body parts have become detached, and she has to re-assemble herself every morning. By the end of the book, she's no longer coming apart overnight and her seams have been smoothed over. I can tell that This Rebel Heart was supposed to do the same thing, but I don't think it did. The pieces never really quite fit together for me.
samsbookreview's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
tense
medium-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? No
4.5
ameserole's review against another edition
4.0
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This Rebel Heart was a very interesting read. From the very beginning, I was completely hooked with the characters and the overall story. In it, you will meet Csilla. She is a young Jewish woman living in Hungary during the revolution of 1956. Due to her parents' untimely death, they were executed by the government, she sets off on a unique path with the angel of death by her side.
Now I won't lie. There were some parts of this book that broke my heart and others that gave me joy. The characters and what they go through was definitely a page turner for me. I seriously enjoyed meeting each and every one of them. Then there's the journey that they went on and it was definitely emotional and magical. Even if I was confused as to why certain things did happen throughout it.
In the end, I definitely enjoyed the heck out of this. I feel like I learned something new and fell in love with the representation of the characters. The ending also made me an emotional mess but in a good way. I'll definitely be on the lookout for Katherine's next book!
This Rebel Heart was a very interesting read. From the very beginning, I was completely hooked with the characters and the overall story. In it, you will meet Csilla. She is a young Jewish woman living in Hungary during the revolution of 1956. Due to her parents' untimely death, they were executed by the government, she sets off on a unique path with the angel of death by her side.
Now I won't lie. There were some parts of this book that broke my heart and others that gave me joy. The characters and what they go through was definitely a page turner for me. I seriously enjoyed meeting each and every one of them. Then there's the journey that they went on and it was definitely emotional and magical. Even if I was confused as to why certain things did happen throughout it.
In the end, I definitely enjoyed the heck out of this. I feel like I learned something new and fell in love with the representation of the characters. The ending also made me an emotional mess but in a good way. I'll definitely be on the lookout for Katherine's next book!
jess_um_griffith's review against another edition
3.0
I learned a lot about the Hungarian revolution, which was amazing! I guess I missed the memo that this contained magical realism tho bc I was confused as heck when I thought the river thing was a metaphor. Also the first half of the book was so hard to slog through—I blame the editor for that one.