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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
Absolutely broke my heart. super beautiful
(also, because I read other reviews and i'm mad: fuck everyone saying "wahhh i wanted cool badass sisters fighting against a dictator, not a story about marriages and periods and gossip!!!" literally fuck all of you. just say you hate women and go!!!! just say it, it's so much shorter. maybe learn how to love and sympathize with mundane people (especially when those people are doing traditionally feminine things) and then you'll calm down...... maybe learn how to understand that humanizing these people and showing the quiet intimate aspects of their lives with moments of levity is the kindest and most effective way to tell a story about tragedy.......)
(also, because I read other reviews and i'm mad: fuck everyone saying "wahhh i wanted cool badass sisters fighting against a dictator, not a story about marriages and periods and gossip!!!" literally fuck all of you. just say you hate women and go!!!! just say it, it's so much shorter. maybe learn how to love and sympathize with mundane people (especially when those people are doing traditionally feminine things) and then you'll calm down...... maybe learn how to understand that humanizing these people and showing the quiet intimate aspects of their lives with moments of levity is the kindest and most effective way to tell a story about tragedy.......)
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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:
No
A lushly written fictionalization about the Mirabal sisters, legendary figures in Dominican Republican history. The chapters alternate from one sister’s point of view & third person narration over the course of a few decades; we are given intimate insights to the thoughts & choices of each sister - from religion to politics to love & loyalty. The mix of historical fact and imagined lives makes for a richly interesting, satisfying, magical read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, War, Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Car accident, Murder, Colonisation
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
good, i read up on the story of the girls, so i knew what was up so the book was an easier read, and it was done by all the 4 girls so i got to hear their stories.
3.5 rounded to 4 stars! ⭐️
I read this book for a university course on Latinx literature, and actually really enjoyed it. I’m aware this is a fictive account of the Mirabel sisters and is not 100% historically accurate, but I think the most important thing is that the author brought the story of such important women to English-speaking readers. I had personally never heard of the Butterflies before this novel and found great value in the stories it tells.
As the author states in the afterward, “To Dominicans separated by language from the world I have created, I hope this book deepens North Americans’ understanding of the nightmare you endured and the heavy losses you suffered—of which this story tells only a few.”
I read this book for a university course on Latinx literature, and actually really enjoyed it. I’m aware this is a fictive account of the Mirabel sisters and is not 100% historically accurate, but I think the most important thing is that the author brought the story of such important women to English-speaking readers. I had personally never heard of the Butterflies before this novel and found great value in the stories it tells.
As the author states in the afterward, “To Dominicans separated by language from the world I have created, I hope this book deepens North Americans’ understanding of the nightmare you endured and the heavy losses you suffered—of which this story tells only a few.”
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Sexual assault
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
slow-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
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death
I really wish I liked this book more but I was a little disappointed by the end. I love historical fiction however now I’m reminded of why I usually hesitate to read fictionalized historic people if that makes sense. I was unfamiliar with the time and location when/where this story takes place (roughly 1940s-1960s, the Dominican Republic, under the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo) and i feel like I didn’t learn all that much by the end of the novel. The story jumps around in time between the four sisters and I thought it was a little difficult to keep track of the people and events. I also didn’t think that there was very much difference between the voices of the sisters.
Overall, I thought this was a pretty lackluster book and though I found the setting to be very interesting I would much rather do my own research.
Overall, I thought this was a pretty lackluster book and though I found the setting to be very interesting I would much rather do my own research.
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated