Reviews

The Storyteller's Death by Ann Dávila Cardinal

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saritablu's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

rainbowbookworm's review

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4.0

I picked this one up because it was set in Puerto Rico and because it had quenepas in the cover. I was captivated by the magical realism, Isla's relationship with her mother, and how oblivious Isla's family was to that mother-daughter dynamic.

However, 2/3 of the way in I found myself bored and set the book down. I ultimately finished it and enjoyed it.

laylaoj's review

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medium-paced

3.0

vicrine's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

3.75

candacesiegle_greedyreader's review

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3.0

3.5 stars

Isla Larsen Sanchez is a New Jersey teen whose family spends part of every summer with relatives in Puerto Rico.
When her father becomes ill, her mother takes her to stay with her Great-Aunt Alma, but returns home after only a few days. When her father dies, Isla is sent to Alma alone.

The death of her grandmother brings a nightmare into Isla’s life. Her grandmother loved to tell a particular uncomfortable story, and Isla finds herself living the story in visions which manifest at the same time every day. She’s afraid to tell anyone in her family but a neighbor says that storytellers have to tell their story. Isla manages to wrangle this vision by writing it down, but then, with each death, more visions appear that can’t be erased, each one bringing her closer to a tragic family secret.

Ann Davila Cardinal paints a bright picture of San Juan in the 1970’s through the 1980’s, with close families and careful manipulations to keep secrets close. Isla feels abandoned by her mother and turns to Alma and her cousin Maria for support. She’s juggling a lot—growing up, her lost parents, these visions, and the urge to grasp what these nightmares are really about. There’s a satisfying conclusion to “The Storyteller’s Death” but the novel reads more of a YA piece than something for adults.